Reading Response on I Am Number Four

Whether a book is fair or not is an extremely difficult question to ask yourself. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore is a book about 2 aliens from the planet Lorien who came to earth to run away from another group of aliens called Mogadoriens, who want them dead. I Am Number Four is unfair because of all of the terrible things that happen to the character that the character never asked for.

            The main character, John Smith is affected by all of the people of his race. When he and 8 other children from his planet left to escape the Mogadoriens, a charm was cast upon them making them immune to death as long as they aren’t killed in order, and if the children come together, the charm is broken. The author states that, “ When one of us is found and killed, a circular scar wraps around the right ankle of those still alive,” (6). This is important because he has to be killed in number order, making it extremely important that the people before him survive because if they don’t, he could be very close to death. When John became a fugitive of the Mogadoriens, he didn’t ask for it. John was born on a planet in war so when he escaped as a four year old, he wasn’t responsible, nor did the Mogadoriens have any real reason to attack him or the 8 other children. Additionally, at one point in the story after John and his protector move to another place, John gets a talking to. His protector Henri states, “Don’t show your intelligence... Don’t stand out or draw too much attention... Just a fly on the wall,”(24). This shows that John is affected by his race, because he has to be so careful among others. He can’t live a normal life like anyone else. John is heavily influenced by his people because he is affected by their racial similarities as well as their will to thrive like they once did again.
            The book is also unfair because John lives with the expectation of his survival so that he can rebuild his race. For example, Henri his Cêpan, or protector states, “This Isn’t about you. This is about the survival of our race, which was almost entirely obliterated,” (17). This shows how important it is for John to survive and how much expectation people have of him. This also shows the weight put on Johns shoulders. The book is unfair to John because ever since John has been young he has been expected to survive for the good of his people, John has had to deal with more expectation then most people would have to deal with at such a young age.

            I Am Number Four is also unfair to secondary characters. In the book a girl named Sarah goes to lengths to help John, “She looks behind her again and quickly reaches into the front pocket of her bag. She pulls out my phone and gives it to me,”(73). Sarah stole the phone from a bully who had taken it from John the day before. This is unfair to Sarah because it means that Sarah has allied herself against the main bully of the high school. This also shows unfairness to Sarah because she is making herself a target of the bully, and John’s enemies, the Mogadorien’s.

            Pittacus Lore’s I Am Number Four is extremely unfair to the characters in the story. Although this is harsh in some readers eyes, it actually makes the story much more interesting. The unfairness makes the story much more believable but also more interesting and allows the author to make his own plot. For example, without the first three people in the order dead, the book would be stationary. I Am Number Four is intriguing because it uses unfairness to better the characters and story.