The Power of Six (review)

This sequel to I Am Number Four (BCCB 10/10) begins with a few pages of exposition that will refresh readers on the specifics of the Loriens, their brutal attackers, and the war that led to nine children, imbued with special powers and abilities, being sent with their guardians to hide on Earth until they can avenge the loss of their planet. As the children grew, the Mogadorians found several of them, though the fact that the children must be murdered in a specific order means that the Mogadorians have only been able to kill a few. Thus we come to Four and Six (both key figures in the previous novel) and Seven, who shares the spotlight in this outing and describes her struggles with good and evil from a convent in Spain. The global focus on these kids, scattered, lost, and not yet in control of their impressive talents, is effective, as each must discover untapped inner strength and creativity that might not be necessary if they could join forces and share resources. This is a solid middle book in a series—there are no significant new developments (a bit of romance juggling, a great deal of introspection on what it means to be human or alien, and the death of some intriguing but inessential characters) or resolutions, but the action is taut, the characters are fascinating, and the fact that the teens are slowly finding one another and learning about Lorien secrets is sure to yield an impressive all-out battle down the road. Fans of the new movie or the first book will certainly flock to this one, and while they may leave with as many questions as they came with, they will also be satisfied that this series continues to head in interesting directions.