The Power of Six

This is the second book of a series: while you can certainly read this book on a standalone basis, I highly recommend you read  I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) If you enjoyed that one you may consider, but it is not necessary, reading the prequel to this novel titled  I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy , which gives you more background on Number Six.One of the best thing about this series, to me, is it is something the whole family can enjoy - in this case, my wife and two children. For you parents reading this review, my children are in junior high and late elementary school. All of us enjoyed I am Number Four, and we eagerly awaited this sequel and have not been disappointed. You get it all with the action and adventure on a very fast pace that is not too condescending for adults nor too advanced for children. You also have a blooming love interest or two - all without one word of profanity or inappropriate scenes for your children.The author has an engaging writing style that quickly gets you involved in the story, and the dialogue is meaningful without the fluff. I hope one day the publisher tells us who this ghost writer really is, as I would like to pick up more of his or her work.For readers of the series, you get more details of the background of the characters and the story. Why they are running and fighting the Mogs, more on the different legacies, and the introduction of three more of the children. If you're like me, you will catch yourself in a Walter Mitty moment or two daydreaming if you had telekinesis, make yourself invisible, had healing powers, etc.If you couldn't tell, I and the other members of my family loved this book. How much longer until the next book in the series is released?

I enjoyed  I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) . Despite a very familiar premise, it was well done and had potential. The sequel novella,  I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy , was interesting and really pulled me in. The Power of Six blew them both away. Book one was told from Four's perspective, and the novella from Six's. This book switches between Seven narrating her life to this point while following the news for any hint of John, and Six, John and Sam on the run from the human authorities and the Mogs. I liked the alternating perspective because it kept the pacing of the book fast. It was action-packed with tension, chases and fight scenes. The author didn't slack by having Seven be just another copy of Six and Four's lives, either. Her Cepan lost faith and turned her back on Lorien, leaving Seven at a serious disadvantage. But she does have some very cool legacies. Also, John finally opens his chest and reads the letter from Henry. I've wondered how 9 kids were supposed to stand against a race that wiped out an entire world of people gifted like they are, and the book actually addresses this. The letter also has unexpected consequences for Sam, who has evolved from being just a tagalong to an ally. Plus, there's the surprising, and welcome, addition of the new character Ella.However, the book has a serious flaw. The romantic element started out predictable, moved to frustrating, and quickly became outright annoying. John's starting to fall for Six, but he loves Sarah. Sam likes Six too. Sam is John's friend but also jealous of him. Six likes-likes Sam, but also John. Bleh. I might not have been so annoyed except we're expected to believe these teens would be just like normal teens, only with homicidal aliens who murdered their parents after them! Sorry, I don't buy these kids making stupid, life-risking decisions (which John does on more than one occasion) because they're in "love". John doesn't just risk his life, but also Six and Sam. This after watching Henry die? Thankfully, the romantic element was significantly reduced compared to book 1 in favor of plot development. Also, it seems ridiculous that Henry would leave John a chest full of items that he doesn't know how to use and could even endanger him. Henry knew he could (and likely would) die at any time. It felt contrived. These were minor issues though. Overall, this was an engrossing read with a electrifying conclusion that left me eager for the next book. Highly recommended!

I must say that the first book was pretty much only the beginning, and I only wish that it wasn't as lengthy in it's storytelling of Four/John Smith, because there are all the other Lorics to write about.Luckily, in the second book, we get to read more about them, and the tone and pace of this book was more suited to my liking.There's the thing, now instead of just getting John's 1st person POV, you now get another of the group's 1st person POV, and that is of a girl named Marina.At first, I was turned off by the idea of a second POV, and also because of where her storyline was going, but as I went on, I started to really like how things were progressing, which is very different from where John's POV is going.What's cool is that both storylines are really refreshing compared to the first book. And I like how the author switches from John's story back to Marina's story. It can be a little confusing trying to figure out whose POV you're reading for the first sentence or two, but it's a minor issue and really nothing to be concerned over, especially considering how well both person's story is.You get to read a lot more about their legacies, the Mogadorians, the other alien creatures, John's relationship with Sarah, Six, Sam, and even Bernie Kosar (you have to love that "dog.")There's definitely a lot more action and intrigue going on this time around, and I think it would be fair to stay that it's probably more than twice as much as was in the first book. I like action in this type of story and it really got my heart pumping, especially because that's when you get to really understand the power of their legacies.I really did enjoy this book much more than the first book.I know there was the movie made on the first book and because of how it turned out, there will not be a sequel, which is a shame, because this book could've been a really good movie in itself. Alas, that cannot be helped now.In regards to the new character, Marina, you may or may not like her at first, and like I said, I almost wanted to reject her, but when you continue reading, she's not as bad as you might think. There were a few times that you might have been annoyed at her, but she finds her way through and finds a few friends along the way that help her more than she could have imagined.I'll have to say it does kind of end in a cliffhanger, so now that The Rise of Nine is out, I'm looking forward to reading that next!

I thought this was a great book, sincerely better than the last one that started this series. I found the romance in the last dreadful and John and Sarah's relationship had no backing at all but the romance in this one made so much more sense. And the conflict in the love... polygon was great! The only part that was kinda dumb was Six admitting her love for both Sam and John cus I don't know anyone that open about their feelings. The plot is great and the twists keep you constantly on the edge of your seat- there's no way of knowing what will happen next. The way it leads on to the next book in the series is great. I'm glad I learnt of these books cus it's a nice long series to sink my teeth into. The characters all have recognizable feelings too, human feelings.

