The Rise of Nine

In class we are reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.  I noticed a few similarities between Romeo and Juliet and the I am Number Four series by Pittacus Lore.  In both stories similar themes occur but the ways they are portrayed are different.   The two lovers theme comes up but it's not a tragedy. Both books have connecting Ideas that are made different by the details. 

In Romeo and Juliet, two rival families were always bickering.  The daughter from one family, Juliet Capulet, and the son from the other, Romeo Montague fall in love.  Their parent's feud keeps them apart.  In the I am Number Four series Four, or John falls in love with a human named Sarah.  The reason why I say a "human named Sarah" is because Four is an alien from a different plant (Lorein).  Their difference in species and culture keeps them apart.  Some people on his planet have super powers and some don't.  The ones without are assigned to a kid with powers to mentor them.  John has powers and has a big job (saving the earth and returning to his planet) and can't be with her. Their differences keep them apart just like Romeo and Juliet. 

Romeo And Juliet is a tragedy and the I am Number Four series is not.  In Romeo and Juliet they are almost able to be together but a mix up keeps them apart.  In the I am Number Four series, It takes a while, but John and Sarah finally end up together.  It has a big happy ending.  If the I am Number Four series was a play it would be a Comedy because some parts are funny.  In this way both stories are different



In many ways the I am Number Four series is like Romeo and Juliet and in many ways It's not.  Two lovers, one thing keeping them apart, struggle to be together.  In Romeo and Juliet they both die and in the I am Number Four series they live and struggle together.  There are many books that are like Romeo and Juliet and the I am Number Four series are and example one way to make the story your own.

The power of Six

Today I picked up the book The Power of Six and I'm almost halfway done!  This book falls into the category of books that make you want to read more!  Each page is a page turner for me but It just goes nowhere.  The plot just keeps on building up and doesn't reach a climax.  I feel like The Power of Six is just the squeal to a book with a really interesting Idea that follows the same format.  

The books start out with something going on and introducing characters so you know what is going on.  Once that's over the plot builds and mini problems are woven in along the way.  Hints are really obvious to the reader and to the main character. For instance, the dog would be running with John and John would run ahead and sudden;y the dog would pop out of the woods right in front of him.  Then John thought it was strange but Brushed it off.  Turns out that that dog was a shape shifting pet.  If it was supposed to seem like a plot twist it didn't work.

 What pulls me into the book are those "I can't believe they aren't doing_(Insert obvious action here)_" moments (or vice verse).  John has a chest that contains his inheritance but a lot of the things in there he doesn't know ho to use.   You would think that he would think of the letter his guardian left him.  Nooooo!  He was so emotionally sad he wouldn't open it and then he forgot about it!  Moments like these make me want to read more and kind of had an "I told you so" moment with the book when he actually opens the letter.

The Power of Six Is just really annoying.  It makes you want to skip a few pages ahead to make sue everything will be alright and then go back to where you left off.  It's an addictive book like the Hunger Games.  It's also creative like Divergent.  But in the end they are very similar books except The Power of Six moves really slow.