“I Am Number Four” by Pittacus Lore“Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.
Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.
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'll admit I saw the teaser trailer for the movie and was instantly hooked. Then I found out it was a book recently published. The ink wasn't even dry on the printing press when this book was optioned as a movie. That really peaked my interest. Then I found out that Steven Spielberg and Micheal Bay were producing the film. Oppose to popular opinion they rarely disappoint me when it comes to their projects. I ordered it and it sat on my desk for a couple of weeks. Then I found time to read it on a day I had nothing to to do.
Once I started reading I didn't want to put it down. It has easy readability and you instantly connect with the characters. Some on the staff should have done a better job of spelling checking but that doesn't take away from the story. You're instantly gripped in the story and as you read this story you realizes why it was such a hot commodity.
The only drawback that I see is what most of Hollywood does to a good book...making to many drastic changes case in point “Jumper.” To many things were change and the movie lost what was special about the book. “I am Number Four.” faces the same problem. With this being the first and only book I hope Hollywood does tray to far from this story making continuity an issue with future novels.
These characters instantly had me engrossed and when I got to the end I felt their lost and heartache. I also felt bad that I had take an awesome adventure and now it was over. It took me about six hours to read. I'm definitely going to have to find time to read it again it hit so of the same beats that makes the Jumper Series, by Steven Gould, some of my favorite books. I'm also eagerly waiting the sequel “The Power of Six” due out summer of 2011.
I give “I am Number Four” 5 out 5 Gs
