Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Book Synopsis (Goodreads): 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.

My thoughts: This is the first installment of the Lorien Legacies series. I was unsure if I would enjoy this book because I had heard mixed reviews. However, I always like to read a book for myself and form my own opinion. For me, this was a good read; I really enjoyed it. One aspect of this book that I loved was the way the author allows the reader to imagine that it could actually be reality. On the back flap of the book the author, Pittacus Lore, says he is Lorien's ruling Elder and that he has been on Earth for the past 12 years. While on Earth he has been preparing for the war that will decide Earth's fate. It also states that his whereabouts are unknown. So, it gives the reader a different perspective on the author that they typically do not encounter from a novel. It was a new, refreshing facet to include with the book. I Am Number Four is about nine young adults who had to flee their home planet, Lorien, because it was invaded by Mogadorians. Lorien was destroyed; however, the children (the Garde) were able to escape along with their guardians (the Cepan). They all fled to Earth where they remain in hiding from the Mogadorians. The nine Garde can only be killed in order unless the charm is broken. The charm can only be broken if the children. So, it is essential for the nine members of the Garde to stay separated to ensure the greatest amount of safety possible. The first three members of the Garde have been killed. There are only six left. The next in line is Number Four. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading young adult novels and likes science fiction. So, if you haven't read it, you definitely should check it out. Hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!

Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan

Book: This is a story about A. A is neither female nor male and he is not a single person. A is a type of soul or being. He inhabits different people’s bodies daily. Every day he is someone new; this means he can wake up one day as a boy and the next a girl. A has been like this since birth. Initially, A thought this was how life was for everyone; however, with time, A realized that it was not normal and was in fact quite unique. When A inhabits a person’s body, “he” attempts to keep their life on track, without messing up any part of it. “He” does this to the best of his ability. One of the reasons for this is because he attempted to keep connections with people and it resulted in a disaster. Therefore, he tries to just get through the day as easily as possible. He picks up on many cues from parents, siblings, friends, etc so he conforms quite easily, since he has had lots of practice. The story takes off when A inhabits the body of a boy named Justin. Everything is going great until Justin (A) gets to school and realizes he has a girlfriend, Rhiannon. A is automatically drawn to Rhiannon and wants to stay connected with her in some way. This story contains many issues, some are lighthearted and some are heavy. It makes the reader think and do a lot of self-evaluation, specifically on how you view yourself and how others view you. It deals with obstacles that their love must face and obstacles that many teenagers that are coming of age encounter.

Opinion: This book was a little odd to me in the beginning because the concept was so strange and unique to me. However, the more I read, the more I liked the story. The uniqueness of the A’s character made the story interesting. I was not bored in this story at all because every day A would wake up in a new person’s body. The reader never knew whom A would wake up as or what was going to take place. I am keeping this review spoiler-free, so I cannot go into extravagant detail. I know many people did not like the ending of this book, but I thought it was the perfect ending to the book; I was completely satisfied with it. I did enjoy reading this book, but there was one aspect of the book I did not particularly enjoy. I am not a huge fan of instalove. However, for this particular book, I see how it can be used. A only has one day in a specific person’s body, so whatever A does, he has to make it count. Even though A has instalove for Rhiannon, it is not reciprocated on her part. So, the concept of instalove in this particular story did not bother me as much as it normally would. I enjoyed A’s character. I also enjoyed David Levithan’s writing style. I do think fans of John Green would like this book. I thought this book was a good read.