I Am Number Four

Title: I Am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore
Published: 2010

I've been reading this book for a while now. I know that, for the most part, when it takes a long time to read a book, it means that the book isn't holding my attention. It isn't causing me to turn page after page to find out what happens next. It's kind of boring.

That's not the case with this book. My reading of this book was interrupted by a great deal of illness. December got kind of rough there in the health department. I'm not saying I was at death's door or anything so dramatic as that, I was just kind of miserable. And when you're miserable and taking a number of sleep-inducing medications, well, it's kind of hard to focus on the words on a page.

But it's a pretty good book. I actually saw the movie before I read the book. But I honestly don't remember much about the movie, other than it had the girl from Glee. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention when I watched the movie last year. I got it from the Redbox when I was still living in North Carolina. It's possible that I had every intention of watching it, but ended up having it as background noise while I did other things in my apartment.

I think it's a good thing that I forgot most of the basic plot threads. It helped me to read the book with a fairly fresh outlook on things. Basically, it's about a kid and his guardian. They just happen to be aliens from the planet Lorien. They're being hunted by a different, brutal race of aliens called Mogadorians. Their home planet was basically destroyed by these Mogadorians. Now, John and Henri have taken refuge on earth, along with eight other specially powered kids and their guardians.

For the Mogadorians, there are certain rules when it comes to hunting down these special children, known as the Garde. While they can all eventually be killed, they must be killed in order. As we begin the story, the kid described as Number Three is found and killed. John is Number Four and becomes aware that he's next on the list.

John and Henri make their way to Paradise, Ohio, where they attempt to once again create a normal life for themselves. All they while, they learn more about John's developing powers, or Legacies. He discovers that he can create light with his hands, is impervious to fire, and has powerful telekinesis. Apparently, this is just the beginning.

As is usually the case, just when things seem to resemble a normal life, things get shaken up and they are discovered by the bad guys. Chaos ensues and it makes for a pretty exciting climax for the novel. During the battle, John is discovered by not only the Mogadorians, but by another member of the Garde, Number Six. Together they drive off into the sequel, prepared to join the remaining four Garde members to take the fight to the Mogadorians. Their eventual goal is to return to their home planet and rebuild their civilization.

That last part is an assumption on my part. I guess I'll find out more when I read The Power of Six, which is the next installment in the series. Hopefully it won't take another month to read part two.