Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
“Mind-blowing excitement. I dare you to put this down during the last 100 pages.”
Your verdict:
/rating_on.png "1 Star")
/rating_half.png "5 Stars")
(15 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)
Loading ...| Title: | I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) |
|---|---|
| Author: | Lore, Pittacus |
| Publisher: | HarperTeen |
| Pages: | 448 |
Goodreads:
Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers y…more Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.I am Number Four.
I am next
Have I ever told you to read a Sci-fi book? No, but this time I am now. I Am Number Four was a fast paced, action packed, get-me-to-the-end-before-I-die-of-anticipation novel. When future generations look back on YA literature I Am Number Four will be one of the few books that will survive the test of time.
The characters were brilliantly handled. For once in a YA book I read a boy character that boys can actually read and connect with. This book transcends cross-over. Give it to anyone on your gift list. It’s a guaranteed hit!
You know a book is fantastic when before it even hits the shelves the movie is about to wrap up production? How many vampire books did that one chick have to write before her vamps were sparkling on the big screen?
I am dying to read the next volume in the Lorien Series. I can’t wait to see what John/4 is going to do about all he has lost and what he stands to gain. I will be the first in line at my indie when it comes out. In fact I need to make a run to my indie and make sure this book is stocked up!
I can’t say enough about how well this book is written, the characters are great, the pacing is perfect, the conversations between characters is believable and even though it’s Sci-Fi, and has to do with the universe and all that jazz, not once did it bother me. I actually found the authors explanations of things exciting and not nerdy at all!
If you liked The Hunger Games (yeah I went there), or Maximum Ride you will fall in love with I Am Number Four.
By: April (Books&Wine) (@booksandwine)
Well, I enjoyed Hunger Games, but disliked Maximum Ride, soooo I wonder if I would be lukewarm on this book?
As a nerd who likes Sci-Fi and aliens I am so excited to read this!
Must get to BEA copy of this one soooooooon.
By: Shesten (I Heart Monster) (@iheartmonster)
I think it’s great to see fiction written for YA males. Really, I do. But, I’m apprehensive about this book for two reasons:
1) I didn’t really love The Hunger Games (though CF was okay) or Maximum Ride.
2) Aliens freak me out supremely. Like I had to watch Tom Cruise’s War of the Worlds through the window in the theatre (even though I purchased a ticket) so that I could ground myself enough to get through the story.
The description makes I AM NUMBER FOUR sound a lot more like Transformers than Signs, but I’m still anxious about it making me have nightmares for weeks!
I know the Transformers dude is directing this movie and that it comes out in February, so maybe it’ll be okay.
By: Pam
I mentioned HG and MR because of the action elements. The pacing of the book in general. The story however is not comparable.
As far as aliens go I really, really don’t like them either but this book didn’t focus on the “I am a strange being Earth Dweller” at all.
By: Mollie (@bookfaredelight)
Hmm well I don’t usually care for alien stories if you said you don’t like them either. I’ll give it a try. I just happened to get this from the library too!
By: Shesten (I Heart Monster) (@iheartmonster)
Okay, great to know. Thanks Pam! I’ll add this book to my list :)
By: Catherine (@CatherineHaines)
I’ve heard mixed things about this book, on a number of reasons. Plus add in the fact it’s written by James Frey and… I dunno. :/
By: Pam
I specifically left out the author’s real name. I know how biased people can be based on an author’s previous works and that is probably why he has a pen name.
However, I Am Number Four is sci-fi for newcomers or people like me that just dislike the genre. It is a great boy book and a book with a boy who is more than two dimensional with a few pre approved traits that everyone knows girls like.
By: Catherine (@CatherineHaines)
Ah. Sci fi for people who don’t like sci fi then. Not for me then.
By: Gina (@GRgenius)
So…you liked the book then? LOL…just kidding! That is apparent from the tone of your review. Sounds like this one really grabs your attention and takes readers along for the ride. I never read THE HUNGER GAMES (*ducks flying objects being thrown*) but I have read some of the one so more than likely will be checking this out. You know what though…it brings to mind a book I read a while back that you might enjoy….The Five by Thomas Roberts. Happy reading!
By: Amy (@Amy)
Obviously I didn’t like this as much as you. I thought the fantasy aspect of it was great, and the character was great, but the action at the end of the book was a bit too much to be believed.
By: Pam
Yes! Amy I was wondering in what way is science fiction supposed to be believable? lol
By: Laura @ ImBookingIt (@bookingit)
I think I’ll pick this one up out of my pile next. But I could change my mind :-). I haven’t been reading much science fiction recently, and I miss it.
And to jump in on a comment above, SF (as with all fiction) should be believable by following the rules of its own world. If anything pulls you outside that, it has failed.
By: Pam (@bookaliciouspam)
Laura: I for one didn’t think it pulled me out of their world. I believe it was all explained in the forward and early on in the book. It wasn’t a brainless read you had to pay attention to small sentences that you don’t think makes much impact.
By: Akin (@glenak)
I’m looking forward to reading this. Read the first couple of chapters on the harper website (for anyone who’s looking to read a hefty excerpt, here’s a link: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/07/26/i-am-number-four-excerpt/)
Overall, I won’t go as far as saying it will last the test of time. It seems like a very ordinary sci-fi: a bunch of kids escape from their home planet and are being hunted by evil alien beings. Nothing spectacular about it, but still good all the same. The hype does make I am Number Four a lot greater than it actually is.
By: Akin (@glenak)
My apologies, the link should be: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/07/26/i-am-number-four-excerpt/
There’s a bracket “)” in the first link I posted, which shouldn’t be there.
By: BookHarpie (@bookharpie)
Before you buy this, consider that it is written at the Entering 4th Grade level. It’s really not YA but better suited for middle-graders.
By: Pam
BookHarpie: I really have to disagree with that statement. As that was the case with Witch & Wizard. I Am Number Four is definanitely YA. The action alone in the last hundred pages is not at all suitable for 4th graders.
By: jacob baker
I am doing a book report on I am number four for the month of
September and I picked this book just for its title , and I am glad I
did . I loved this 34 chapter book of 440 pages . I just could not
put it down . I cant wait for the next one in its series. and there is the movie comming soon.
By: jacob baker
Maybe now I can get some sleep !!! it is that good I give it a 4
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