Review by Booklist Review
Not two weeks after the climactic battle of I Am Number Four (2010), aliens John and Six, along with human ally Sam, find themselves on the run from a government that suspects them of terrorism. As their supernatural gifts o. legacie. become more evident, they're determined to find the four other alien teens who can help fend off the bloodthirsty Mogadorians. One of these is Marina, who narrates half the book from a convent in Spain and whose story line replicates much of the pleasure of the first book. John's and Marina's voices are nicely distinct, injecting attitude into this largely run-in-place set-piece actioner.--Kraus, Danie. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Following on the heels of the action-packed I Am Number Four (HarperCollins, 2010), The Power of Six opens with the introduction of a new character, Number Seven, also known as Marina, who, with her Garde, Adelina, has been confined to a convent in Spain for several years following their arrival by spaceship from the planet Lorien. One afternoon, while exploring the Internet for her allotted 10 minutes, she comes across a reference to John Smith of Ohio, which gives her the impetus to flee her relatively safe hideout and search for the remaining survivors. As they age, the Lorien children's Legacies, or powers, are beginning to emerge and strengthen, leading them to take the fight to the heart of the Mogadorian stronghold. While this second book in the proposed six-book series has many of the same weaknesses of the first-a lack of character development, pedestrian dialogue, and uneven continuity-the nonstop action and violence-packed fight sequences will keep fans of the first novel happy. Think Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles instead of Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Readers should expect mayhem and monsters rather than traditional science fiction, but the popularity of the first book and the movie will create a demand for this and subsequent titles.-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The James Frey assembly-line approach to teen lit has generated another boomfest.John is Number Four, the next alien teen in line to be killed by the vile Mogadorians. A charm dictates that John and the other nine destined planet-saviors be killed in numerical order because... just because, okay? Since the conclusion ofI Am Number Four(2010), John's been on the run with his best friend Sam and alien girl Number Six. Despite the title, Number Six's only role here is to be the butt-kicking object of Sam's and John's affections; John's quests, which range chaotically from escape to rescuing Sam to mooning over his high-school girlfriend, are always paramount. John's chapters interweave with those of Marina, Number Seven, hiding in a convent school in Spain. As Marina's story line involves a tiny bit of actual depth, the frequent cuts back to John only make him seem more vapid by comparison. Ultimately, the two stories climax with flaming green fireballs, mobs of alien monsters, heroes wielding lightning and the conflagration of countless Mogadorians. Michael Bay (who produced the 2011 film adaptation of book one) will surely be pleased.Straight to blockbuster without any stops for character development, worldbuilding or internal logic along the way.(Science fiction. 12-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
