Review: I am number four, Pittacus Lore

Publisher: Cappelen Damm (Norwegian publisher)
Pages: 441
Format: Hardback
Released: Released in Norwegian March 2011
Review copy, book read as part of a Norwegian bookblog tour



In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now. The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

A light read

I am Number Four is an easy and light read, that lacks some depth.

Nine aliens were sent to earth, when it became impossible for them to live at their own planet Lorien. To stay safe from attacks from the evil Mogadorian, they used a form of magic that only makes it possible to kill them in a specific kind of way. Every time one of them is killed, there appears a scar on the leg of the surviving ones. John Smith, aka Daniel Jones, is number four, and when he gets scar number three, he knows that his life is in danger.

I have not read many books about aliens before, so it was refreshing to read this book. I liked the mythology surronding Lorien, and the whole idea behind this book. But the book does not have much depth, We do not get under the skin of the characters, and sometimes the authors just rush through the scenes and does not take time to stop and dwell on the things that happen. This is particularly true in the prologue.

I am Number Four reads like a movietranscript. There is a lot of short sentences and the authors are more concerned about describing events rather than the character's feelings during the actual events. The actionscenes are written in a way that makes me believe that the authors have actually had a movie adaption in mind. There is a lot of details here, and I see it vividly in my mind.

I am Number Four is an entertaining read, the pages flew by and I think that the younger audience will like this book. There is a lot of suspense here, and much action. I also believe that having a male protagonist will help attract the boys to the book.

The book deals with a lof of themes; the most obvious one is the search for ones place in the world. The wish to belong to someone or something. That is something that may ressonate with the younger audience.

As you have noticed, I write "the authors" because this book is actually a collaboration between authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes. The duo is working on a new book. The Power of Six will be published in August this year.


Other reviews:
Katie's Book Blog
Becky's Barmy Book Blog
Book Nerd Blog

I am Number Four on Goodreads
The authors on Goodreads
Official website for the book

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Gyldendal (Norwegian Publisher)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 456
Release: 2009






















In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like 'Survivor' and 'American Gladiator.

Simply spellbinding

The Hunger Games was a fantastic and intense reading experience. I could not put this book down. It consumed me.

Katniss, or Catnip as her best friend Storm prefers to call her, lives in Stollen - a part of District 12. We are in the future, and North America is made up of districts with Capitol holding the power. As punishment for earlier rebellions, there is the annual Hunger Games. Each district must send a girl and a boy to compete in the games. There is only one winner; the person who survies until the bitter end. The competitors are chosen via a lottery. The Hunger Games is shown on TV in every district.

When Katniss' sister is chosen, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Together with Peeta, son of the local baker, she must travel to Capitol to fight for her life. But how do you fight for your life and still obtain your dignity? The competition is unfair. The tributes from the rich districts have been preparing for their participaton in the Hunger Games all their lives. But Peeta and the team behind him and Katniss have a plan...

The idea for this book is not original, but is much similar to Battle Royale, which came out as a novel in 1999 and became a movie in 2000. In Battle Royale a class of 42 students are kidnapped and thrown into a deathgame where there can only be one winner. In the Hunger Games, the number of participants is 24, and also here the state have the power and there can only be one winner. Both the endings are also a bit a like. Some might say that the Hunger Games also resembles The Lord of the Flies.

Suzanne Collins have created an exciting world I did not want to leave. I was hooked from the first page, and even had to sneak off to the toilet during a concert to find out what would happen next. The book kept me awake at night, and I was eager to reach the end and find out what would happen to Katniss and Peeta.

Katniss is a great female heroine. She is not one-dimensional and clearly the author wants the reader to like her. When Katniss kills one of her opponents, it is shown as a last resort and I as a reader can understand why she had to do that. She is not, as opposed to other participants in the Hunger Games, a sadistic and violent person. She tries hard to remain sivilized.

There is also a love triangle here, and we are never quite sure who feels what and why.

