Known now as John, he and his Cêpan, Henri, began the process of blending in once again. This time, the move was to Paradise, Ohio. He would have to leave this identity behind, taking on a new name and finding a way to fit into yet another small town. Number Four also knew that it meant they would be moving again, as they had every few months since their arrival on Earth ten years earlier. As such, Number Four knew the Mogadorians would come for him next when the third ring formed on his ankle. As an added safety measure, if the first of the six (called Number One) was killed, a ring would immediately be burned into the ankles of the remaining five. Their Cêpans were tasked with their education and their safety and as long as they remained apart from each other, the Lorien children known as the Garde could only be killed in specific order. They had to survive until they came into their Legacies and became powerful enough to return to Lorien and reclaim their home. Once there, they separated, each protected by a Loric charm.

Six children were sent into space with their Cêpans on a year long journey to Earth. The battle was fierce and the Lorien citizens fought valiantly, but failed to save their planet from the Mogadorian invasion. Instead, they used their resources up, and then traveled to the next closest life-sustaining planet - Lorien. They failed to comprehend that this would cause the herbivores to perish and that the carnivores would soon follow. They didn't understand that their waste and sewage would kill their rivers and lakes. Instead of making changes to ensure their survival, they continued to use and abuse the planet they called home. In time, the damage began to reverse itself, and Lorien survived.Īnother planet, Mogadore, faced the same issues, but its inhabitants were less concerned.

They made a commitment to change their way of life, and slowly do away with the harmful chemicals, bombs, pollutants and guns. The inhabitants of Lorien knew that something drastic had to be done to ensure their survival. Twenty five thousand years ago, long before they were able to travel through the universe, their planet began to die. It has already faced the myriad of problems with which Earth is only beginning to struggle now - global warming, food shortages, overpopulation, and pollution are all part of Lorien's history. Lorien is a planet that is a hundred times older than Earth. I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore is a novel that takes a look at the consequences of alien contact and survival of the human species.

I am number four book cover