Book Review: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore


Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (August 23, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061974552
ISBN-13: 978-0061974557
Series: Lorien Legacies #2
Source: ARC provided by publisher
Cover: I'm so-so on this one. I like that they all involve elements (the first was fire and now this is water) but it doesn't really draw me in. I bought the movie cover of the first because Alex Pettyfer does.
First Sentence: "My name is Marina, as of the sea, but I wasn't called that until much later."


Mini-review: The Power of Six maybe about aliens but there is nothing foreign about this fast-paced, action-packed sequel!


Summary:

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.

Review:

The Power of Six is one heck of a fast ride, combining dual perspectives and weaving together everything we learned in the first novel to broaden the entire story arc. Told in the familiar perspective of John part of the time and in Number Seven the other half, The Power of Six adds new elements to an already intense storyline that will make the pages fly.

Admittedly, I was a little put off with the fact that this story started in Number Seven's perspective. I did like seeing the world through a female Lorien's eyes but it was a jolting not to follow John. I was definitely glad to reach his chapters and familiar characters. Number Seven's chapters started out pretty slow. I felt bad for her because she really seemed alone in the world and it was really interesting seeing her try to figure out where the other five were. I loved her fixation with John Smith of Ohio. As she grew into her Legacies and started taking her life into her own hands, her chapters became more interesting. I really loved that she was earth and the healer. She really fit that persona.

John's road hasn't gotten any easier. In this installment, he is trying to deal with the aftermath of Henri's death and adjusting to life away from Paradise. It was wonderful seeing how he, Sam and Six work as a team. I do wish that there was a little more direction in those first chapters but I understand that they couldn't just know what to do off the top of their heads. I liked the struggle John had with his feelings for Sarah and how he had to start to separate what Henri said as fact to sometimes fiction. The only thing that really bothered me about John is he tended to make all the wrong choices. There would be a blaring obvious thing that he shouldn't do, everyone would tell him not to and he'd whistle on his way to the wrong way. Drove me insane!

Though John's bad choices were infuriating, they definitely lead to some stressful and intense plot points. There were plenty of twists to through off the reader in this second installment. The last 100 pages truly were hard to put down as all of the plot strings got pulled to their limits. I'd mentioned in my review of I Am Number Four that I'd missed the heroic, super quality that the movie had for Six and Four. This shows up a lot more in this novel,. The Power of Six also cuts out a lot of the fat that stopped the pacing in it's predecessor. I also liked how the Loric world and culture was expanded in The Power of Six. The outlines of the battle start to sharpen, the legacies are strengthening and the players on the Mogadorian side are making themselves known. By the end of this novel, the reader truly starts to understand what's at stake and who is going out there to grab it.

The Power of Six uses it's dual perspectives to elongate tension and merge the plots, the characters are growing and we have just enough of the familiar not to feel lost. I can't wait to get my hands on the next novel to find out what is going to happen to these characters that I've grown so attached to. Though The Power of Six might be about a group of warring aliens, there is absolutely nothing odd about this riveting sequel.

Rating: