The truly great “teen” novels transcend age limits. “Harry Potter” is probably the best example of a book written for young adults with true imagination that attracts readers of all ages like moths to a flame. “I Am Number Four” won’t have to worry about burning insects falling about around it, because it never threatens to be anything more than a novel to be appreciated entirely by a teenage audience. The novel is a decent read, but it becomes forgettable just as quickly.
When their home planet of Lorien was invaded by the evil Mogadarians, intent on raping the planet of all its natural resources, nine special infants were sent to Earth for safe refuge. Human in appearance, the infants were to wait until their superpowers developed so they could then return to Lorien to restore the planet. But the raiders have pursued them to Earth for a final mop up mission. A special charm placed upon the nine chosen youths means they must be killed in numerical order, hence the title character (Number Four) is the fourth on the Mogadarians’ hit list. The nine separate, fleeing to various parts of Earth; it’s only when a burning scar appears on their bodies that they know one of their kind has fallen.
Number Four has spent his life on Earth with his older protector, a father-like figure who calls himself Henri. They move from town to town, trying to live anonymous lives and stay several steps ahead of the alien assassins. The death of Number Three prompts a fateful move to Paradise, Ohio, a rather paradoxically named place for the duo. There, Number Four’s powers will develop to the fullest, and he’ll receive help from long-lost members of his race. But he’ll also fall in love with a sensitive Earth girl and find his desire for a normal teenage life growing day by day. But the Mogadorians will finally catch up with him, placing not only his life in jeopardy, but that of Henri and Number Four’s new-found friends. The war on Lorien may have ended, but the battle still wages on Earth.
There are a lot of interesting concepts in “I Am Number Four”, namely the “Highlander”-esque set of protocols that are involved in killing one of the Loriens. It invokes a feeling of ritual in murdering one of the chosen children, as well as leveling the playing field in favor of the Loriens. The Mogadarians are clearly their physical superior, so forcing them to track and kill their prey in numerical order buys the children time; the burning scar also is very useful, an early warning system letting them know where they stand on the hit list. The Mogadarians are a pretty nifty race themselves, coming off mostly as something that could easily give the “Alien” xenomorphs a run for their money. A clever touch has them coming off as a Clive Barker version of the fabled “Men In Black” to some conspiracy freaks.
But so much of the novel has been done before, to the point where the plot telegraphs itself chapters ahead. There’s very little suspense involved, much of it tossed aside in favor of wandering back to the plodding storyline. The conspiracy freaks inject imagination into the tale, as do the MIB Mogadarians — too bad they’re mainly consigned to the bench. There is a whirlwind of a battle at the conclusion, but despite all the violence it’s all done in a sanitized PG-13 manner. Any Mogadarians killed bloodlessly dissolves into ash, and despite all the collateral damage, the humans manage to survive with recoverable injuries.
The novel is credited to Pittacus Lore, a pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughes, and together you’d think they could put their heads together and get the old “alien on the run” dog to do a few new tricks. But although the novelist/screenwriting duo can do better, they don’t; they just follow the same predictable blueprint we’ve all seen before.
It’s easy to see why Michael Bay got into a lather over this one; things get destroyed, and if anyone likes destruction en mass, it’s Mr. Bay. To its credit, “I am Number four” is a quick read and entertaining if you want a book you’re not expecting a whole lot from. Anyone else may as well wait for the big budget film version due out next February. A sequel, entitled THE POWER OF SIX, is also due out around the same time. It’s assuming we’ll see more of Four on the run, as he copes with a bitter loss dealt to him by the Mogadarians. Hopefully, two will be Four’s lucky number.
By Pittacus Lore
448 pages
Harper (August 3, 2010)
