TheBooky

I AM NUMBER FOUR

Short review after the summary.

There were nine. Three are dead. I Am Number Four. 

Nine teenagers and their guardians are hiding on Earth… protected by a charm that means they can only be killed in numeric order, three are already dead. John Smith is Number Four. And his mortal enemies, the Mogadorian, are hunting him down.

The only way to keep off radar is to keep moving, never staying in one place for long. Finally in the firing line, all he can do is adopt the guise of a student and pray his unusual gifts—his legacies home; Planet Lorien—stay hidden long enough for him to settle into this new community.

But others seem to sense his otherness and when small-town life sucks him into its intrigues, it’s only a matter of time before his true nature is revealed. And that means there’s no space for love, friendship or a future if it means protecting not only himself, but the other five…

Summary from Goodreads

So, here’s what I thought:

• This book, to me, is poorly written. Some people would say, if I elaborated, that I was just hating or bashing, so I will refrain. Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve minded this book if the writing had been better. 
• I am interested in the next book only because of the other five, but I am going to wait for the second movie to come out instead. 

:( 

EDIT: Wait, I thought of something good! This book was better than the movie in the way the relationship between John and Lorien was established, through all those memory/flashback things. That was a nice touch.

If you’ve read it, what did you think of this book?

thisguywrites:

Book Review: Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2)

Normally, the sequel of a book sometimes turns out terrible than its first book. It must have been the storyline or the characters that gives the book its downside. Or maybe, readers expects too much from it, that the author sometimes fail to give their readers what they want in the story. Normally, if the first book fails to impress its readers, it is sometimes difficult to cling to the second book. What if the sequel is worst than the first? Then it would be a waste of reader’s time and effort in reading the story, a disappointment to the book and the author.

But Power of Six was different.

Synopsis: I’ve seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he’s a mystery. But to me … he’s one of us. 

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We’re hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another … but our Legacies are developing, and soon we’ll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I’ve been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together? 

They caught Number One in Malaysia. 
Number Two in England. 
And Number Three in Kenya. 
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed. 

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive. 

And I’m ready to fight.

1. I was going to give this book an outstanding rating, but there was one little thing that bothered me when reading the book. I hated John Smith’s part of narration. Two authors wrote this book, and I think one author wrote Marina’s part of the story, while the other did John’s. I enjoyed Marina’s narration, in part because the writing was perfect. It showed her true emotions and personalities. For once, I got mad to her Cepan, fell in love with Hector, and acted like an older sibling to Ella. Her narrations let you dig deeper into her feelings, as though Marina was speaking directly to you. When reading John Smith’s part of narration, I thought it was dull. Nothing in his story seemed to impressed me. His emotions were a bit childish and cheesy, I felt like he didn’t have a good connection to his friends. I enjoyed Six and Sam’s presence in the story though. I wished I could have pushed John Smith’s true persona ever more. 

2. I was very disappointed after reading book one. It had an unfinished ending. More secrets were hidden than the story itself. But more answers were unraveled in book 2. I felt relieved to find out what actually happened during the Mogadorian invasion in Lorien. It was a great foundation to the story. If the history of the invasion was placed in book 1, I think it would have made the first book a thousand times better. But overall, I loved it that the authors introduced that sub-plot earlier in the story, than cramming it in the end.

3. Action-filled sequences, plus a taste of twists and mysteries. I loved it when books were slow in the beginning, then they hasten up as story progresses. That’s what happened to me when reading Power of Six. I loved the final chapters. Not only did they contain vivid action-fights and wonderful writing, but they also contained plots, mysteries, and conclusions to keep the story better. The pacing was very-well done!

4. The characters were excellent! Sarah’s betrayal was shocking. I actually cared most of the characters in  book 2 than in book 1. Well, except John Smith. I still think his narration and character could have been better. If I could choose a protagonist for the series, I would choose Marina, Sam, or Six. I did not expect the antagonist in the end. Book 3 is going to be awesome!

5. Lastly, the plot was amazing! For once, I thought it was going to be dull than book 1. But this book changed all of my expectations. There were more information mentioned about Cepans, the Chests, Pittacus Lore, the alien worlds, and the other Loriens. I wanted to know more about each of their powers. I wanted to know more about their personal stories. I wished the last book is going to be longer. I can’t wait!

Rating 4/5 stars! A must-read if you finished book 1 and was disappointed by it!