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Quick answer: If you liked I Am Number Four, read the rest of the Lorien Legacies, then try Maximum Ride, The 5th Wave, Ender's Game and The Maze Runner. All feature teens with powers or training, on the run from threats from beyond.
I Am Number Four follows John Smith, an alien teen hiding on Earth while enemies hunt the last survivors of his planet. The books below share fast action, secret powers and young heroes in danger. Most are young adult science fiction, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Power of Six | Pittacus Lore | Teen | continuing the series |
| The Rise of Nine | Pittacus Lore | Teen | series readers |
| Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment | James Patterson | Teen | short-chapter action |
| The 5th Wave | Rick Yancey | Teen | alien invasion |
| Ender's Game | Orson Scott Card | Teen and adult | military sci-fi |
| The Maze Runner | James Dashner | Teen | mystery sci-fi |
| Divergent | Veronica Roth | Teen | dystopian action |
| The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | Teen | survival thrillers |
| Legend | Marie Lu | Teen | two-hero stories |
| Unwind | Neal Shusterman | Teen | ethical dilemmas |
| Alienated | Melissa Landers | Teen | alien romance |
| Across the Universe | Beth Revis | Teen | space mystery |
| Skyward | Brandon Sanderson | Teen and adult | space pilots |
| Steelheart | Brandon Sanderson | Teen | superhero dystopia |
| Scythe | Neal Shusterman | Teen | moral questions |
1. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
The second Lorien Legacies book introduces Number Seven and widens the story. Faster, bigger and full of cliffhangers.
Best for: continuing the series.
2. The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
The third book brings the survivors together and ups the stakes. Packed with battles and a push toward the final war.
Best for: series readers.
3. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Six kids who are part bird escape a lab and are hunted by half-human creatures. Short chapters and non-stop action.
Best for: short-chapter action.
4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
After waves of alien attacks, a teenage girl fights to survive and find her brother. Gripping and surprising.
Best for: alien invasion.
5. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
A child genius is trained in a space war school. Smart, cold and influential.
Best for: military sci-fi.
6. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
A boy with no memory wakes in a maze with other boys. Mystery and tension from the first page.
Best for: mystery sci-fi.
7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Beatrice must choose a faction in a divided Chicago and learns that she does not fit. Fast, with training scenes and a romance.
Best for: dystopian action.
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss volunteers to fight in a televised death match. Tense and widely read.
Best for: survival thrillers.
9. Legend by Marie Lu
A prodigy soldier hunts a street-wise criminal in a divided Los Angeles. Dual points of view and twists.
Best for: two-hero stories.
10. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
In a future where teens can be unwound for their organs, three runaways fight to live. Dark and thoughtful.
Best for: ethical dilemmas.
11. Alienated by Melissa Landers
An exchange student from another planet falls for a human teen. Light and sweet with a sci-fi twist.
Best for: alien romance.
12. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
A girl wakes up early on a spaceship that is traveling to a new planet and finds a murder. Mystery and romance.
Best for: space mystery.
13. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
A girl dreams of becoming a starfighter pilot and faces trials and prejudice. Action-packed and heartfelt.
Best for: space pilots.
14. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Ordinary people try to kill superhuman tyrants in a ruined Chicago. Fast and funny.
Best for: superhero dystopia.
15. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
In a future without death, scythes are tasked with killing people. Thoughtful, dark and richly built.
Best for: moral questions.
How to Choose
To keep the Lorien universe going, read the series in order. For action-first reads, pick Maximum Ride or The 5th Wave. For strategy and tension, Ender's Game. For puzzles, The Maze Runner. For philosophical sci-fi, Scythe or Unwind. Check the ages, since some books are darker than the Lorien novels. Teen science fiction series are often best read in a stretch, so you remember the plot. Buy or borrow the first two books together if you can. If you enjoy audiobooks, many of these series have full-cast or single-narrator versions that are easy to follow.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is I Am Number Four about?
John Smith is an alien hiding on Earth, and the Mogadorians hunt him and the other survivors of Lorien.
Who wrote it?
The Pittacus Lore name is used by James Frey and Jobie Hughes for the Lorien Legacies series.
How many Lorien Legacies books are there?
The main series has seven books, plus several companion novellas.
Was it made into a film?
Yes. A 2011 film starred Alex Pettyfer.
What age is it for?
Most readers are 12 and up.
Is I Am Number Four scary?
It has alien fights and some peril, but nothing graphic by YA standards.
Does the series have a romance?
Yes. John falls for a human girl named Sarah, which is a major part of the first book.
What should I read after the Lorien Legacies?
The Maze Runner, The 5th Wave and Divergent are common next steps.
Is this list in order of quality?
No. The books are listed by similarity and variety, so start with the one that sounds best to you, and use the Best for lines to pick quickly.