Book Review: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore is one of the most engaging action packed journeys you will follow this year. It is a must read of 2011 and it’s not just because of the action as that is just part of the fun. If you’ve seen I Am Number Four the movie, read the book, or both and are debating on reading the second book… the stakes are raised so much in the sequel that it will make you wonder what Legacy Pittacus Lore was handed in the process of writing that made the The Power of Six so much better!

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: August 23rd, 2011

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.

For fans who have read the first in the series, I Am Number Four, you may find the sequel to be even more fast paced and captivating. Lore goes back and forth between the points of view of Number Seven and Number Four, who is accompanied by Number Six and Sam. While Six and Four are training while on the run in America, Seven is not as prepared for the Mogadorians in Spain. Following Seven as she discovers a small handful of her Legacies, with no one on her side (or so it seems) made for quite a moving story. She clearly had the option to reject her mission, but she never for a moment went off the book. That’s not to say that she did not make a few bad choices (as did John at times, one of which leads to a major downfall) but they knew their mission and moved ahead in it. Seven attempted to prepare for the war on her own as best she could and what became of her little preparation helped greatly. Of course the people that she meets when the battle comes to her in full force keep her alive in more ways than she could ever comprehend.

The key to change is letting go of fear.

What is so fascinating about this story as a whole is the constant cycle of Loric people and allies who are always watching (out for) each other. Their unity is something that is almost unfathomable because it is boundless and that is something that is unfortunately not a concept practiced as strongly here on Earth in many aspects. Anyway, as not to spoil the story about who exactly unites with who along the way, that’s all I will say about that. Though as far as spoilers go, we do meet Number Nine and go inside the Mogadorians’ lair. The lair reveals Bernie’s Achilles heal so to speak which is not much considering how the Mogs designed their lair. It’s really only a roadblock… (remember, there’s lots of action) and we don’t get to see if Bernie ever goes inside because of how the book ends…

The only limits of tomorrow are the doubts we have today.

Also worth mentioning is that back story has a more prominent role in this book. As a lover of character driven stories, I was very concerned about the character growth in the sequel since there wasn’t as much as I would have liked in the first book of the series. My worries were washed away here. There is so much to learn about Seven, Six, Four, and Lorien in general and still so much more to question and anticipate. Henri’s letter to Four, Six and Four’s parents, the contents of the Chest (including the mysterious communication stone), the well being and whereabouts of Sam’s dad, the involvement of Sarah with the Paradise, Ohio Police… there’s so much revealed, it will blow your mind! If all of that and the many surprises in store are not enough, the love triangle becomes a love square. There’s love and grief and much in between. The Power of Six delivers all that and more. It gets more and more intense as each page goes by which makes this one page turner you will not want to miss out on reading this summer. You’ll be itching for book three’s release. The suspense is killing me!

Own The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore August 23, 2011.