I Am Number Four

By: Pittacus Lore

Narrated by: Neil Kaplan

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Also included is a sneak listen to the first chapter of the next book in the series. Enjoy!

©2010 Pittacus Lore (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Starts off a Great Series

Story:
Honestly, I think this book deserves a three star, but I'm giving it a four because the second book is really good, and you do need to start with this one. My main problem with this is that there is a really sappy cliche romance going on throughout most of this book that just makes me gag, but there are a couple of great battle scenes.
Blood and Gore:
The aliens in this book turn to dust once they are dead so there isn't really any blood, PG.
Swearing:
The main character and his father swear a couple times a chapter, but no f-words.
Sex:
None.
Overall:
Just keep with this book, and book 2 is definitely a five star book. Really enjoyed it. Recommended for 12 and up.

Awesome book!

I really enjoyed this book! Saw the movie preview and thought it looked interesting. So I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did, it was great! I loved the narrator! I love when they have the talent to pull off different voices for characters. I drive a lot and zone out if the story gets slow. I stayed into this book driving from 7.5 hours from Memphis to East TN. Loved it!

good story awful narration

I am number four has awful narration that brings down the story. the narrator is lackluster in that her doesnt capture the essence of any characters.

Great read

I really like the story. As many people would say the book is better than the movie and this is the case here as wet there was so many details left out. This book is a fun read and if you enjoy young adult literature this is a good pick

Continuous selfish behaviors

I finished this book, but felt like shaking him so very many times. I was concerned that there was going to be sex, because Sarah seemed very ready.

I Love the Pittacus Lore Series

What did you love best about I Am Number Four?

It is easy to get into the story. While at moments it is a bit juvenile, it is young-adult fiction. The relationship John (#4) has with the female character reads like a typical high school crush. And, while this is not my favorite part of the story, it helps to develop some of the idiot moves he makes. For me, it makes his character authentic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sam is definitely my favorite character. I am not really sure why, but I would like to think I could be friends with someone like him.

What about Neil Kaplan’s performance did you like?

I know a good amount of reviews did not like Kaplan's voice, but I think he does a great job. He voice comes through like a strong man. When watching the movie I Am Number Four, you get a visual of the character, and I could hear Kaplan's voice suiting that same picture. Also, I do think he did a good job adjusting his voice for different characters.

Book great ,Movie not so.

Nice to know there are some nice aliens, instead of just the ones bent on the destruction of earth. Don't panic those are there too.
main theme hope and courage with a generous sprinkling of love and honor. Above all lots of action.

Amazing!

I am number four has a amazing storyline and is so detailed and so great 100% will recommend

It was just okay.

I’ll start with the narrator. A couple of the voices he did (the main character and his “father”) were pretty good. Most of the rest, especially the female characters, were terrible. A lot of really nasally ones, one that sounded like the secretary monster on Monster’s Inc., but was supposed to be a young, like able woman. Many sounded really nasally.

There were a few spots where an editor could have caught logical discrepancies (like someone turning invisible, and then the main character watching how they moved). The names were not well thought through (names from an alien planet being common names here). The accent of those from the other planet was supposed to sound French, but that only seemed to apply to the father figure. The author writing himself as a heroic historical figure in the story (and the planet was named after him).

The story was definitely written for a younger audience (I’d say younger teen boys)... that usually doesn’t bother me. I’m a fan of a lot of middle grade series. But this one, I could really feel it. For being written for a younger audience, there was a pretty significant number of swear words (no f-bombs, thankfully) included. Probably not more than than that age group hears in the locker rooms at school, but I don’t usually see it in books for this age.

This is a friend’s favorite series, so I bought this book and the next one when they went on sale on Audible. I’ll probably keep going, at least with the second, maybe more if I find them on a good sale or in the Plus catalog, but I don’t see myself suggesting them when people ask for book recommendations. I also won’t be having my own kids listen to them, because of the language.

Good, But Not Awesome

This is a good story. Really, my only complaints are technical ones. There were just a few moments in the story where I questioned how believable the situations were, and the narrator seem to use the same voice for a lot of different characters. These are not major flaws, but they were enough for me to give only 4 stars instead of 5. The story is engaging. The premise is really cool. And there are many, many moments that truly draw you into the emotional experiences of the characters. I can totally see why they wanted to make this a movie.