The Hunger Games kept me at the edge of my seat. I loved this book, and have already started the next installment. If you have not read this book, do so today!

Other reviews:
Presenting Lenore
The Literary Wife
Escape in a Book

Review: Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone

Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Author: J.K. Rowling

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought

Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house, which he thinks is normal for someone like him whose parents have been killed in a 'car crash'. He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about. That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose! He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day. Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher's Stone! All this and muggles too. Now, what are they??

Pure magic

I must be one of the few people in the whole world that have not read any of the Harry Potter books yet. I had actually decided not to read them, beacuse of all the hype, but ever since I discovered the YA - universe I have changed my mind. A lot of Norwegian bookbloggers are also raving about these books, so I had to see what the fuzz was all about. Now I am one of the people that loves Harry Potter.

The story should be known to a lot of you by now: Harry lives with his aunt Petunia and his uncle Vernon, because his parents is dead, killed in a car accident - or at least that is what he has been told. Petunia and Vernon treat Harry bad, they have only eyes for their own son Dudley.

One day Harry receives a mysterious letter and his whole world changes. It turns out that his parents did not die in a car accident...

Like I said in the beginning, I have avoided the Harry Potter books for a long time because of the hype surrounding them. But I decided to give the series a chance, and I am so glad I dit that.I had high anticipations when I started reading, but I was not let down. Not at all. I was completely sucked into the story from the first sentence, trapped in a world I did not want to leave. I almost forgot to get off the train and the bus whilst reading, all I wanted to do was to keep on reading and be in this amaxing world that J.K. Rowling has created.

I loved the characters, the story, the atmosphere. I loved absolutely everything with this book. I understand why these books have gotten such a huge fanbase. Now I am a fan too, and can't wait to read the rest of the series and watch the films ( I have only seen the first when it came out a long time ago).

I cannot describe the feeling this book gave me. You have to experience it for yourself. Just go and read it!

Other reviews for this book:
A Book Obsession
Notes from the North
Bibliophilic Book Blog
Candace's Book Blog

Review: Gone, Michael Grant

Publisher: Schibsted
Format: Paperback
Pages: 575
Source: Review copy ( I read this in Norwegian, and the cover in this post is the Norwegian cover for the book)












"Suddenly there are no adults, no answers. What would you do? In the blink of an eye, the world changes. The adults vanish without a trace, and those left must do all they can to survive. But everyone's idea of survival is different. Some look after themselves, some look after others, and some will do anything for power...Even kill. For Sam and Astrid, it is a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives...What is the mysterious wall that has encircled the town of Perdido Beach and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange powers? And can they defeat Caine and his gang of bullies before they turn fifteen and disappear too? It isn't until the world collapses around you that you find out what kind of person you really are. This book offers a chilling portrayal of a world with no rules. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes."
("Description from Amazon)

Background:
Michael Grant is the pseudonym for Michael Reynolds, Grant / Reynolds co-authored the series Animorphs (1996 - 2001), but the Gone - series was his first debut on his own. The first book in the series, was published in 2008. He is also writing another series, Magnificent 12. The first book in this series, was published this August. The Gone - series is going to consist of a total of 6 books. Grant lives in Chapel Hill, California with his wife and two kids.

Story:
"Gone" takes place in Perdido Beach. California and opens with a strange event. In a blink of an eye every adult and person over fifteen in the town just disappears. One moment they are there, and the next...gone! The children that are left behind are confused, in shock and do not understand what has just happened. As the hours go by, it becomes very clear that the missing people are not going to come back anytime soon. The remaining children also discover that a big wall of energy is surronding the town, making an escape impossible. The children are left to fend for themselves.

Main Character:
At first glance, there appears to be many main characters in this book. Sam Temple is the main protagonist, but Astrid Ellison, her autistic brother Pete and Caine Soren do also appear frequently. The point of view shifts from chapter to chapter.

