Author: Pittacus LoreI approached this teen novel with anticipation... "Now a major Motion Picture" proclaims the cover. Unfortunately I found myself getting rather terse with the author. There is a disconcerting unevenness and other faults.
The opening half of the book sets the scene... young John and his carer are one of only nine pairs of survivors of a planet destroyed by the hateful Mogadorians. Each pair consists of a younger person who will gradually develop special powers, and a mentor. They are hiding on Earth, but the Mogadorians are on the hunt, which means John has to shift towns constantly.
The first half is about John's arrival at a new town, a new school, and a new raft of emotions as he falls passionately in love with the prettiest girl in the school. The second part of the book reads like the script for the main action scene of a movie. It is breathlessly intense with constant cliff-edge moments.
The book overall has some interesting concepts, but before I got to the end I found I was struggling with annoyance at the writer, who seems to have watched too many TV shows to find out how to "do action". The classic trope is there: John is about to be blown away by a Mogadarian with a gun... hears a shot, looks up to see that his friend has arrived and shot the assailant.
The author can't seem to decide whether he is writing sci-fi or fantasy. There is some semi science explanations, but at other times the ideas especially of the Mogidarian powers (to do with "pulling the life force out of nearby trees") seems much more to do with magic.
There is swearing but it stays in the "minor" category. The book does espouse commendable themes of loyalty and friendship, but also has a good deal of detailed violence. The book is set up for lots of sequels. Disconcertingly key information emerges only when the plot requires it, rather than having been set up through the first half of the story. Suitable for Year Nine and above.
Andrew Lack
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