Is it hard to read?
No, the prose is conversational and direct, the story follows a linear path, and John narrates most of it himself. The alien pursuit moves briskly.
Fiction · Novel · Science Fiction · Romance
I Am Number Four
Reading facts
✓ Checked- Reading effort
- 22 / 100Light
- Length
- 448 pagesHarper · 2010
- Reading time
- 9 hat 50 pages an hour ·
- Pace
- Fast
- Emotional intensity
- 4 / 5
About 9 h · at 30 minutes a day, about 18 days
Estimated from the page count of this edition. Dense books can take longer than the estimate.
About the book
Fifteen-year-old John Smith, one of nine children who escaped the destruction of Lorien, is hiding in Paradise, Ohio, with his guardian, Henri. Their alien pursuers can kill the children only in numerical order, and the first three are dead. As Henri prepares him to use his emerging powers, John finds reasons to stop running: friendship with alien enthusiast Sam Goode and a romance with photographer Sarah Hart.
Reader notes
Opening the Lorien Legacies series, this YA science-fiction adventure is brisk and straightforward, though high school life takes up considerable room alongside the pursuit. John narrates most of it himself; the romance includes kissing and mild physical intimacy, while the fighting becomes bloody.
How it reads
- Writing style
- Conversational · Direct
- Tone
- Hopeful · Romantic · Suspenseful · Tense
- Structure
- Linear
- Driven by
- Character · Plot · Relationships
- Point of view
- First person
- Setting
- Paradise, Ohio · Lorien
Reading complexity
- Writing
- 2 / 5
- Ideas
- 2 / 5
- Structure
- 2 / 5
- Background knowledge
- 1 / 5
About this profile
Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).
- Writing
- How much attention the sentences and language require.
- Ideas
- How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
- Structure
- How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
- Background knowledge
- Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
- Emotional intensity
- Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.
Themes
- Belonging
- Coming of age
- Friendship
- Identity
- Love
- Survival
Content notes
- Violence
- Strong
- Sexual content
- Mild
- Swearing
- Mild
- Substance use
- Mild
- Abuse
- Mild
- Self-harm or suicide
- None
Series and reading order
Lorien Legacies
- 1I Am Number Four · This book · 2010
- 2The Power of Six · 2011
- 3The Rise of Nine · 2012
- 5The Revenge of Seven · 2014
- 6The fate of ten
Questions readers ask
Do I need to read the earlier books first?
No, this is the first entry in Lorien Legacies. It introduces John, his guardian Henri, and the alien pursuit as John begins developing his powers.
Is it all action, or is there much school life?
High school life takes up considerable room alongside the alien pursuit. John's friendship with alien enthusiast Sam and romance with photographer Sarah give him reasons to stop running.
How violent does it get?
The violence is strong, and the fighting becomes bloody. John is being hunted by aliens who can kill the escaped children only in numerical order; the first three are already dead.
How much spice is there?
The content notes flag mild sexual content.
How long is it?
448 pages in the Harper 2010 hardcover edition.
Which edition is shown here?
Harper · 2010 · Hardcover. ISBN 9780061969553.
How long does it take to read I Am Number Four?
About 9 hours at 50 pages an hour, based on the 448-page Harper edition. Dense books can take longer.
About the author
Pittacus Lore
Pittacus Lore writes fast-moving science fiction for young readers, with a body of work centered on the extraterrestrial refugees introduced in I Am Number Four. Across The Power of Six, The Rise of Nine, and The Revenge of Seven, scattered young survivors evade pursuit, develop unusual powers, and struggle to build alliances strong enough to defend Earth. Lore favors direct, conversational, often dialogue-driven prose, using the momentum of adventure to explore displacement, concealed identity, loyalty, and damaged trust. The books are distinguished by their expanding ensemble: an isolated fugitive’s story grows into a wider conflict shaped by relationships among the young Garde.
If you liked this
Edition and details
- Publisher
- Harper
- Publication year
- 2010
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 448
- ISBN
- 9780061969553
- Edition language
- English
- Original language
- English
- First published
- 2010
- Genres and form
- Fiction · Novel · Science Fiction · Romance · Adventure · Young Adult · Science fiction
- Editions
- 14
- Languages
- 2 (English, Unspecified)
The catalog does not yet include a matching edition. Details may differ between editions.