REVIEW: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Title: I Am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore (pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughes)
Format: hardcover, 440 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Source: library
Published: August 2010 by HarperCollins

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.

I AM NEXT.

Why I Read this Book: I don’t normally read sci-fi because I don’t like aliens. When I think of aliens, two words come to mind: gross and scary. But the premise to this book sounded really interesting so when I saw it at the library, I couldn’t pass it up.

What I Liked: I was enthralled in I Am Number Four for the entire first half of this book. The story and John’s character captivated me. And then I found out a little piece of information pertaining to one of the co-authors of this book and my reading experience was completely ruined. What did I find out and why did it affecting my reading this book? Keep reading.

What I Didn’t Like: Does the name James Frey ring a bell? In case you’re not familiar with Frey, he’s the one who wrote A Million Little Pieces, the book that was made famous when it appeared on Oprah’s Book Club selection. Then The Smoking Gun did a little digging and found out that Frey lied about some pivotal elements in his memoir. Frey then got berated by Oprah herself on national TV for lying to her and to everyone who had read his “memoir”.

Yup, that guy.

I wish I would have found out who the authors of I Am Number Four were before or after getting my hands on the book. It wasn’t until I read this post that I learned of Frey’s involvement with the book and about Frey’s ‘Fiction Factory’. (You can read more on the topic here, here, here and here.) Finding all this out ruined my reading experience.

Sounds like I’m over reacting a bit, doesn’t it? I’ll admit that I thought I was being a little silly about the whole thing but I tried to pick this book back up for 3 days, THREE DAYS, and I just couldn’t get my distaste for Frey out of my mind. I was unable to look past that detail, thus I was unable to finish reading the book. I finally threw in the towel and gave up.

Frey is hiding behind a pseudonym. He knows that a book probably won’t sell as well if his actual name is on it. I just feel bad for Jobie Hughes (the co-author of I Am Number Four). Speaking of the pseudonym, Pittacus Lore is actually a character in I Am Number Four. PL is an Elder, who has passed away. But the story is told in 1st person narrative from John Smith’s POV. Does that mean JS is PL? Are JS and PL one in the same? This confused me and if the answer lies somewhere in the second half of I Am Number Four, or in a book later on in this series, I’ll never know.

I should mention that a fellow book blogging friend filled me in on what happened in the second half of I Am Number Four and I will say that I’m not impressed. So I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on anything.

Overall Impression: This is a case where, for me, an author’s actions can (and has) influenced whether or not I will read their books. Had I known that Frey was behind I Am Number Four before I had started reading it, I would never have picked up the book. Will I read the rest of the series? I think that answer’s a given, since I couldn’t finish reading this book. And no, I won’t be watching the movie either. I will try to stay abreast of Frey’s ‘new writing adventures’ and stay away from his other releases. The only thing that makes me feel better about this whole situation is that I did not purchase this book.

If you’re like me and despise James Frey, then I recommend you either (a) don’t read the book (or watch the movie) or (b) you get the book from the library. Why? Because if you’re like me, you won’t want to partake in lining his pockets. If you’ve read the articles about his ‘Fiction Factory’ and it still doesn’t bother you that Frey is involved, then I say give this book a go.

The Book Vixen’s Rating:

DNF