I am Number Four Review -

     When you hear the book title I am Number Four, what do you usually think? Some may think, "the best book I've ever read" or "the book I can't put down". Maybe you think its the typical best selling teenage book which consists of great characters, an exciting plot, and something like a love triangle. This book is just that, but somehow manages to be bad. Interestingly enough, I was able to get through this book even though it was terrible.

     9 children from the life sustaining planet of Lorien, each accompanied by a guardian, were sent to Earth after the planet was taken over by members of another life sustaining, but dying, planet. The Mogadorians needed Lorien's resources in order to keep their own race alive. These Mogadorians followed the Loriens to Earth, intending to kill every one of them. Each child has supernatural powers in which the guardian helps them develop. In the beginning, John finds out that he's next on the list to be killed, so he moves to Paradise, Ohio. Throughout the story John and his guardian, Henri, face many situations that could reveal their secret identities and put them in grave danger along with the good friends that they have made. 

     I know what you're thinking. You're thinking (for those who haven't read this book) that I am Number Four sounds like a good book, and that you want to read it. Think again. The plot of this book is slightly interesting but highly predictable. Some parts of the book can be considered thrilling (fighting/action events) but other than that, it falls flat. For example, one power that John develops is the ability to withstand fire. Then in chapter 25, something awful happens. "And that's when we all hear it. A long terrible scream. And dogs barking. My heart drops...Gasps filter throughout the crowd." (Lore 310) Of course Sarah, John's girlfriend (who was a Mark's ex girlfriend), gets stuck in a house on fire. Obviously John is going into the house to save his girlfriend since he can withstand fire. I question why only Sarah doesn't get out. Out of everyone in that house (there was a party at Mark's house) she's the one stuck in the house. The story left me with many other questions such as >>
     -How did Henri explain what was happening to Mark?
     -Why did Sarah accept that John is an alien so easily?
Most part of this book consists of sappy typical teen drama. The characters love life, the bully, trying to fit in, etc. There's only so much teen drama one can handle.
     Moving on to the characters. The first thing I noticed was their name, John Smith, Sarah, Mark, Sam, all boring names. Most of the characters lacked personality although here were some likable characters like, Six and Henri (both were well developed). John is the typical superhero with supernatural powers who gets the girl. Sarah is the typical "perfect" girlfriend who "helps the world" (she helps at animal shelters). Mark is the stereotypical bully/jerk football player. And then there's Sam, who's the typical nerd in most stories. Not to mention the romance between John and Sarah was awful. The relationship didn't pull at my heartstrings or trigger any of my emotions. It's one of the most boring relationships I have ever read. They talked to each other on the phone for hours, always holding hands, and kissing. "She reaches up and kisses me again, her hand lightly pressed to my cheek. For the first few seconds I'm lost in the feel of her lips on mine and in the idea that I'm with this beautiful girl." (Lore 163) These 2 characters fell in love so quickly, it was unconvincing and  unrealistic.

Cliche teenage romance-Sarah & John (from the movie)

     The book's writing was pretty bad. Short choppy sentences, repetitive, no feelings. The text was not challenging at all: you didn't need to "read between the words" or interpret anything. This book is for teens, but was written like it was for 10 year olds. Blame it on the perspective, told by John in a very boring way.
     When asked the question "what is the theme of this book?" I get: trying to be yourself and fit in. Not very well thought out is it? I'm not sure if anyone can pull out a deeper meaning/theme from this book or if anyone learned anything. I know I didn't.
     Overall, the novel underwhelmed me. Maybe it was because I expected too much out of this book. I would give this book 2 stars and not recommend it to anyone. This novel is like a wannabe amazing teen novel: trying but failing. 

Thrilling Thrillers -

     The genre that I was assigned to was Thriller/Adrenaline Fiction so I chose the book I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. Thrillers can be characterized as fast paced, having frequent action, while including many risky situations. Similar to mystery novels, they can contain a lot of suspense, red herrings, etc.. Thriller novel heroes usually have to prevent or stop the plan of an enemy. When a thriller reaches the climax, the hero is able to defeat the antagonist without getting him or herself killed; saving himself/herself and sometimes the lives of other people.
     Subcategories of thrillers include: political thriller, legal thriller, techno thriller, mystery thriller, supernatural thriller, or psychological thriller (of course these aren't all the sub categories)

     Just to name a few, some popular thriller novels are: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  by Stieg Larsson, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Did you know that the story Little Red Riding Hood is considered a thriller?
     Some popular thriller novel writers are: James Patterson, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, plus many more. You can search for more thriller authors here.

     Although my book, I am Number Four, is mainly considered a science fiction novel, I also consider it a thriller. (It can be a supernatural thriller if you're talking about subcategories.) There are so many suspenseful situations that makes me want to read more of the book, like when Henri (the main character's guardian) goes missing. Also I am Number Four's plot includes the hero trying to stop an enemy (the Mogadorians) from killing his own race (the Loriens). Because this novel is about aliens who are disguised as humans with super-natural powers, there are many violent situations. For example the main character John is faced with the bully/jerk Mark James at his new school. Although John looks like a human, he's stronger and faster than one. When John gets into a fight with Mark and his football friends, things get real ugly.

