Review - I Am Number Four movie

From the first five minutes, I had a feeling this movie was going to be good. It is really nice to know that I read the book long enough ago that the details are not as clear in my head. I can watch and enjoy the movie without too much knowledge of what they are not doing correctly.

Did I mention Timothy Olyphant is in it? Oh, wow is he good looking. lol Still looks good since the movie, Go.

I am not usually a fan of when a book is turned in to a movie. It always ruins it. I have this picture in my head, voices, sounds and it almost never fits the cast or scenery, even when they show the supposed cast on the cover of the book. I have such a vivid imagination that I always make up my own movie to follow the book.

I have to point out that when the book says there are rings burned in to their legs when one of the aliens was killed by hunter, I pictured the rings going around their legs, not in a circle design one above the other. Can you imagine being number 9? (well, you would be alive longer) But you would be unrecognizable because of all the large circle tattoos. Or maybe totally recognizable.

It, of course, differs from the movie, in that is has a bit of a rushed feeling. They get right to the point instead of allowing the characters to develop. I think they did an incredible job of the hunters make-up. They look and sound incredible. Exactly as I pictured them! And of course, Henry, Timothy Olyphant, is way better than I pictured him. I already like Dianna Argon, who plays Sarah, from her being on Glee. The main character, Alex Pettyfer or John Smith, immediately pulls me in to a boy trying to grow up and develop a life when he is always moving around. The need to find and build a home is pouring out of him. It is easy to forget he is an alien. With Sarah standing beside him, it almost feels like they are normal teenagers in a movie. "The places are only as good as the people you know in them."

Right off the bat they give a sneak preview of Number Six, who is bad ass!! Can't wait to read the next book, The Power of Six, and then, of course, see the movie! I don't think I pictured someone quite as awesome as her. I may have to switch the character in my head to match this girl for the following book.

Special effects are incredible and I wish I had seen this one in the theaters!! I pictured much bigger Mog eating aliens, but they definitely don't disappoint.

Movie Trailer:



Tuesday - Tune In

I have been singing this song for the past week. I cannot get it out of my head. Course I listen to it ever chance I get. I am not sure why or what struck a chord with me. Maybe I am just in a very romantic mood because my boyfriend is coming to stay with me for a whole week and I cannot stand it. I am so excited to see him and be normal for a time. It is so hard to have a long distance relationship and when I love this man so much, I occasionally get worried of what may happen in the future.

My poor team at work, has been serenaded by me all week. lol

An oldie, but goodie!! I love that this video gives some background to the song.

Carole King and James Taylor Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow




Review - Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard

Title: Never Have I Ever
(The Lying Game #2)
Check out review for Lying Game #1 here
Author: Sara Shepard
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: Aug 2, 2011
Hardcover, 309 pages

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Dear Sara Shepard,
JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS!!
Thank you,
Heidi

I love these books. They are so much fun. I cannot put them down. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, Two Truths and a Lie. I feel like a teenager again and am rooting for the main character. I just want to know what it going on. The suspense is killing me.

Emma is a twin sister. One she wasn't aware of until a mysterious online video is shown to her where she is being strangled to death. She finds out she has a long long sister In finding her, she ends up assuming her life and all the drama that goes along with it. In the sequel to The Lying Game, Emma starts to find out who her real friends are and who she should be more aware of. She also falls deeper in love with Ethan, the mysterious boy in the neighborhood who doesn't run in her sister's normal circle.

Questions still remain - Is Sutton alive or dead? Who killer her? And will Emma find out before she meets the same fate?

Summary -
Sutton Mercer watches from the afterlife as her long-lost twin, Emma Paxton, takes over her identity to solve her murder. But after ruling out her early leads, Emma still hasn’t found Sutton’s killer. A lot of people wanted her dead—but one name keeps popping up: Thayer Vega. When the gorgeous and mysterious Thayer returns to town, Emma has to move fast to figure out whether he’s back for revenge…or if he already got it.

Set in a town where friends can turn into dangerous enemies and everyone harbors dark secrets, The Lying Game is a juicy new series that fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series—and the hit ABC Family show—will love.

IMM - In My Mailbox




Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl by Susan McCorkendale (Seven Kingdoms #1)
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins


OTHERS RECOMMENDED:
Fire by Kristin Cashore (Seven Kingdoms #2)
500 Acres and No Place to Hide by Susan McCorkendale
Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball





Review - Misfit by Jon Skovron

Title: Misfit
Author: Jon Skovron
Publisher:
Publish Date:

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Jael is a half demon, half human and due to her upbringing doesn't have a lot of foundation to hold on to. Her father has moved her around since she was little. She doesn't remember her mother. And her father will tell her nothing. Until her sixteenth birthday when her father reveals a necklace, a gift from her mother. Jael immediately starts make decisions for herself - good or bad. She meets her uncle, also demon and other freakishly crazy people who she has to figure out what their intentions are. Jael must try to find her true self, while battling the demons of hell.

A great story of a girl who is completely lost and while her father feels he is protecting her, his secrets only make it harder for Jael. GIRLS ROCK!! I was thrilled to see this character, Jael, rise above all the things being thrown at her from day one and make her own decisions, which made those around her rise to her level. Not always were they good decisions, but she made them regardless. I like that. A great book for a girl who needs a little swift kick in the butt.

Summary -

Jael has always felt like a freak. She’s never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad’s always been superstrict—but that’s probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family’s dangerous history and Jael’s untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths.

Author Jon Skovron takes on the dark side of human nature with his signature funny, heartfelt prose.



Review - Awaken by Katie K

Title: Awaken
Author: Katie Kacvinsky
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publish Date: May 20, 2011
Hardcover, 320 pages

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Maddie is a girl whose father is the leader of technology school, an online only society he invented to help prevent disease, pregnancy and other atrocities being dealt to the youthful kids. Maddie has a secret, a dark past that still haunts her. She meets Justin online and he invites her to a face-to-face interaction and she is instantly hooked, even though her father has people watching her all the time. There is just something magical about meeting and talking to people without the computer involved. They are more real and she is more real. The more she hangs out with Justin, the more she is pulled in to the society wanting a change. The change to go back to the way things were before all the computer control. But will Maddie be able to go against her family and what is Justin really wanting from her, a friendship or giving up her father's secrets?

This was a fantastic book. I really enjoyed this book not only because Maddie has to struggle against what she wants, but what everyone else wants for her too. It is the most difficult thing as a child to rise above all the voices and hear your own, and worse when what you want may not be best for you. I thought Katie Kacvinsky did a fantastic job showing what society and interaction would be if we went to a technology society only. The secrets, the unknown, the trouble with trusting people and add to the fact, the people who are underground and want face to face interaction brought back.

Summary -
Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.