“Nine escaped and retreated to Earth. Now three are dead, I am Number Four” …      

Does this part from the book make you want to find out more? Pittacus Lore’s book, I am Number Four, will keep you wanting more. It is an action-packed, science fiction book, based on the life of Daniel Jones, also known as Number Four.

Daniel Jones is an alien from the planet Lorien. Daniel escaped with nine others to Earth, to seek refuge from the enemy, Mogadorians, who were invading Lorien for its resources.  Daniel Jones lives life on the run, with his Cepan (guardian) Henri, who is there to protect Daniel and to teach him about his powers. Moving to different countries, changing names, and leaving whenever there is a sense of trouble, is a regular occurrence for Daniel and Henri. A move to Ohio, where the story is set, sees Daniel taking on the name of John Smith. John meets his two best friends, Sarah Hart, whom he quickly falls in love with, and Sam Ball. John was told by Henri to keep a low profile and not be noticed by the Mogadorians, but that all soon changes.

 There are many reasons why I enjoyed reading the book, I am Number Four, however the main reason is the storyline. I was surprised at how engrossed I became in the story, as I didn’t expect to get hooked straight away. There was plenty of action and adventure, which kept me interested. I couldn’t wait to reach the next chapter. Reading is not my favourite thing to do, and I only read if I have to, however this book kept me reading till late at night and pondering what would happen next. The book was fast paced, action packed and every part came to have a meaning later on in the story.

 I would recommend this book to anyone between the ages of 14 – 16, who enjoys reading an action science fiction book, with a great adventure storyline. This book also has traits that teenagers can relate to, with themes such as relationships, fitting in and bullying. I rate it 4.5 / 5 stars.

Riley S, Year 9

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‘There were nine that escaped. Three have died and I am Number Four.’

     Daniel Jones, also known as Number Four, was living in Florida when Number Three died. Daniel and his guardian, Henri, left Florida and moved to Paradise, Ohio, where Number Four became John Smith. John Smith is no ordinary teenager.

There were nine kids that escaped from Lorien, their home planet and came to Earth after the Mogadorian, another alien race, destroyed their planet, and now the Mogadorians have come to Earth to finish what they started.

The kids from Lorien were charmed before coming to Earth: they were all given a number and they could only be killed in order of their number. If any of the Lorien kids meet, the charm would be broken and they could be killed in any order. The Mogadorians killed Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England and Number Three in Kenya. John is next. Can John and his friends Sam, Mark and Sarah defeat the Mogadorians before he is killed too?

This book is exciting and nearly impossible to put down. This book would suit ages from 12 upwards. I would recommend it to anyone who likes action and superhuman themes. The best thing about this book is the way Pittacus Lore describes conflict and action scenes – it really grabs your attention and it is hard to stop reading.

By Kahnie

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 “In the beginning we were a group of nine.
Three are gone, dead.
There are six of us left.
They are hunting us, and they won’t stop until they’ve killed us all.
I am Number Four.
I know that I am next.” John Smith (I am number 4)

      John Smith, aKa Number, 4 isn’t your average teenager. Actually, he isn’t even a teenager at all. He is a alien from the planet Lorien. John usually has to move from place to place to avoid detection from his enemy but is he getting too attached to his current town, Paradise Ohio.

      When the Mogdorians made a surprise attack on the planet of Lorien on their day of celebration, the Lorieans were defenseless to the ruthless attack. But they did manage to save the lives of nine garde and their mentors. These nine children are the last hope for Lorien. A spell was attached to the nine garde, that is that they can only be killed in order. But 1, 2 and 3 are dead and that means Number 4 is left.

        I Am Number 4 is a great sci-fi action thriller for the ages 10 and up. The story starts with a chase scene, slows down for about 100 pages, but towards the end really picks up and turns out to be a great read. I recommend I Am Number 4 for anybody interested in sci-fi action who likes to read trilogies. If you do, then this the book for you.

         Edward, Year 9

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      I am Number Four is an exciting science fiction story about John and eight other alien children who have been forced from their planet and have to settle on Planet Earth. The story traces their struggle to survive on Earth, using their legacies (or powers) and as readers we see John trying to protect those he loves from being killed. Many of the others have been killed: one in Malaysia, another in England, another in Kenya…John Smith is Number Four and knows he is next in line to be hunted and this is where the story begins…

Ten years ago the alien’s (Lorien) planet was destroyed by a terrible race called the Mogadorians. The eighteen aliens escaped to Planet Earth to get away from the mighty wrath of the Mogadorians. The aliens look like those on earth, talk like those on earth, and it’s difficult for humans to tell the difference between the aliens and ourselves.

The novel features a number of interesting characters in the novel such as John Smith (Number Four), Sarah, Sam, Henri and Number Six.

The characters in this novel have to go through hardship, and overcoming fear, falling in love, and experiencing friendship. Hardship was shown when John and Sam had to find a way to rescue Henri from capture. Love is shown many times with John and Sarah being together, when they were looking through the photos in Sarah’s room and when John saves Sarah from a burning building despite the fact that it might endanger his secret identity. He risks his life to save hers because he loves her. Overcoming hardship and feeling fear is shown in the novel when John, Sarah, Henri, Sam, Number Six and James were in the hospitality room when the school was getting invaded. When Sarah is taken by the school bully in the dark in the forest, John fears she has been injured and must set out to save her.

My favourite character in the novel is John or Number Four because of his legacies and how interesting it is to see and read about his telekinesis. These legacies create suspense and leaves the reader wondering how they will develop and progress throughout the story. I admire the way that John Smith’s character is in love with Sarah and can’t let her go. He genuinely loves a human girl and cares for her unconditionally. I also admire the way John Smith stood up to the school bully. John’s character is complex and interesting and helps to make the novel so good to read. Complex characters, well written descriptions and plenty of suspense make this a novel for readers of all ages, particularly 10-15 year olds with an interest in sci-fi and adventure stories. With well-developed characters and a cliff hanger ending, the author Pittacus Lore has created a thriller that you just can’t put down. I would recommend this book to all my friends because its just one of those “must read’ novels.

Mitchell Year 9