Young Adult Fiction: I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

The concept behind the story, I am Number Four is great, nine alien children and their cepans (guardian/teachers) have fled their annihilated home world of Lorien to seek refuge on Earth. Once their ship landed the children and their cepans scattered. They were being hunted by a malevolent extraterrestrial race from a dying planet. Their only hope was to hide until the children grew into their legacies. Their legacies would give them the strength and the ability to fight back. As added protection the elders of Lorien placed a charm on the children. As long as they stayed separated, they could only be killed in order. As the book opens, three of the nine children have already been tracked down and killed. This is Number Four’s story. He is a teenager now and is slowly coming into his legacies, but the Mogadorians are on his tail. A fight is inevitable. Will he survive?

I read several reviews before I sat down to write this. The biggest complaint was the lack of depth in the characters. Yes, the characters were a bit two dimensional, but the pace made up for it. What I had a problem with was the amount of damage ensued by the battles. The humans thought it was terrorists. Sorry, but we lowly humans are not that naïve. An epic battle in small-town USA would have caught our attention.

I am Number Four was published in 2010 and supposedly written by a 4,000 year-old elder named Pittacus Lore. The second book in the series, The Power of Six was released last year. I have read both books and am looking forward to the next.