But back to Sam Temple: You may think that he is just an ordinary teenageboy, but Sam hides a secret. He is able to shot flames from his hands. The children in the town look upon him as some kind of hero, because he once saved the schoolbus from an accident. Sam is not comfortable with being named a hero. The author has done a great job portraying him. He is a character it is easy to like, but he has his flaws, which only makes him more human. It is also evident that he grows throughout this story. Sam is a character thas has great potential. I am looking forward to get to know him better.

The Book:
I guess every child and teenager has one thought: the world would be a so much better place if there were' nt any adults around. In Perdido Beach this becomes a reality in a blink of an eye, but rather than celebrating, the children and the town are thrust into chaos. What are they going to do when all the adults are missing? Who will look after the babies and the younger children? What about food?

The children must try to organize themselves as best they can. Some rise to the occasion and show what they are truly made of. Some will be tempted to try to manipulate others and gain power all for themselves - and some will betray even their best friends in order to survive. On top of all this, it is soon revealed that there is more strange things going on. The teenagers develop superhuman powers and the animals mutate.

"Gone" was an absorbing read, very hard to put down. But it did take me some time to get absolutely engrossed in the story - but when I did, I read it until it was finished. I became deeply fascinated by the whole story, and the mystery that is always present: what has actually happened to the people over fifteen?

I am a big fan of Stephen King, and this was like Stephen King would have written for a young audience, I think. And it is appearent that Grant actually is a big fan. "The darkness" reminded me a bit of "It", by Stephen King. But you find a lot of other references to his work as well. I also thought about "Under the Dome", which was actually published after "Gone".

There were a lot of different characters, whick kept the story going and made it interesting to read. I liked the countdown, which starts off every chapter. I was eager to read on to find out what as going to happen at the end when Sam turns fifteen.

Add a bit of X-men, Heroes and Lord of the Flies, and you have Gone. A great sci-fi novel for young adults, packed with suspense and mystery. But is you buy this book, I suggest you buy two copies - because your mum or dad is also going to want to read it.

The book have a lot of pages, but you could finish it in one sitting. That's how good it actually is. It is engrossing. I am looking forward to the next installment, which is waiting for me in my bookshelf.




Other reviews:
The Book Smugglers ( Review of book 1 & 2)
One Librarian's Book Review
Presenting Lenore
The Book Eater

Review: Dark Touch: Shadows by Amy Meredith

Publisher: Red Fox
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Source: Book received for review.













" Fifteen-year-old Eve Evergold is cute, sassy and enjoying a busy social life. What she doesn't know yet is that someone close to her is an evil demon that only she has the supernatural power to defeat. She needs to work out who it is - and fast! Because although there's something very attractive about the dark side...dating a demon? Pure hell!"
(Description from Amazon.co.uk)

Background:
This is the first book in a new series aimed at the pre-Twilight age group. The author, Amy Meredith, lives in California, but she has also lived and worked in New York and the Hamptons where the main characters in the Dark Touch - series are from. She has always been fascinated by the supernatural.

Story:
The summer is over, and it is time to get back to school for Eve Evergold and her best friend Jess, in the town of Deepdene. And this autumn, two new boys are also attending school with them. Luke Thompson is the son of the new minister in town, and he is cute and very flirtatious. And there is Mal, smouldering and mysterious Mal, who have just moved into "The Razor place" - a mansion which used to belong to a rockstar and which is said to be haunted. And school has just started, when mysterious things starts to happen in town. Many girls freak out and are sent to psyciatric institutions. There are talk of demons appearing in people's nightmares, and soon Eve must figure out who she can or cannot trust and look into the town's dark history.

Main Character:
Eve Evergold is fifteen years old, and like most teenagers she has a very busy social life. She loves to shop and look at boys and enjoys a comfortable life. But even though her parents has a lot of money, she does not come across as a spoiled brat. She is quite likeable, and I became more and more fascinated by her as the story progressed. The author has managed to make her evolve throughout the story, and from being a carefree and happy girl you can actually see how the events in this book affect her. I love it, when authors manage to do just that. I am looking forward to get to know her better in future books in this series. Eve is a person I would have loved to have as a friend in real life; I am sure she would have made me laugh a lot.

