Pittacus Lore created a world not as deep a history as something Tolkien created but it was still unique. I am Number Four and the Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore were easy to read and had all kinds of superpowers that made me and a lot of readers a big fan. Keep reading to find out why this is a great read!
I Am Number Four: Summary
The novel centers around two extraterrestrial species: the Loric and the Mogadorians. They are fighting (more like one is hunting the other) on Earth. John Smith (human alias) and his guardian find out that the third Loric has been killed and that the Mongorians will be hunting him next.
But that isn’t where John’s head is at right now. He and his guardian Henri have moved again to avoid being found. John is getting used to living his new lifer and has made a few friends. Henri and John train and try to learn more about the Mogadorians and how to defeat them.
However, after a mishap, John is discovered and has to face off against a godlike foe who has killed many Lorics. John will have to rely on his newfound powers and his friends and mentor to overcome an enemy that has hundreds of thousands of minions under him and hasn’t lost yet.
Commentary
The 2000’s had the Harry Potter novels but the late 2000’s and had an explosion of dystopian novels and a lot of options for young adult readers. The new flux of novels made reading fun for a whole new generation and lead to a lot of movies in the process. And novels as The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner have inspired new authors and pushed the genre ahead.
Novels like I Am Number Four that targeted an even younger audience and weren’t as pessimistic. The world building was great, the characters were broad and sometimes generic but they worked. Too often they were physical representations of their powers. But most importantly, it wasn’t convoluted and easy to remember.
The simple good versus evil and the whole world is on the line plot is as old as time but for twelve and thirteen-year-olds picking up this novel would not think that. That is why this novel and the Lorien Legacies deserve a mention when discussing YA novels that were published but aren’t as well regarded as the Hunger Games.
Conclusion
I will say the trajectory of the series could have been executed better. But it was still a great read. As I mentioned before, it is not a character driven or a plot driven novel. And yet is still a great novel. You may not like it but if you want to get a child to get into reading, then this trilogy is a great way to get their nose wet.
That’s right, Ahaqir:
the twelve and thirteen-year-olds would think this book was new and shiny
and they would plunge into the unknown.
Adelaide