They are lying shirtless on opposite sides of the hut, a mosquito net over each cot. Do we really need to know the man is from an alien jungle immediately? And if he’s from an alien jungle, where does the boy come from? His omniscient narrator can inform us at any time that this character is from another planet, and he chooses to awkwardly interrupt a tense moment. Lore is using omniscient perspective for his prologue. They lift their heads to listen, a fourteen-year-old boy and a fifty-year-old man, who everyone thinks is his father but who was born near a different jungle on a different planet hundred of lightyears away. Unnecessary Rambling Will Break the Tension Or he could have actually had a villain at the door. A rattling picture frame or sloshing glass wouldn’t suggest a villain was at the door. As strong as that opening was, Lore should have used a hook that wasn’t misleading. The opening still has some mystery – why is the door shaking slightly? – but the threat is gone. Wait – we get no exciting intruder at the door? Just subtle and brief rattling? That’s disappointing. The shake is subtle and stops almost immediately. It’s a flimsy thing made of bamboo shoots held together with tattered lengths of twine. It doesn’t set atmosphere, imagery, or tone. Instead of “The door starts shaking,” Lore should have used “The door shakes.” That it starts shaking is implied saying so doesn’t add anything. Lore is also using present tense this increases the immediacy of the narration and makes this situation feel more urgent. A shaking door implies an intruder, giving readers a strong hook and making them wonder who is at the door. We’ll start with the prologue, marked only by a big black page with a swirly symbol. The prologue and first chapter are short, so I’ll cover both. It has cinematic shots of three beautiful people staring intently out at me, a big shiny blue light, a huge explosion, and a woman with sunglasses non-nonchalantly walking away from the explosion. * The cover I have looks like it was made after the film adaptation.

It’s time for I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.

I am number 4 author