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David McK (3623 KP) rated I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) in Books

Jan 28, 2019

I am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1)

Pittacus Lore | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)

7.6

(31 Ratings)

Book Rating

In the early-00s (well, 2001 - 2011), there was a TV show called 'Smallville' aka - and unofficially - also known as 'Superman: The Teenage Years', in which a large part of the early runs were to do with Clark Kent discovering his powers.

Now, take the same basic idea - that of an alien developing powers on Earth, and change it slightly so that there's nine of them, all teenagers growing up seperately, all refugees from a planet that has itself been invaded/destroyed by *other* aliens and most with their own flesh-and-blood protector with them, and you more or less have the plot for this.

I'd seen the movie a while back and, while it wasn't great, I still thought I would give the source material a shot.

It's not great either.

I don't know whether it the insipid romance between the central characters of John and Sarah, the clunky dialogue or the fact that the writer seems to follow a 'tell, don't show' method of writing (instead of the opposite), but this just did not do it for me at all :-(

Kudos

Rebecca Billcliff (2409 KP) rated Friends in TV

Jan 5, 2020 (Updated Jan 28, 2020)

Friends

1994 | Comedy

8.4

(94 Ratings)

TV Show Rating

Some classic 90's (0 more)

Would seem quite un-pc by today's standards (0 more)

I feel so O.L.D.!

I loved this show growing up, never spotted the sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia all in there. However, it was a different generation, so we should give it a pass, even by today's easily offended world, it is minor, and must be judged by its time, not how it would be received today. That said, for a show with a laughter track, it is pretty good.
It does give the characters some unconventional story arcs, and has interesting situations, such as Pheopbe having her brothers triplets (Though I will not lie, now I have had a baby, the way they gloss over labour now inrages me, so I skip those episodes).
To me fair, until very recently, it was keeping its age well, showing the passage of time clearly over the 10 years with changes in styles.
Though, even at 15, I wondered how any of them kept their jobs, while off so much. Time must move differently in New York...

Kudos

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Fire in Frost (Crystal Frost, #1) in Books

Mar 20, 2020 (Updated Mar 20, 2020)

Fire in Frost (Crystal Frost, #1)

Alicia Rades | 2015 | Paranormal, Young Adult (YA)

9.3

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

"There's a fire growing inside of me. It's not the harmful kind that can kill a girl like Olivia. It's the kind that can save her."

CRYSTAL FROST tells herself she isn't crazy, but sane people don't see ghosts. As her psychic abilities manifest, Crystal discovers she can see into the future, witness the past, and speak with the dead. Add blackmail to the list of things she never thought would happen to her, and you basically have her sophomore year covered. After spotting her first ghost, secrets from her family, friends, and classmates begin to surface. Uncovering secrets can be dangerous, but giving up means someone will get hurt. Again.

What was refreshing with this YA was there was no teenage sexual tension drama!! It was a really well written story about a young girl discovering her special gift. It also raised awareness for domestic violence and that it's not acceptable at any age, Alicia Rades did this without coming across as preachy like some authors can. I was impressed with her style and looking forward to reading more by her.