27 September, 2012

Review: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Series: Lorien Legacies #2
Genre: Science Fiction, Action
Format: Paperback, Published August 23, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: 2/5 Stars

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.


My Review


This second book in the trilogy shifts its focus away from John, or Number Four, who was the main character from the first book. The Power of Six introduces us to a new point of view, Marina. She's Number Seven and hiding out in a convent in Spain. I didn't like the new characters as much as the first book, and I started to dislike characters that I really enjoyed in I Am Number Four. To me, this book was kind of a let down.

As I read this book, I truly did not understand why Marina’s story was alternating in and out of this book until the very, very end when the two storylines collide. I felt like skimming through her chapters about being an undertrained alien living in a convent. It’s as exciting as it sounds (which is not at all). 

John, Sam, and Six are pretty much on the run this entire book. For people who don’t want to get caught, they do some pretty stupid things. Only when they use Six's power to turn invisible do they actually accomplish things when the plot needs to move on. I cringed every time they did something brash. I won't give anything away, but I seriously wanted to smack John upside the head on several occasions. I really think he's changed since the first book and I’m gonna say it. I hated the love ‘square’. John loves Sarah, but has a big fat one for Six even though he knows Sam likes her. And Six conveniently has crushes on both John and Sam. Can I pull my hair out?

I give it two stars because, for some miracle, I actually finished. And I quite liked the end. It was the action and intelligent problem solving that I read the book for. Unfortunately it was the last few pages of the book, and I just don’t think it’s enough for me to read the Rise of Nine. I wish more worldbuilding was invested into this second installment. I wanted to learn more about the Lorien than we did in the first book. At least we find out what’s in the chests, but it’s not enough to have me continue the series.



Find Pittacus Lore:

Find The Power of Six



1 comment:

  1. Hmm.. I just finished reading the first book, so I was planning on reading this later. I can't wait to see what I think of it. Thanks for your honest review! :)

    - Ellie @ The Selkie Reads Stories

    ReplyDelete

I love receiving comments! I really do read every single one and I strive to respond to each comment that needs a response (and many more!).