I Am Number Four review

I Am Number Four wasn’t a top science fiction novel in the early 2010s when it first came out, but the book and entire series has since gained impressive traction and a cult-like following after the hit 2011 movie. Fans of the movie wanted to explore the story more, and now they can in the form of the sequel novels.

Let’s dive into what I Am Number Four is about and the book series it launched.

The story and characters of I Am Number Four

Written by Pittacus Lore, I Am Number Four is the first novel in the Lorien Legacies series. Authors Jobie Hughes and James Frey used Pittacus Lore as a pseudonym.

The book tells the story of Number Four, a young boy from the planet Lorien. Along with his guardian, Henri, who is tasked to protect and teach Number Four to use his superpowers, the titular character spends most of the book on the run from the evil Mogadorians.

Number Four, a high school student, and Henri try their best to stay ahead of the evil alien race. Four waits to develop his superpowers or Legacies. But things take a turn for the worst when Four’s protective charm can no longer protect him from the Mogadorians.

Other books in the Lorien Legacies series

The Lorien Legacies young adult science fiction series contains seven volumes.

I Am Number Four

The first novel introduces readers to Number Four. He’s an Ohio high school student with a secret. Four, also known as John Smith, is an alien on the run from another race of evil aliens, the Mogadorians. Four appears to be your everyday student, but he’s faster, stronger, and the next Lorien the Mogadorians want to hunt.

The Power of Six

The second book tells the story of Number Seven. After seeing John (Number Four) on the news and hearing of his exploits that occurred in the first book, Seven wonders if the time to fight back is near.

The Rise of Nine

John Smith (Number Four) joins forces with Number Seven and Six in Spain. Together they pursue the Mogadorians hunting Number Eight in India.

The Fall of Five

A Lorien symbol appears as a crop circle. The Garde believe it’s a sign from Number Five and sense a reunion is near. But whether it’s a trap or not, the surviving Loriens know they must uncover the fate of Five before it’s too late for them and the people of Earth.

The Revenge of Seven

After reuniting with Number Five, the Garde tries to recover following an unanticipated outcome. A series of twists caused the surviving Loriens to scatter. A divided and broken Garde tries to continue battling for Earth’s survival.

The Fate of Ten

In the penultimate Lorien Legacies series, author Pittacus Lore takes things to a larger scale. The battle between the Garde and the Mogadorians isn’t in the shadows anymore. It’s in plain view as the book follows the inevitable invasion of Earth.

United as One

The Lorien Legacies saga finishes with an explosive, high-octane storyline. Mogadorians have an easy time besting the world’s defenses. But what’s left of the Garde will fight with the U.S. military and some unexpected reinforcements to take down the evil invaders. Yet it still rests on Number Four’s shoulders to turn the tide in humanity’s favor.

Movie adaptation and the tie-in book

I Am Number Four became a hit novel after its movie adaptation. However, this movie adaptation was nothing like the success of its peer of Twilight, despite director Michael Bay’s involvement and attempts to turn it into the next big movie franchise like Transformers.

By all accounts, I Am Number Four had good special effects and was a decent lazy afternoon flick with an alien in high school movie plot.

There’s not much character in the film to speak of, perhaps less than in the novels. Even some diehard fans weren’t surprised that the movie failed to impress at the box office and studio support for a sequel faded.

The movie had the following cast:

• Alex Pettyfer as Number Four or John Smith
• Dianna Agron as Sarah Hart
• Timothy Olyphant as Henri
• Teresa Palmer as Number Six
• Kevin Durand as the Mogadorian Commander
• Callan Mcauliffe as Sam Goode (John’s best friend)
• Jake Abel as Mark James

The movie attempts to follow the first book’s plot, albeit introducing Number Six towards the end to set up a sequel and quickly advance the story line. But the overall result wasn’t a stellar execution in storytelling.

In the film version, Four flees to Paradise, Ohio with Henri after they learn of Number Three’s death. There, Four befriends Sam Goode and spends a better part of the movie navigating teenage drama and romance, until eventually going on the run from the Mogadorians.

Director D.J. Caruso struggled to combine the book’s many elements, from the high school bullying to Lorien lore to thrilling fight scenes and romance between aliens and humans. As an action flick, the movie has a few memorable sequences and enough production value. Yet it never materialized into the franchise Dreamworks Studios hoped it would.

Another interesting bit of content is the tie-in book. The e-book contains a message from the Elder of planet Lorien and offers an explanation of how the remaining children of Lorien escaped their planet with their nine guardians. It serves more as an extended version of the movie’s opening scene and also offers Sarah’s journal that gives a unique point of view of the action.

Listen to I Am Number Four on Speechify

The I Am Number Four novel and the Lorien Legacies book series are good reads for science fiction lovers. Unfortunately, they didn’t receive enough justice in the form of a TV show or movie. Thankfully, the audiobook version is a bestseller.

Speechify is an audiobook service that has, among its many titles, I Am Number Four. You can browse an entire library of New York Times bestsellers, classics, educational, and sci-fi titles at your leisure on most mobile and desktop devices.

If you want a more immersive experience of Lorien refugees fighting alien bad guys, the audiobook versions of these books are great alternatives.

Try Speechify Audiobooks today and get your first premium audiobook title for free.

FAQ

Why did I Am Number Four get canceled?

The movie I Am Number Four had a disappointing box office performance.

Was the I Am Number Four movie a flop?

Yes, the movie was a financial flop and didn’t manage to sway many of the book series fans either.

Is the I Am Number Four series real?

The I Am Number Four novel is the first in the Lorien Legacies series and fits in the science fiction and fantasy literary genres.