Review: I Am Number Four

Basic Information
Title: I Am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore (Pseudonym)
Publisher/Publish date: HarperCollins Publishers/ August 2010
Pages: 440 (Hardcover)
Rating: 3 1/2 


Synopsis

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.




REVIEW


Okay, so after reading The Hunger Games I've kinda been into the whole science-fiction genre, which I have always steered clear from. One of the books that I found was I Am Number Four. Cleo got me the book for Christmas, (yay Cleo!) and I had been waiting to buy it because it sounded sososososososososo good. I loved the concept of how they (they being the 9 teenage aliens who escaped from the planet Lorien as children) were all being hunted down in order and they had to hide around the globe with only their Cêpan, or guardians, to take care of them. This book is supposedly the first to a six book series which, after reading the first book I'm really happy about, although not necessarily in a good way. I was a little disappointed with this first book because I like a lot of action and I think that's what I was expecting. But a good portion of this book was spent introducing the characters, the history of Lorien and why the 9 Lorien children had to escape in the first place. This is all IMPORTANT stuff to the novel but for some reason I found it kinda...slow? Maybe? For lack of a better word I'll say slow but it just wasn't "OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK AND I CAN'T PUT IT DOWN" like I thought it was going to be. Whether the reason for this is because the book was written by two different authors or not I'm just hoping for the sequel to be better than the first and for the series to get better as it goes on.
 Another reason why I think this book was lacking for me was because of the romance. I think the book kinda centered on it a little bit too much, and for me, John's love interest was kind of a dull character. For some reason I just didn't like her, even though she does something really cool towards the end of the book I just felt that she was too...boring...or normal? I mean I know why the chose that type of girl for John, because that's all he wants to be is normal...but he isn't. I just hope that if she is featured in the next books that they give her a little more depth. I also hope there is more action in the next books showing John unlocking more of his powers and battling more Mogadorians (the evil Aliens that destroyed and took over Lorien). But just because this book was a little disappointing to me DOES NOT mean I'm not going to recommend it because I think the concept is just too original and awesome to ignore.So if you do decide to read this book maybe you'll completely disagree with me and that's awesome! But if you do agree with me, I would just wait for the second book to decide whether its a must or a bust. 


P.S. I totally think the movie is not going to do this book justice. Even though I was a little disappointed with the book I still loved it and, based on the previews, I'm really not liking they way the movie is turning out. I'm still going to see it but I have a feeling it's going to be a disappointment. 


~XoXo Baylee~