The Power of Six picks up where Lore left the audience in I am Number Four. The Lorien Legacies are the stories of the Lorien aliens that have come to earth to save the humans from the Mogadorian alien race. Where I am Number Four leaves off we pick up with an introduction to number Seven. Who like Henry, Sam’s Cepan or guardian, is in constant hunt for others. She knows from the three scars that one, two and three are dead and she has her suspicions that John Smith is number Four. After the battle at the school in Ohio, John (Number 4), Sam and Six are running not only from the Mogadorians, but from the human authorities as well. It doesn’t take Four and Six long to realize that the charm that protected them is gone and that the only way to survive is to find the others. The Power of Six is the theme of the book, to get the remaining Six Lorian Legacies together for the epic battle that is soon to come.
I try not to be too hard on Young Adult fiction. I know that the writing will be good but not too in depth for young readers to be able to enjoy. But I do hope for something with a little more depth than low education banter between the characters. Simple sentences with no complex thought, and maybe a little more thought behind character development.
The author did not do a good job of capturing the essence of a teenager. It sounded like an adult writing what he thinks a teenager would say instead of actually finding out what a teenager would say and replicating it. There is a point where an adult no longer is able to capture that spirit or tenacity and must do research. I do not know any15 year olds that say “Wicked” or ‘“Sam, you’ve been nuts since the first time I met you,” I kid.’ Wow, that’s a good one, you really got him with that comeback. I just think that John Smith (Number 4) is supposed to be this cool, hot alien savior that is starting to become what he’s supposed to and he says these totally dorky off the wall sayings like he’s 40 instead of 16.
Another issue I had was the fact that there was no tone differences in characters, Six, Four and Sam they all sounded the same. Although Four (John Smith) was the main character I did not feel as if I knew him better than any other character. No insight to his feelings except for his lust for 2 girls. Character development was weak. From the words that were said, if the author didn’t say who was saying them, I had no idea who was talking. I want to read a book that I know the characters so well that there can be no “I said” or “Six replied” or “Sam questioned.” Everything that each character said could have come from all three of these characters and the audience could just make up whoever they wanted to say it.
As with I am Number Four, the battle scenes are well thought out and thrilling. I was on the edge of my seat and had no idea if the characters were going to be safe. Whenever an author breaks the rules by killing off an important character you know that no one is safe and that he could kill off any character he wants. The author is in control of the story instead of allowing the audiences feelings dictate where the story is going to go.
I enjoyed the new character of Seven or Marina and the introduction to Ten. From the beginning we knew that there was a second ship, but the introduction to Ten was a surprise and we will be continued to be surprised as the story continues by events that we have not been introduced to. Marina is a fighter even though unskilled due to her Cepan’s fear and loathing attitude for what she’s been through. Marina is a survivor and I love how her story has started to develop and I hope that it is not ruined in the third book.
What do you think? Have you read this series and will you continue to? Keep reading my friends!
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