Return to Paradise

Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files #8

by Pittacus Lore

In this thrilling one-hundred-page prequel companion novella, discover what happened in the aftermath of the Mogadorians’ attack on Paradise, Ohio, from Mark James—Number Four’s bully-turned-ally.

After Four leaves town to find the rest of the Garde, Mark is left behind to pick up the pieces. His school has been destroyed, his home burned down, and, worst yet, Mark now knows the horrifying truth: aliens live among us and some of them seek to destroy us. Even with the FBI tailing him and Sarah Hart, Mark tries to return to a normal life. But when Sarah goes missing, he knows he can no longer sit back and do nothing. His quest to find her will lead him to new allies and a startling revelation about the Mogadorians’ plan for invasion.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Aliens, Fiction, Short Stories, Novella

106 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2014

About the author

Pittacus Lore is Lorien’s ruling Elder. He has been on Earth preparing for the war that will decide Earth’s fate. His whereabouts are unknown.

Reviews

[Laura]

MARK IS BACK, BITCHES.
AND HE'S COMING WITH EVERYTHING!



Return to Paradise.

First thing that pop up into my mind when I read the titel:



Yeah, Axel Rose singing Paradise City, ladies and gentlemen.
If you're a gunner or at least know the song you'd know Nine sang that song.

So, yeah Mark is back. And this time I hope he comes back all badass.

Yeah you heard me: badass



Let's see if Pittacus Lore surprise me this time.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

MARK IS BACK, BITCHES!

The Lost Files #8: Return to Paradise tells us what happens after John and the gang leave Paradise in Mark James' point of view. It's good to see how Mark changed after all what happened. He's taking the Mogs seriously now.

Wait, wait, WHO THE HELL IS GUARD?

[Carmen de la Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esto es el POV (punto de vista) Mark James. Ocurre después de la batalla en el Paraíso con los mogs. John y compañía se han ido a partes desconocidas, dejando a Mark y Sarah viviendo en el desastre, intentando mantener un perfil bajo, mientras buscan la ubicación de John, hasta que todo explota en sus caras (literalmente).
Un archivo perdido realmente aburrido.

[Angy]

La verdad es que a este libro no le voy a dar ni una misera estrella porque la verdad es que es un libro tan innecesario. Es un libro en el que solo vemos a Mark y a Sarah (para mi los dos personajes más innecesarios de la saga). Hablan sin parar de hacer cosas para ayudar a Cuatro y donde encontrarlo, luego aparecen unos agentes del FBI que tal vez sirvan para más adelante supongo.
Es cierto que ocurre un acontecimiento , que no voy a comentar ya que es un spoiler, que si me deja un poco intrigada para los siguientes libros. Pero tampoco hay mucho más que decir del libro.
¿Recomendar? para la gente que esta leyendo todos de la saga. ¿ volver a leer? para que?

[Dulce María · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustan mucho más las novelas cortas que las largas de esta saga, durante el primer libro odiaba a Mark pero creo que a madurado bastante y empezó a caerme bastante bien espero verlo en el futuro.
No me importa que Sarah no halla traicionado a 4 la sigo odiando ademas de que su comportamiento durante toda la novela fue de niña mimada, en serio que me fastidia esa mujer.

[Eriele the Mermaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different side of Mark James. It`s great that he`s like bffs with Sarah here. And that he`s waaaaaay better than I remembered him in the first book.

[Ian Mellark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Algo que amo de esta serie son las novelas cortas! Dan un panorama global de la historia! Ya casi estoy listo para THE REVENGE OF SEVEN

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I'd think Mark James story so interesting, but this was great background info to have for the series!

[Thenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of how Mark goes from self-centered jock to an ally to the Lorien.

Mark is still shaken by what he witnessed the night the Mogs attacked his school and he is determined to get some answers. He manages to get his hands on the laptop of an FBI agent working with the Mogs, and although we don't know how valuable his intel will turn out to be, the Garde need all the help they can get.