     Side note: the book is really good so far!

Thanks to my sources: https://www.goodreads.com, http://www.amazon.com, 

Third Book - I am Number Four

     For the third book, I was placed in the adrenaline genre. Because I was placed in this group, I have decided to read the book I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. It's a 440 page book published in 2010 that can also be categorized (by genre) as science fiction or action. So far there are 4 books total out of a proposed, 7. There was also a movie adaptation of it released in 2011.

     I chose this book because of the talk. I've heard many of my friends talk about this book and how good the series is. Also many of my friends have recommended it to me. They all said it was really exciting and just "so good". If you didn't know already, I have this urge to read all the popular novels. Most of the popular novels that I read turn out to be good, and I have been thinking about reading this book ever since it got popular. 

     So far I think that the book is pretty interesting, although I've only read 20 pages. I thought the text would be written for adults but actually it turns out that it's really easy to read. I would've preferred a harder text but an exciting plot might make up for this loss. The information is really clear and this book might be a fast read. 

     I'm excited about reading the book. Hopefully this will turn out to be a good one! 

What I Learned About Myself As A Reader -

     As a reader for many years, I learned that I actually enjoying reading. I remember when I was younger, my parents had to always tell me to read. I gradually started to enjoy books especially books that were well written and had an exciting plot. I still recall the first large chapter book that I enjoyed: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. From the start, I've always enjoyed reading fantasy books. And I'm still drawn to these books. But I've expanded my readings to classical novels, realistic fiction, mystery, romance, and a lot of other types of fiction novels. I still dislike non-fiction novels, but hopefully that'll change in the future. I fall victim to all the popular teen and adult novels. These books definitely affect what genres I read. Comparing this trimester to the last one, I feel like I make more time for myself to read. Once I find a book that looks good, I usually say to myself, "I have to read this book". I buy the book and it usually sits on my shelf for a while. I find myself being overloaded with unread books but I know I'll read them eventually. I can see that I'm more eager to read now compared to years before.
     I also learned how fast I can finish a book. For those books with exciting, "can't put the book down" plots, I'm able to finish the book within a week or two. I'm not the type of person who finishes a book in a day. For me, reading a book too fast means missing a lot of important details. On the other hand, there are those books that can take months to read. This is especially true when there's nothing exciting happening or when an event in the book drags on. I've learned how a boring book makes me just stare at a page a read the words without actually processing them. But I'm not the kind of person who just skips to the exciting part, I have to read the whole book.
     Through the years, I've grown and changed as a reader

Where The Wild Things Are

     I recently watched the movie version of Where the Wild Things Are, and I have to say that I did not like it very much. But in terms of how the film was adapted, it was a successful.
     The reason why I didn't like the film was because the film is definitely a downer compared to the book. There are some fun elements but for the most part, there's this depressing and dark feel throughout the whole movie. Also, the film is boring for the most part. Nothing really captured and kept my attention in the movie. As for the character, Max, he was well played but came across more as dysfunctional then a little kid who's just being a little kid. You can see this when, instead of being sent to his room with no dinner in the original story, Max runs away from home after the fight with his mom. The constant over reactions and pouting made the movie annoying. Some parts of the movie were just plain weird, like the mud ball fight and the characters Bob and Terry, which is another reason why I personally don't like the movie.

     Looking at how the book was adapted into the film, not only did Spike Jonze successfully create a longer story for Where the Wild Things Are but he also managed to add a more complex plot to the overall story. He effectively included more details and added a deeper meaning while staying true to the original story line.
The movie also includes a lot of symbolism which really enhances the story. Max's travel to the island of where the Wild Things live help him realize the mistakes he's been making (his angry outbursts have been hurting his family). The Wild Things represent his family: KW as Max's mother, Bob and Terry as Max's mom's boyfriend, and Carol as Max's wild side. The other not-as-important Wild Things represent other characteristics of Max and the other people in his life (like his sister). KW cares about Carol but is distant from him because of Bob and Terry. Carol believes that KW doesn't play enough with him and the other Wild Things and also doesn't understand Bob and Terry. This is similar to what happened in Max's life before he went to the Wild Things' island. Max's journey taught him a lesson and he was able to see how his wild side, (Shown through Carol) effected the aspects of his life.
     The film was successful in making the characters look similar to the drawings of the characters in the children's book. Although the book doesn't really characterize the "Wild Things" in any way, the film brilliantly made each "Wild Thing" one of a kind. The film was also able to interpret Max's fight with his mom very well.
     Overall, the film successfully turned a regular children's story into a movie with a deep meaning, but I personally don't like the film because it didn't capture my attention.

