Saturday 11 May 2013

An Old Review - I Am Number Four

Hello everyone,

I was looking through my read shelf on Goodreads and I noticed that I had written a review for the book I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore a long time ago. I had totally forgotten about writing it, but since it was my first (and only, so far) review for a book, I figured I would post it here just to get things started. I read it back in December, 2012, and I think I rated it 2 out of 5 stars. I have seen the movie since writing this review, but it didn't change my opinion of the book at all. I didn't particularly care for the movie either. Anyways, here we go.



"Very disappointed.

I Am Number Four promised to be a very interesting and entertaining book. I have not seen the movie, but I have heard multiple good reviews about the book. When I saw it in the bookstore, I didn't hesitate to pick it up. From reading the summary on the back, I was impressed, and expected a fast-paced, action-packed novel.

Instead, it turned out to be very slow going. The writing was very boring, unimaginative, and dull. I had to force myself to continue reading, waiting for it to pick up and maybe prove that it was as good as everyone seemed to think it was. The second half of the book did pick up a little, but still, it didn't improve much.

For me, John was a very hard character to like. He acted far too young for his age, and seemed at times to be very ignorant. Often times, he would point out strange things that he noticed, but does nothing about him. For example, when he went on the hayride with Sarah. He often mentions that they need to keep a lookout for strange occurrences, yet he doesn't notice anything strange about his dog at all.

He continues to stress the fact that he needs to keep a low profile, yet does nothing of the sort. He refuses to listen to Henri, and insists on staying in Paradise because of a girl, often acting like a spoiled little brat while doing so. He talks a lot about his native planet, Lorien, yet doesn't seem to have any true attachment to it. For a teenager far from home, constantly running from his enemies, he doesn't appear to have much anger or hatred towards them at all until the end of the book.

The love story between John and Sarah was very cliche, seeming forced and unrealistic at the best of times. Sarah often comes off as a silly pretty girl without much dimension. We don't learn much about her, other than she has blonde hair, likes photography and animals, and she used to date Mark.

Sam's character was a bit more realistic. Although believing that aliens abducted his father seems a bit naive, it is understandable. However, it is never explained how (spoiler alert) he can just leave his mother at the end of the book to go off with John and Six. (end spoiler)

Henri was at least likable and somewhat sensible, although he let John have his way far too often. (spoilers) Six was probably the most interesting character in the whole book. She was intelligent and mysterious, and had useful legacies like controlling the elements. (end spoilers)

All in all, the book was alright. It was boring, but it got a bit better near the end. I was disappointed, because it had sounded like such a good book. Maybe it's just not for me. I might go watch the movie, because I think I may like it more that way, but I don't think I will be continuing this series."

Goodbye for now,
Emily Noel

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