Previous book reviews:
✦ Malcolm's Journal (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files Bonus)
✦ The Scar (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files Bonus)
✦ The Fall of Five (Lorien Legacies, #4)
✦ The Forgotten Ones (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files, #6)
✦ The Last Days of Lorien (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files, #5)
✦ The Search for Sam (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files, #4)
✦ The Rise of Nine (Lorien Legacies, #3)
✦ Eight's Origin (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files Bonus)
✦ Sam's Journal (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files Bonus)
✦ The Fallen Legacies (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files, #3)
✦ Pittacus Lore Transmissions (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files Bonus)
✦ Nine's Legacy (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files, #2)
✦ The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies, #2)
✦ Sarah's Journal (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files Bonus)
✦ Six's Legacy (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files, #1)
✦ I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1)

[Ana Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

deciding between aliens (end of the world) or alien (that's now dating my ex) would probably make me spiral a little too

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

number:
p38: The hair on the back of my neck stands on end as I consider the possibilities of what this could mean.

construction:
p56: Posting it will just send the FBI after me--or the Mogs.

p61: I sift through action figures, blurry pictures of the sky, and a telescope it looks like he was trying to repair.

grammar:
p57: At some point I must pass out again, because the next thing I know, light is filtering in through the windows and I can smell bacon cooking downstairs.

The aftermath of I Am Number Four in Mark 'Guy With a Single Hair On the Back of His Neck' James' perspective. I'm not sure if something has been accomplished, though.

[Daniela G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

No me agradó mucho que este extra estuviera narrado por Mark (ni siquiera sabía que así sería, por el título me imaginaba otra cosa) y siento que la mayoría de sus acciones siguen siendo egoístas, todo por impresionar a Sarah. 🙄
Al principio eso me desanimaba un poco para leerlo, PERO, debo admitir que la información que se nos da es muy, muy relevante, sobretodo durante la segunda mitad y hacia el final. No imaginé que ellos pudieran estar tan involucrados, a pesar de no haber ido con John y los otros.

[Aakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really feel bad for Mark. Spoiler from seventh book of Lorien legacies.
I felt bad when I read Mark was killed but after reading this it is really tragic to think that both Mark and Sarah are dead. Mark really tried hard to keep Sarah safe.

[Kait · Rating 3 out of 5]

me when my gf leaves me for an alien. 3.5

[Mueroporunlibro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relectura.
Uf, qué libro. Qué personaje. Mark James es el típico jugador de fútbol americano que tiene el futuro asegurado. Es popular, carismatico y con un montón de amigos. Hasta que aparece John Smith y todo cambia. Pierde a su novia, Sarah, el colegio queda destruido y la FBI los acosa por todos lados.
Lo que más me gustó de esta historia es la evolución que Mark presenta. De cierta forma, abre los ojos y ve la realidad desde otra perspectiva. Navega en blogs, hace sus investigaciones y su constante preocupación es la batalla entre alienígenas que se cierne sobre la tierra.

Su humor y perseverancia sobresalen durante el libro. Estoy ansiosa por leer más de este personaje.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is in Mark James POV. It occurs after the battle in Paradise with the Mogs. John and company have left for parts unknown, leaving Mark and Sarah living in the mess. They try to keep a low profile, while searching for John’s location, until it all blows up in their faces.

Fave scene: The black car chase

[Jarrett Piner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly enjoyable read considering the main protagonist.

[Aya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I’d enjoy reading from Mark’s perspective as much as I did! I actually really like the guy. I love how he was that sour old ex-boyfriend who was out to get John and Sam, but ended up changing for the better and actually saving John’s life — not to mention helping out the characters later on in the series.

I also loved reading his thoughts about Sarah... He really did love her and wished the best for her. He wasn’t the kind of jock boyfriend that just wanted her for superficial reasons. He genuinely loved her. John and Sarah were obviously meant to be, but I can’t help but wish that Mark got the girl of his dreams too. He really was there for her after her life changed for the worse.

Reading so much about Mark also made me feel even worse about his eventual death. He really didn’t deserve it, especially in the way that it happened... it was awful. Poor guy. I just appreciated him even more after this story. He was a cool human character. I wish he’d stuck around more.

[David Pérez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si alguien me hubiera preguntado hace un año lo que me deparaba el
futuro, probablemente habría dicho algo como «Mark James, mariscal de
campo estrella del estado de Ohio».
(...)
Lo que no habría dicho, lo que nunca me hubiera imaginado, sería algo
remotamente parecido a: «Mark James, superviviente de un ataque
alienígena».

Me gusta bastante el cambio en la personalidad en general de Mark, pero que siga conservando resquicios de su vida pasada, que no haya sido un cambio brusco y total de pensamiento, sino que se sienta "empapado" de su nueva realidad.

Su relación con el pueblo, su familia y Sarah llenan la trama, y no hay que saltarse su "amistad" con GUARD (¿Quién será? Jmmm).

