The Power of Six and The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

The I am Number Four series for young adults is a fascinating mix of sci-fi, love story, supernatural heroes, and thriller plot. I loved the first one and its movie counterpart, so I had to continue the next two, and I anxiously await another.

 

 

The premise is a great one, although a bit more sci-fi than I usually go in for. It goes like this: ten children and their Cepans (or mentors) were sent from the planet Lorien to Earth in order to escape the evil Mogadorians who took over their planet for its life-giving resources. The children grew up on Earth, trying to stay hidden and protected until their special powers developed that would enable them to protect themselves and Earth from the Mogdorians. There is an interesting curse put on them that will only let them be killed in their preordained numerical order. At the start of the first book, the first three children were already dead, and so the hunt began for Number Four, also known as John Smith. He is aided by Number Six, who is the female focus of the second book, and it was my favorite. More characters/children are introduced and their backstories unfold: how they have survived, what their lives are like on Earth, and what their unique powers, or "legacies" are. They each also have a "chest" that is filled with cool gadgets from Lorien which they must learn to use to fight the Mogadorians.

It seems like a lot of weird details to get bogged down in, but the pace of the books is super fast. The action literally never stops and sometimes gets a bit exhausting, but all the characters are interestingly intertwined, and they fight not only for themselves, but each other and their human helpers. The writing is much simpler than books like Divergent and The Hunger Games, and the plot not as complex, but these stories are full of action and are easy reads for teens and adults alike who are trying to escape reality and just get involved in a page-turning thriller. I would also recommend them to middle grade girls and boys as well, as the love interest is not central or very detailed,the themes are quite inspiring, and as I said, the language and dialog are timely and simple.

So, if you're in the mood for a quick, involving thrill ride, try the rest of the I am Number Four series. And then wait impatiently for the next movie, as I will!