The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2)
by Pittacus Lore
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: January 1st 2011
Pages: 406 (paperback)
Source: finished copy from publisher
Author's website | GoodReads
NINE of us came here.
BUT sometimes I wonder if time has changed us.
IF we all still believe in our mission.
THEY are getting closer.
THEY are trailing us, tracking us.
THEY know about our legacies.
THEY know too much for us to believe.
WE WILL EVER BE SAFE AGAIN.
Remember the awesomeness called I Am Number Four? Well, The Power of Six is the next book in the Lorien Legacies, and I didn't think that it would be possible, but it's even better than the first one.
The book is alternatively told through the points of view of John (Number Four) and a newly introduced character, Number Seven, who goes by the name Marina. It picks up a few weeks after I am Number Four's ending. John, Sam and Six are on the run, and the Mogadorians aren't their only problems. John is now a suspected terrorist with a large sum of money on his head, while Marina is trapped in a convent, with her Cepan going all kookoo while trying to pretend that Lorien is a fairytale and that they didn't have a mission to fulfill.
Before I rave about all of the things I love about the book, let me tell you the ONE thing that ticked me off: the romance. It was nice and cute in the first book, but now it just drove me crazy- in a bad way. John was like a lovesick drunkard in desperate need of rehab. The future of his planet is on his shoulders, but the only thing he can think of is girls, girls, girls.
I'm not just talking about miss Sarah Hart, everybody. I'm talking about how he fantasizes about resting on the lap of a girl WHO IS NOT SARAH, and then thinks about wanting to kiss the soul out of Sarah five minutes later. And then he risks the safety of his groupmates and their mission just so he can catch a peek of his lovey dove. It got to the point where the 'romance' almost took over the entire plot. I'm not even kidding. I just hope that everything cools down in the next book, because if John continues to act like that, I will question his sanity forever.
The Power of Six gives us a gist of Six's background, and how she found John in the first place. It's sad how all of them are familiar to loss and heartache. The characters also have this sense of verity when they talk about their pain and loss, and you just want to give them all a great big hug.
Marina is a character that I feel indifferent towards. I didn't really like her because I thought she was too naive and dense. She blames her lack of training on her hopeless Cepan, but I don't think that's a legitimate excuse because she could have easily trained on her own. I also felt that she was hiding her brutal and rash side. She is the postergirl of never giving up though, so I don't hate her per se, but I don't like her either.
The action and adrenaline levels of this book were off the charts. If you loved all the fight scenes in the first book, then the ones in The Power of Six will blow your mind. The author writes them in a way that you feel like you're part of all the suspense and bloodshed. I'm not usually a fan of fighting, but the ones in the book made my heart race and I had to constantly stop myself from cheering for the characters out loud.
Filled with unexpected twists and surprising discoveries, The Power of Six is a well written literary gem that people will continue to love for years to come. The stakes are higher and the enemies are stronger, but bonds are also strengthened and the Nine will soon rise and make thousands fall.
