Saturday, April 9, 2011

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore Review

Title: I Am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Page Count: 448 pages/467 KB
Book Type: Kindle ebook
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780061969559
ASIN: B003SE75ZS

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now. 

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next. 

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth. 

I AM NUMBER FOUR. 
I AM NEXT.

My Review: The cover for this one is pretty cool. The orange and yellow are really attention getting. I like how it has the tagline, “THREE ARE DEAD.” above the title. It was what really caught my attention first. Then I saw all of the movie trailers and knew I had to check this book out. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I am sure I will at some point.
Sometimes this book felt predictable and at other times I had no idea what was going on/what was going to happen. The not knowing what was going on part wasn’t necessarily a good thing because at times it left me confused and the plot seemed random. The dog was adorable, but I had him figured out from the start. There were some interesting things with bullies and them not being who you thought at first. It was nice how everyone had some redeeming qualities.
I am eager to see the movie because, honestly, it seems like a story that would work better on the screen than on the pages. Six was my favorite character, so perhaps I will like the next book more?
Now to go on a little rant. I am not too pleased with James Frey’s little fiction factory he has going on. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can freshen up here. I really just feel bad for the authors. I’m sure I would have been suckered into a less than satisfactory deal if I desperately wanted to get published and had student loans looming over my head. It seems so silly to me that the authors cannot get credit for their work. If Frey wants to be an agent, then that is fine. I just don’t understand why he would feel the need to take recognition away from these authors. It just kind of sucks for them and makes me feel a bit guilty that I read this book.  
Have any of you seen the movie? Do you prefer the movie or the book? What are your thoughts on James Frey? Let me know in the comments!


8 comments:

  1. I saw the movie and the beginning is thrilling but towards the middle/end it slowed down, and same as you I was confused about certain parts of the plot, but I was hooked by the main character played by Alex Pettyfer. So I will will read the book and see if its better.

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  2. @Keisha Martin

    Thanks for stopping by, Keisha! I have heard that the movie changed some of the plot points from the book and it will be interesting to compare the two. I hope you like the book!

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  3. I was really stunned by the Frey controversy, too. It was really sad. Haven't read this one or seen the movie, but I've seen mixed reviews for both.

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  4. @Carolina Valdez Miller

    Hi Carolina! It is really sad :( I don't know that I will be buying any more of the books.

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  5. I read this prior to the whole James Frey, Fiction Factory stuff came to light and it disgusts me more than a little bit. I enjoyed the book when I read it though. It didn't blow me away, but I still liked it. The same goes for the movie. Though the movie strays from the book quite a bit and if you haven't read the book, I think one could easily be a little confused.

    I know plenty of people hated the movie though. I'm not sure if they read the book or not, or if they were put off by James Frey, but there was some serious dislike for it. The acting wasn't bad and the music was killer. It helps make the movie.

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  6. @Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books)

    Hi Nikki! I'm with you, I wasn't in love with the book, but I did like it. I think the whole James Frey thing clouded my judgment after reading. Come by again soon! :)

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  7. Great review! I feel much the same as you. I knew a little bit about James Frey thing, but I had no idea about what he was doing to all those poor authors! It's so sad! It really turns me off from his (if you could call it that!) books. I liked the first book, but I didn't love it. I reviewed this book as well. :)I liked the movie, but I think that had more to do with Alex Pettyfer, haha! :)
    http://909reviews.blogspot.com
    -Angel

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