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.
When I was in the middle of reading
I Am Number Four, I remember thinking to myself how—if I managed to get through it—I probably wouldn’t pick up the second book. Well, thanks to the completely unfair use of the dreaded cliffhanger, here I am with the sequel.
The Power of Six picks up where the first book ends. We find Four, Six, and Sam on the run from the law and the Mogodorians, though now we get to see what life is like for Marina, AKA Number Seven—a member of the garde living with her Cepan (or guardian) in a convent in Spain. What makes Marina different from Four and Six, is her Cepan’s complete disregard to train her and acknowledge the war that’s closing in on them. Though much of the story is from Marina’s point of view, there are alternating chapters so we never miss what’s going on with Four.
What I liked about
The Power of Six is the same thing I liked about
I Am Number Four—it’s plot-driven and packed with action. Though not a well-rounded novel, the action was enough to keep me entertained.
What I didn’t like is that the dialogue is unnatural, the romance feels forced, and the writing is repetitive and disjointed. Oh, and if you happen to be a fan of the relationship between John and Sarah, you’re going to be very disappointed in the steps the authors take to create drama.
Six is one of my favorite characters and I would have preferred to read from her point of view instead of from Four. Even though half of the book is about him, I really didn’t learn anything new about his character except that he manages to show poorer judgment than in the first book. I also find him tiresome, especially every time he debated with himself (with the same weak argument, I might add) which girl he should choose. And if there was an award for which literary character makes the dumbest decisions, Number Four would definitely be a major contender.
Marina (Number 7) is interesting enough. I really like that her upbringing is different from the other characters that have been introduced thus far. Even though she has far less experience than the others, she’s smart, she’s determined, and she’s likable. I look forward to seeing how her character, and the characters of the other members of the garde that were briefly introduced, develop as the series progresses.
Overall, it’s the action that earns it a rating of three and manages to keep me coming back. I know I’ll be reading the third book in the series if only to see where the authors take this story next. Lorien Legacies is a planned six-book series, so I’m curious how they expect to stretch it out that long.