The Book:
Dark Touch, The Shadows is a witty and spooky read. From the opening scene you are thrust into a story full of gothic atmosphere combined with glamorous surroundings. There is romance, riddles, suspense and dramatic events. I got more and more engaged in the book as the story progressed.

The friendship between Jess and Eve are so well described, you have no problem understanding why these two are best friends. They seem to be having so much fun together. "The shoe scale", their weapon for describing how hot a boy is, is hilarious. And there is also a great deal of trust here. Eve would do anything for Jess and Jess would do anything for Eve. They confide in each other and support each other. That's true friendship.

I also like how the author has portrayed Luke and Mal. They are both a bit mysterious and I kept on reading to get to know them better. I am sure they would appeal to the target group of this series.

The book does not require a lot of energy to get into. It is an easy and atmospheric read and I had no problem figuring out some of the riddles in the book. But despite all that, I enjoyed it. Sometimes it is refreshing to read something that does not require a lot of thinking.

Dark Touch, the Shadows is for readers who love the supernatural combined with lighthearted chick lit. A perfect book if you want to relax, get spooked and get in a good mood all at once.

The publisher has also created a beautiful and eye-catching cover that really captures the atmosphere in this book: gothic glamour.

Here are some other reviews you can check out:
So Many Books, So Little Time
Book Chick City
I Was a Teenage Book Geek

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Publisher: Allison & Busby (United Kingdom)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Source: Bought from Play
















"College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they come out fighting when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood..."
(From Play.com)

Background:
"Glass Houses" is the first book in the series "The Morganville Vampires", written by Rachel Caine. The book was first published in 2006. Caine made her debut as an author in 1991, and has written many books under several pseudonyms. When "Glass Houses" first came out, she had a contract to write three books. Now, in July of 2010, eight books have been published and number nine is due out in October. The series have been published in thirteen countries and sold over 600.000 copies worldwide. Charles Armitage /Noel Gray Productions owns the film - and television rights to the series.

Story:
Claire Danvers is an exceptionally bright student, who graduated with a perfect 4.0 from High School. Her dream was to attend college at MIT, Yale or Caltech, but her parents didn't agree with that wish. They didn't want their daughter to live so far away from them, so Claire ends up in Morganville. Is soon becomes apparent that Morganville is not your average Texas town. Not only must Claire Danvers try to avoid the wrath of some of her fellow students, she must also try to stay alive in a town run by vampires.

Main Character:
16 year old Claire Danvers is a bright and smart girl, and I liked her instantly. She is described as the girl next door, someone every teenage girl can relate to. She has the same thoughts and problems most teenagers experience from time to time. Rachel Caine has done a great job creating her.

The Book:
"Glass Houses" was one of the first vampire books I read after I finished reading Twilight, and I was hooked right away. The books is extremely well written, it is actually so far one of the best written book I have read in the YA - genre. And I thought it was way better than Twilight. (Hope I don't provoke anyone by saying that). The book is full of suspense and mysteries. Nothing is revealed to early and the author has a lot of surprises up her sleeve. There is also a little bit of romance here. Caine has created some memorable charachters besides Claire. I can't wait to get to know Eve, Michael and Shane better. Michaels destiny is original and oh, so heartbreaking. I felt for him when the truth about his life was revealed to us.

"Glass Houses" is a very good and original read, and I highly recommend it. Teenager can relate to many of the topics in the book, but adults like myself will also enjoy it. Caine delivers a whole new take on the vampire story, that differs from a lot of the stories I have read. I am looking forward to reading more about the vampires in Morganville, and get to know the story behind this town better.

Warning: Do not read "Glass Houses" unless you have "The Dead Girls Dance", the second book in the series, within your reach. Otherwise you will be running to the bookstore to get a copy.



You can read more about the series and the author at her webpage here.

Here are some other reviews:
Love Vampires
The Book Cellar
Book Love: Teen
My Overstuffed Bookshelf