I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

(Lorien Legacies #1)

Published: August 3, 2010 by Harper

Get the book: Amazon

 

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil

Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

 

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

 

Read my review of the movie here.

 

This book is pretty entertaining, fast-paced, and reads like a movie. Of course, this could be because it is exactly like the movie, which I saw before reading the book. If you’ve seen the movie, the book is exactly the same, with some flashbacks and minus the eye candy. I will probably not read the sequel unless I read rave reviews of it.

(Oh hello. Anyone else here a Glee fan?)

 Reasons I love this book:

• Sarah- Sarah gets to do more in the book. I remember feeling like she was just eye candy in the movie while Six got to kick butt, but Sarah is more of an important character here.
• the Mogadorians- they are presented as harsh enemies rather than comic relief like in the movie
• Lorien- we get to learn a lot more about John’s home planet and how he came to be on Earth
• as I read the book I just kept thinking that the casting of the movie was so perfect for the characters

Huh, what?:

• Mark- I felt that John’s feud with Mark was way overblown and took up so much of the book. It’s important, since John might blow his cover but in the end it didn’t need so many pages devoted to it
• There’s a part where John writes down everything about what he saw in his visions and training. Now if you’d been on the run for 10 years, burning down houses as you go because you’re in that much danger if you’re found, would making a written record detailing all of your secrets and knowledge of the situation seem like a good idea?
• Sarah accepted that John was an alien way too easily, even for having seen proof 1st hand- Sam’s reaction is rational and he’s the one who believes in aliens
• the book itself is trying too hard- the writing on the page edges is distracting and it’s not cute to have the author be an alien in a YA book
• The lack of use of contractions is awkward and distracting

Favorite quotes:

• “What is their incentive?”    “Because they’re jealous.”    “Jealous of us? Why, because of our rugged good looks?”  Sam laughs. “Something like that.”         – pg. 107
• “Wait, your being here, us being together, that breaks the charm. All the others are fair game now,” I say. “They can kill us at will.” I can see by the look of horror on Henri’s face that it had slipped his mind as well.        – pg. 365

4 Robots

An entertaining and fast-paced book, worth checking out

(I would suggest either the book or movie, but not both)

 

Acquired: Bought

I Am Number Four (Movie)

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.

 

So I haven’t read this book. Honestly the whole aliens among us thing didn’t interest me. Then I saw the movie previews. Long story short: I saw it yesterday, the day it came out and now I really want to read the book. 


Reasons I love this movie:

• Action. I’m a sucker for action- fight scenes, explosions, some superpowers thrown in- this movie has it all. 
• Sam is hilarious! If the plot hadn’t been so fast-paced he would have stolen the show. And he’s only 15! Look him up, his name’s Callan McAuliffe.
• Number 6 (Teresa Palmer) can kick some serious butt. Yeah, she’s a confident girl wearing a tight outfit, but she’s not over-the-top ridiculous. She’s focused on fighting and surviving. 
• Number 4’s guardians. Henri (Timothy Olyphant) is so funny when he’s lecturing 4 on blending in- they have a good movie chemistry. And the shapeshifting dog is adorable. 
• Shirtless Alex Pettyfer is not hard on the eyes. Nor is fully clothed Alex Pettyfer obviously. Between this and Beastly he’s selling me on books I wasn’t interested in before. 

Huh, what?:

• The Mogadorians. Are these guys supposed to be funny or intimidating? They look silly and their dialogue is even sillier. I mean, if I saw something like that in real life I’d be concerned, but this is the movies so you have to ramp it up. 
• Sarah (Dianna Agron of Glee fame). I like her character and the connection with Number 4, but the movie had her showing up just in time to be the pretty face whenever something dangerous happened. All she got to do was run while Number 6 took care of being the tough girl in the room.
• I read a plot summary that says they can only be killed in order. Ok…is this evident in the book? The movie did not communicate that to me at all. I figured they were just unimaginative villans.  

Is this the end?:

• Nope, I’m getting my hands on this book so I can compare. I usually like the book better anyways.
• With The Power of Six coming out later this year, it’s obviously just the beginning. James Frey knows what he’s doing and how to make money.

4 Robots

Great movie, very entertaining!