I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1)
by Pittacus Lore
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: August 23rd 2011
Pages: 496 (hardcover)
Source: finished copy from publisher
Author's website | GoodReads

Nine of us came here.
We look like you.
We talk like you.
We live among you--but
We are not you.
We have powers you dream of having.
We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books--
But we are real.
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.

I am never going to judge a book by it's movie ever again. I was never interested in reading the series because I thought that it was over-hyped and too mainstream. I'm sorry for being such a hipster about it, but yeah. When the publisher offered to send me copies for review, I was hesitant, but then decided to go for it. I mean, why not? Right? And I don't regret that decision at all.


Four is a 15 year old boy who is used to a life of hiding and riding. Henri, his Cepan/guardian always reminds him to don't do anything stupid and don't attract any attention to himself. Four almost never follows this though, and whenever something bad happens they pack up, burn everything except for a mysterious chest, and leave.

While talking to a cute girl at a beach party, Four's ankle burns and heats up, signalling the death of another member of the Garde. The Mogadorians, the antagonists in the book, can only kill them in order. They killed Three, so they're coming after Four next. As soon as Henri finds out, they continue their ritual of running and leaving, and find themselves in a little town in Ohio called Paradise. Four now goes by the name of John Smith. As his powers and gifts develop, he learns how to be truly loved, and love in return.

I Am Number Four has captivated me in a way that no other YA science fiction ever has. World building is always important in stories like these, and the writer definitely did not disappoint. Authors of books like these have to describe and explain other worlds to the reader, and I tend to get bored whenever they do that. I Am Number Four made me the complete opposite of bored. It kept me on my toes and thrilled me to the core. I believed in Four and Henri's world. I believed in Lorien.

The book was action-packed and filled with romance that would make any girl swoon. The other characters were also very interesting to read about, and the story didn't just focus on one character. I loved this book enough to want to read the next one. I Am Number Four is definitely mainstream, but with good reason. I am now officially a new member of the Lorien Legacies fan club.