Book to Film: I am Number Four

 So Each week we are going to start focusing on one book that has or will be turned into a movie. These may be any genre of book, published or made to film at any time, or we will be displaying trailers of new movies that will be out that were books first :-) 

 With that said, the first movie I will be highlighting is: 

 I AM NUMBER FOUR! 

Starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Theresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Kevin Durand and Callan McAuliffe.

John is an extraordinary teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed ... he is Number Four.

I was so excited to see the movie in IMAX with a friend, after I had fallen in love with the book ( review posted below). I was a bit disappointed when the movie didn't exactly meet up to m expectations. There were minor plot switches that were made. Also, I love to come up with my own idea and imagination with how a scene or character will look like on film by using the descriptions in the novel. With I am Number Four, I thought that the book descriptions did not compare with the movie descriptions for certain characters. But, I will say that I believe they did an awesome job making the Mogadorians look like the Mogadorians from the book!! Overall, I still enjoyed the movie. And the character who was my favorite in the book, Number Six,  was still as kick ass and funny in the movie :-) If you haven't read  I am Number Four, I highly recommend that you do. And check out the movie afterward. It is now available on DVD in the US.

Have you seen I am Number Four?? What were your thoughts about the book to film? 

  (written on Feb. 22, 2011)
 Book Review: I am Number Four

I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) by Pittacus Lore

Synopsis: In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.
I AM NEXT

My Review: I hesitated with reading this book at first because I knew that it was about aliens; which is not something that I am used to reading about. When I think of aliens I don't think of them as humans with supernatural powers. So when I heard that there was a movie coming out and many friends were giving it good reviews, I decided to give it a go!

I was very impressed with the writing of I am Number Four. Sometimes action can get lost in writing because it is simply too complex, and difficult to follow. Every twist, turn, nod, draw of a knife, noise, etc. was written down very descriptively. I was drawn in from the very beginning! At first a reader has no idea why John and Henri are traveling from place to place. Then the reader wants to know why they are on Earth. Once these little details started forming, I couldn't help wanting to know more. I never knew when the Mogadorian's would show up.
  
I think my favorite part of the book was the strength of everyone's relationships. The relationship that Henri and John have is very touching. Even though they both have lost their actually family and are always on the run from the Mogadorians their relationship continues to grow stronger. They know that they need each other to defeat the Mogadorians who destroyed their home, planet Lorien. 

Sarah and John are 2nd on my list for Favorite Fiction Couples (Edward and Bella from Twilight are 1st). They connected right away and I loved that. John knows that he may have to leave in an instance notice, leaving Sarah behind. Sarah s acceptance of John amazes me. I really liked that she was very accepting of him when he explained to her that he was an alien. Most people would question him, but she didn't. I'm excited to read more about where their relationship goes in the next book of the series, The Power of Six.

The movie I Am Number Four is currently out in theaters. Now that I am done reading, I can't wait to see how the movie compares to the book. One of the parts that I am anticipating is meeting Number Six. She brought a sense of hope to a situation that seemed undefeatable at that moment. Also, I want to see how the Mogadorians and the beasts look on screen. Even though the desciptions were very detailed, a person can only imagine so much. 

Overall, I am Number Four was a very well written, gripping and intense read! I would highly recommend!