Ligero pero lleno de detalles, y realmente lo que le aporta a la trama es la aparición del FBI en la historia y, lo que sucede al final.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad, I think it does provide some context about Mark and what he's doing. A good precursor I know they'll explain more about how he started getting into the blog more in the next one so that's why I give a 4.
Quick read, good audio book.

So this takes place after I Am Number Four but there are some Easter eggs about Five regarding telekinesis use in Miami at a cafe. But you don't necessarily have to know that before reading this book. You could read this after I Am Number Four or you could read this in the order it was intended. There's no major spoilers, just like I said an Easter egg where if you did read Five's novella then you would know who they're talking about, but you could probably get away with not reading in either order.

POV: Mark

[José · Rating 1 out of 5]

15/100.

Novela corta sobre Mark James, el bully de Soy el número cuatro, en el que se muestra qué ocurrió en Paradise con él y con Sarah después de la batalla al final del primer libro de la saga. No me interesa en demasía el personaje y creo que llega bastante tarde. Literalmente estoy debería haber sido escrito hacia el principio de la saga y entonces sería algo interesante. No descubre nada nuevo. Quizás un par de personajes que aparezcan luego. Imagino que en La venganza de Siete volverá Mark y por eso lo han vuelto a traer a la memoria.

Sí, era un capullo porque era un adolescente celoso y ahora parece ser parte de los buenos. Me parece un personaje que no deberíamos haber vuelto a revisitar. Para el contrapunto humano, ya tenemos a Sam (y Sarah).

[Garc · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually read these novellas within hours after I bought them but this one sat on my e-reader for days before I got to it. I even read it in a week.
 The main reason is that Mark is not my favorite character neither is Sarah Hart btw and to be honest I couldn’t give a fuck about what happened in Paradise after John, Six, and Sam left.
 We don’t learn much in this novella. The only interesting thing about it is Mark’s internet activities and the last chapter.

Review also posted on Worn out Spines | Instagram |

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lore did a good job carving out Mark to be what he truly is; really only focused on what *he* can do to prove himself worthy of Hart's adoration.

He's insanely jealous of Four/John, and the writing paints it out nicely. When he has to suppress how he really feels about Hart's feelings for/about Four, Lore clearly outlines where his focus is.

He's also painted as both clever (about skulking around his Dad, Nana as well as his Dad's office) and a doofus; 'why is Purdy worried about some secretary at the Department of Defense'?

I'm curious to see if GUARD plays a role in the next few books and who he/she turns out to be.

[Linda Hamonou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is from the point of view of Marc which is weird since he is normally a very secondary character. So we basically see the story from the outside.
We see his relationship with Sarah with a totally different angle that explains what happens later in the original series.
There is actually a lot more going on in Paradise while John and Sam are on the run than what we could see in the original series. We also have a new view of Sarah's supposed betrayal, so that it finally all makes sense.
I think this is a nice installment to the story and it ties things up together very nicely.

[Erik · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am going to keep all reviews for “The Lost Files” simple and how integral they are to the larger story.

This really isn’t necessary in the plot I feel….douchey football star turned conspiracy theorist, who cares?
I don’t think anyone read about Mark and thought: I need a redemption arc and needs to go have a role in the story.
I understand the fight would have changed him but I don’t think we needed multiple books following him… also his borderline obsession with Sara is pretty cringe.

Sorry the only humans I think matter in this story are Sam and his dad….i don’t even like Sara XD

[Baglady · Rating 3 out of 5]

So back in Paradise Ohio we follow the human side of the conflict. Will Sarah ever love Mark again? Will Mark's personality revert to being the jock in his new high school? Are any of the FBI entities human? How does Four keep in contact with Sarah - or does he?

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book eight in the companion series sees things from a different perspective again, in a Rashomon type novella. They are really milking this series for all they can though. I'm making my way through it, but hoping that there will be some really good pay off at the end!

[catherine ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly didn't think I'd like it very much because it was from Mark's perspective, but that actually wasn't the case. I really liked seeing the "domestic" aftermath of what happened in the first book, kind of the "normal people perspective."

[Teffy Saenz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Otro extra que para mi estuvo de más.
Ya hasta había olvidado a Mark, a Sarah la tengo que tolerar aunque no quiera... Lo único 'relevante' en esta historia fue que no a enteramos de que Mark va a Nuevo México. Ya. Eso fue todo.

[Viktoria Van der bilt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, Mark James, you are my hero! Did he ever arrive in Dulce? What happened to him? Who is this Guard?

It’s just so fulfilling to learn Mark James involvement did not stop at Book One and he’s proving to be a brave and dependable ally.