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Blog Post #5

"By the prickling of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

     One of my favorite book is called Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. The book is about a mysterious carnival that rolls into town at midnight in October, led by the enticing but menacing Mr. Dark. A nightmare comes to life as 2 boys, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, fall into the hands of Mr. Dark. Lured by what they want most, they encounter countless of disturbing situations. Be careful for what you wish for…
     As for the movie, I was not satisfied. Many things were changed, from the little details to even main events. One of the most important event that was changed was the way Mr. Dark was killed (I will not spoil how he died in the book) and the way the Dust Witch was killed. Another important aspect changed was how the Dust Witch travels to the homes of Jim and Will (they’re neighbors). In the book, she travels via hot air balloon, but in the movie she travels in as a green smog that’s just makes the movie kind of dumb. Because the movie was released in 1983, the visual effects weren't all that great. Despite the changed scenes in the movie, some parts were good. One part of the movie that was similar to the book and well executed was the part where Mr. Halloway and Mr.Dark confront each other in the library. As for the characters, Mr.Dark lacked in appearance. From the description in the book, Mr.Dark is supposed to have black hair and many tattoos all over his body (which gives Mr.Dark the nickname, The Illustrated Man). The movie did not portray him this way. The way Mr.Dark acted in the film was, in my opinion, close to what he is like in the book. (Jonathan Pryce played the role of Mr.Dark) Overall, the movie wasn't as good as the book but still entertained me.
    If I were to remake a movie, I would follow the book. The movie still, might not be the same as the book exactly but I would be sure to keep the main events the same. In the movie, they missed many events important to the moral of the story. This includes the death of the Dust Witch and the ending (how Mr.Dark dies). By remaking the movie with all the technology we have now, we can create a less corny version. It'll be more visually appealing, more realistic, and more accurate compared to the original movie. We can create the hot air balloon the Dust Witch rides in, the mirror maze (the characters see different things in the mirror other than themselves), the age changing carousel, the appearance of the carnival freaks (Mr.Dark's imprisoned workers), etc. The casting would have to be different because the characters that played in the original movie are too old for the role now. I would take out some of the father-son talking from the book because it would just drag on the movie and get boring, but it would be critical to keep the information that the audience needs to know in order to understand the story.

I feel like a new movie needs to be made for this book, it would be much better than the original.

Mr.Dark and his parade.

Book 1 Final - Fan Experience

           Have you always wanted to read the books that came into Liesel Meminger’s life throughout The Book Thief? Now you can! The author of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, has published and released the books found in this story. These books include: The Gravedigger’s Handbook, The Shoulder Shrug, The Whistler, The Dream Carrier, A Song in the Dark and The Last Human Stranger. Buy them separately or buy the entire collection! These books will definitely satisfy any Book Thief fan.

In The Book Thief, Liesel loves book so much that she is unable to resist the urge to steal them. The first book Liesel steals is The Gravedigger’s Handbook. She finds this book lying in the snow in the graveyard where her brother, Werner, was buried in. This book was first and foremost the most important book in the entire story. This life changing book helped Liesel learn to read and it also brought both Hans Hubermann (her foster dad) and her closer together.

“Chapter one was called ‘The First Step: Choosing the Right Equipment.’ In a short introductory passage, it outlined the kind of material to be covered in the following twenty pages. Types of shovels, picks, gloves and so forth were itemized, as well as the vital need to properly maintain them.” (pg 66)

 The second book stolen, The Shoulder Shrug, was stolen from a Nazi book burning because the story contained a Jewish as a main character. This book allows Liesel to gain more books because Ilsa Herman, the mayor’s wife, would later invite Liesel into her library to read. Another book Liesel obtained was The Whistler. This book is about a murderer running away from the police. The Whistler was offered by Ilsa Herman but Liesel refused because she was outraged that she can no longer pay Rosa to do her laundry. Later in the book, though, Liesel steals it from the mayor’s house.

“*A Small Excerpt From The Whistler* She lay there, frightened, in a pool of blood, a strange tune singing in her ear. She recalled the knife, in and out, and a smile. As always the whistler had smiled as he ran away, into a dark and murderous night…” (pg 213)

The Dream Carrier is the second book Liesel stole from the mayor’s library. Liesel chose this book because of the word dream in the title, this reminded her of Max Vandenburg. Max was a Jew hiding in their basement at that time and was unconscious because of poor health. She reads it to him when he’s unconscious, in hope that he would get better. This book is about an abandoned child who wants to be a priest. Another book Liesel stole is called A Song in the Dark. She stole this book alone, without Rudy’s help. The last book Liesel stole from the mayor’s library is The Last Human Stranger. While stealing this book, Ilsa enters to room but doesn’t mind Liesel’s presence. This shows how close Ilsa and Liesel have gotten over the past years. The Last Human Stranger also connects to the book plot because: *an idea*  if the last human stranger is no longer a stranger, then humans will not be strange to one another anymore. This is related to Nazi Germany, which is when this book takes place.

“*The Last Human Stranger, page 38* There were people everywhere on the city street, but the stranger could not have been more alone if it were empty.” (pg 473)

I believe this idea will work because these books are good for both those who have read the book and those who have not. These sub-books will keep the fans interested and, at the same time, interest the people who have not read The Book Thief. For those who haven't read the book, these sub-books may lead them to read the "original" book. Because these books are written by the author of The Book Thief, it'll keep the audience involved with the author.