This is the sequel to 'I am Number Four' and the narration begins with a new 'number'.Marina, is number seven, and she is coming into all of her legacies (powers) all on her own, and not because her guardian has been murdered like Six's was, but because her guardian wants to believe that they are safe and can choose not to be involved in the fight against the 'Mog'. Her frustration with her guardian, Adelina, comes across very well.The narration switches between Marina's and that of John (Number 4), who is now on the run with Six and his bestfriend, Sam. There were a couple of times I got engrossed with the action and then missed the switch from John's narrative, to Marina's; that marked down the writing style for me.As a character who hasn't yet taken the lead, Six, steals the limelight whenever she appears. John, starts to have feelings for Six, which is confusing because he loves Sarah, and he knows Sam likes Six too. This love triangle isn't made overly dramatic and works really well.I am so thankful that the flirtation in this book is not of the John-Sarah variety of the first book. The love scenes in the first book made me cringe, and her the love triangle/ square comes across a lot more realistic. The dialogue flowed naturally and built up both the characters and plot.Action packed from start to finish; I liked the way the story progressed from the first book and this one too lends itself well to screen adaptation.The end to this book is a real cliffhanger, as by the end of it we are introduced to more numbers, but have to wonder how they will meet up. The main characters are distinctive and likeable in their own way, so the introduction of new characters didn't get confusing. John gains a new ally, who is actually less level-headed than he is (and that's saying something) and has a huge new mess to sort out.Plot: 5Dialogue: 4Characters: 5Writing Style: 3Overall: 4If you liked the first (I am Number Four), I think you'll like this one.

After reading I Am Number Four, I'd virtually consigned the series to the 'not worth bothering' pile. But whilst the first one is clunky, awkward, predictable - albeit strangely likeable - the second rounds off these corners and adds a little polish. It picks up where the first one left off; John Smith, our alien teenage hero, his human best friend Sam and the mysterious (also Loric / alien) Number Six are fleeing the small town of Paradise after battling a horde of (and I can now read this without cringing) evil Mogadorians, the race which is hunting them down. Six knows the whereabouts of another of the Loric refugees in Spain and wants to pursue them, but there are other clues to follow as well.Meanwhile in Spain, we meet Marina, settled into a monastic life - but keenly aware that she needs to keep moving. It's not that simple; her Cepan guard has 'gone native' and seems to have renounced her guardian ways. The Power of Six is much, much less clunky than the first in the series. It's still slightly predictable and clearly written for the screen, but the characters are eminently likeable, the plot much less awkward and the pace more or less perfect. More or less, because it's not a long book - compared to it's contemporaries (although I haven't quite figured out which level it's pitched at) there isn't a lot which happens, and the plot isn't terribly complex - but it is very pacey. The book starts off with a few hitches and challenges for our characters and builds to a frenetic climax.I've got to admit, I think that if this is indicative of the rest of the series, then I'll be waiting for the next one - and re-reading the first one. There are a number of interesting developments, a few hooks to keep you engrossed, and I enjoyed it so much I read it within a few days. Well worth picking up - I could have kept reading once I'd finished it and will be eagerly awaiting the sequel. And given my scepticism on the first, that's quite an achievement.

Having read I Am Number Four quite a while ago and having mixed feelings about it I was a bit apprehensive when I picked up the next in the series. What actually happened is that this turned out to be a lot better than the first in the series. There was a lot less wordiness in this book, and the action starts from page one, probably because, as a second book, there's no need for the introductions and preamble needed in the first book. Before I go into detail, here's a brief synopsis for you, as told from the the POV of Number Seven:"I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us--if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?They caught Number One in Malaysia.Number Two in England.And Number Three in Kenya.They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio--and failed.I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.And I'm ready to fight"I'm glad this was told from a couple of different points of few as it meant as a reader, I didn't have to wonder what was happening to John and Co whereas I was also able to learn what was happening with Number Seven and Co. This particular style of writing, in my experience, can either work really well or it can fail. The danger being that the plot becomes confusing. This wasn't the case however, and each character and setting was so distinct that it wouldn't have been possible to confuse them, even if you tried too.I have to admit, the events with Number Six, John and Sam were probably a lot more exciting and heart-pounding than Number seven's story, but I love a change of scene and hearing the story develop from Number Seven's point of view was fascinating. Plus, one of the biggest twists in the story happens around Seven and I could never have seen it coming even if I had tried to think of the most weird and impossible twist ever.Back with John, Sam and Six, there was also some back-story for Number Six which was awesome because she was always a bit of an enigma in I Am Number Four, so it was fascinating to hear about how she came to be where she was and what she went through to get there.I can't really say much about the events throughout the novel without spoiling things, but I will say that there's a lot of new people, the story comes together more and there's enough fighting in this to make action fans bounce in their chairs while reading. For the romance lovers out there, there's a quite a bit of love going on, and not where you might thing either, as well as some heartbreaking potential betrayal that will leave you stunned and a little sad.I will let slip that there's a lot more insight into the Mogadorians lair and I can definitely say that if it were real, I would not be going there, not even if you paid me.The ending is, as always, a wonderful cliffhanger that will leave you dying to read book number three. Much to my annoyance, I have no idea when this is released. So I shall have to wait along with the rest of the world. I'm pretty certain it'll be worth the wait.

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next book to come out. I said in the review of the first book I did not think the author brought anything new to the Sci-Fi genre, but the book was a good read. This book contains many revelations and answers many questions left from the first book. This story is based as much on faith and prophecy as it is on science. The book is written as a diary account by Number 4 and Number 7. The part that lets the book down for me is number 4 himself. All the other characters seem to have grown since the last book, espically Sam who manages to single handed kill 3 mogs with their own knives. I am not including the other 100 he kills with guns. Number 4 by comparison seems to still be the love struck teenager thinking more about himself than anything else, luckily for him this usually leads him to do something useful. This is a Empires Strikes Back type of ending so the minute I finished the book I went online looking for the next book. Can't wait.