Yes, I was one of those people that thought Twilight was amazing. I read the books over Labor Day weekend 2008. Yes, I read all of them over 5 days. I didn't sleep much and I think I forgot to feed myself and my family at times over that weekend as well. I don't know, the whole weekend was hazy. Bella Swan was in my head. She was constantly rambling on about Edward and Jacob and about how she pretty much sucked. Which was true. She sucked really bad. In looking back at it, the whole series is a horrible example for young girls. It makes them think that if they are whiny babies and their guy doesn't put up with it, then it must not be love. It makes them think that if the guy isn't obsessive over them, then it isn't true love like Bella and Edward. Then throw in the friend Jacob who falls for a newborn...well that is just crazy. So yes in my opinion...Twilight killed a vampire. It killed the whole idea of vampires. Not even the scary ones in this series are scary. They are just mildly frightening. Mildly in the fact that their eyes are red instead of golden. I mean seriously...these vampires don't even have fangs! They just gnaw you to death I guess. There are way cooler vampires out there.
I stumbled upon I Am Number Four during an amazon search for young adult fiction that has a paranormal, supernatural, or sci-fi vibe to it. I had never heard of this series, but saw that a movie was coming out. My curiosity was in even more overdrive when I saw the book was released August 2010 and the movie is set to premiere February 2011. I thought to myself, "They must really think this series is the next big thing. I have to read it to see if they are all crackpots or if it is worth it."
Then, to make the book even more of a hook for me, I read about the author, Pittacus Lore. How cool is it that the series author is set up to be a an elder alien from the world of Lorien, where the people portrayed in the book are from. I thought that was pretty fucking cool. There are even interviews out there from this elder alien.
So curiosity got the best of me and I decided to purchase it to read. It was a pretty quick read and it was refreshing to read a first person narrative set from a male perspective. You can only read so many high school chicks fretting and talking to themselves about how awesome the otherworldly guy is they are swooning over.
There are nine children from the planet Lorien that were brought to Earth with their keepers ten years ago. These nine children were fleeing from the Mogadarians who conquered Lorien at the time of their departure. The Mogadarians have hunted the children across the universe and found them here on Earth. The children of the Loric race are not named, but numbered. They are Number 1 through 9. The Mogadarians can only kill the children in numerical order. Once one of them is killed, the others get a mark on their ankle representing that one. So, they know when it is getting close to being their turn to be hunted. The first three have been hunted and murdered, and now the Mogadarians are after Number Four. Hence where the story name comes from. Number Four has had several aliases over the years and now that he and Henry, his keeper, have moved to Paradise, Ohio, Number Four has chosen the name, John Smith.
Number Four, though an alien, is going through all the same annoying things every teenager does. He has his run-in with a bully, who happens to be the girl he has his eye on's ex. Some parts of the book are cliche in that sense. But, it is interesting nonetheless. It is is good to hear a guy go through the same things girls do in feeling unsure about a first kiss. But, to top it off for Number Four, he is also going through the transition in his life where he starts getting his powers.
So as Number Four gets his powers and falls in love, he is also being hunted by the Mogadarians. There are intense emotions throughout the book as Number Four is learning more about himself through all of the above listed circumstances. Through it all, his keeper, Henry, is one of the best parts of the story. Henry's character and love for Number Four even though he is not his biological son is inspiring. The emotion of the story grows until the huge battle that ensues at the end of the book. The fighting was well crafted and the description really drew me.
So, now I read the book and the movie comes out in a couple months. What do I have to say about it? I hope the movie does it justice. I am pretty excited about Alex Pettyfer playing Number Four in the movie. Also exciting about Diana Agron playing Number Four's love interest, Sarah. The cast they have chosen seems like it will be a good one, but that doesn't always make a movie. We will see how it goes. What I have to sugest to you is that you read the book before you see the movie. Especially since there is going to be a series of books. This is just the beginning and it looks like The Lorien Legacy is set to be awesome.
I was in a hole for a few years. I had this rock on top of me that was hiding me from the greatness that is "Big Bang Theory." Where the heck was I and why was this rock blocking me from watching this show? Oh, I remember, it is because I don't watch a lot of actual TV. Yes, I watch a lot of shows, but it is online. So, if I don't hear about it and know about it being out there via the internet, I don't watch it. But, thankfully some good friends of ours kept telling me, "Sarah, you guys need to watch this." So, I took them up on it since they didn't steer me wrong with the British show, "The IT Crowd."
Jim Parsons does an amazing job portraying, Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Who happens to be one of the best characters ever to grace the small screen, in my opinion. His idiosyncrasies and obsessiveness is endearing. I find myself having a crush on him. Which could be caused by the fact that he wears some pretty cool tee shirts. In fact in case you didn't know it, there is a website out there that has all of his tee shirts, where you can get them, and it even has Sheldon Cooper inspired shirts. It is called, Sheldon Shirts, and it is pretty funny.
The whole premise of the series is based around two theoretical physicists, Leonard and Sheldon, who are also roommates. They have two other friends, another physicist and an engineer. The four of them are the epitome of nerd and cute as Hades for it. Sci-fi and all around geeks will enjoy the many cameos by some well known people. For instance, the many done by Wil Wheaton and Katie Sackhoff. There is also, Penny, a girl who lives across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard. She brings to the show a little bit of what most of the world considers normal. But, the only part that bothers me about the series is how they always portray girls as not liking action figures or that they would rather see a guy who does like geeky stuff. Not all girls are like that! Sure, most of the female population is, but not all of them. So, if anyone had been under a rock like I had been, have no fear, the past three seasons are available on DVD. :)
