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Official synopsis:
“In the beginning we were nine. We left when we were very young, almost too young to remember. Almost. And now . . . Three are gone. We are here to keep our race alive, which was almost entirely obliterated. We’re just trying to survive. Six are left. But we are hunted, and the hunters won’t stop until they’ve killed us all. They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. I am Number Four. I know that I am next.”
I Am Number Four is fairly formulaic. Boy living seemingly normal life has a darksecret. Fate of human race rests in the balance. Plus chuck in the now mandatory love triangle and trouble at highschool, then this could be one of a huge number of other books available for teens. But still, I Am Number Four really does have something special hidden away in there somewhere.
I think it is the history that the book creates that does it. Rather than just telling us about another planet that is now destroyed, the authors have really created it, with rich and intriguing culture, a long and detailed history, and a people that are easy to relate to. This is the high point of the book. It is hard not to build up a picture of Lorien, the homeworld of Number Four and his guardian Henri. The battle scenes of the war that destroyed Lorien, as retold in the book, are vivid and exciting. Lorien is a wonderful place, with wonderful people and wonderful landscapes.
The characters are a mixed bag. Number Four, or John as he comes to be known, is irritating, especially when he develops powers (which, in their own right are great), coming across as a whiny, stubborn little boy, but he is balanced out by Henri, his guardian, a thoroughly likeable and believable character. Then there are the supporting cast. Best friend Sam is an odd little thing, but a real nerdy gem, whilst girlfriend Sarah is about as wooden and boring as possible. Bernie Kosar, dog and companion to Four is the star of the show, especially in the final battle. A great addition to the cast and a future star.
The problem with I Am Number Four is that very little of the plot takes place on Lorien, what with it having been destroyed 10 years before the events of the book. Instead we are stuck in middle America with an irritating lead, in a dull town that could be taken straight from Twilight, with a love story that, though not as detailed as that in Stephanie Meyer's books, is just as mind-numbing. I found myself zoning out for pages at a time as we get scene after scene of school days and petty squabbles with school yard bullies. Really! There are evil, grinning, planet wasting aliens on Number Four's tail, so why do we need to hear about his day at school?! Actually, don't answer that, I know why. It's because that is what sells in America at the moment. Teenagers in dull towns want to read about exciting adventures that happen in settings just like their home. I'm being too hard on the book. As I am neither American, nor a teenager, it is hard to relate. But it is a little dull, and obvious, but it is redeemed by said voyages back to Lorien, interspersed by the occasional epic battle with angry aliens.
Having criticised the book enough, I should say that I really did enjoy it all-round, especially the final battle which basically turns the local high-school to rubble, with big scary monsters and exciting alien superpowers. There is also a great deal of tension as Number Four and Henri try to stay hidden from their adversaries, knowing full well that if they are found, they will be killed.
The book pacey and occasionally thrilling, but I hope the second book (yes, of course it is merely the first in a planned series) has more of the action, less of the teen-life.
Recommended.
JA
Order your copy of I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) from Amazon UK
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