Could author James Frey of "A Million Little Pieces" fame have the next young adult sensation (à la "Twilight") on his hands? Judging from a synopsis of his upcoming sci-fi novel, I'm going to say yes.
According to The New York Times, Frey, along with an anonymous co-author, is shopping around a manuscript titled "I Am Number Four," the first in a six-book series about an alien teenager who seeks refuge in Paradise, Ohio after his planet is attacked. Though the novel has yet to find a publisher, the movie rights have already been bought by DreamWorks Pictures with "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" director Michael Bay signed on to produce and possibly direct.
A young adult fantasy series with an blockbuster film franchise is nothing new ("Harry Potter" cast its spell long before "Twilight"), and goodness knows we don't want a carbon copy of our favorite YA novels, but I think it couldn't hurt "I Am Number Four" to borrow a page from its predecessors, either. With that in mind, and with scant details known about the plot, here is my wish list for a few "Twilight" plot devices I'd like to see find their way into Frey's novel.
1. Star-crossed lovers — Since the story focuses on a male character, Frey would be smart to pump some much-needed estrogen into his novel with the addition of a feisty love interest for alien John Smith. Even better if they're kept apart until the end of the sixth novel.
2. Special abilities — Edward Cullen reads minds. Sister Alice sees the future. Here's hoping John can shoot laser beams out of his eye sockets or freeze time like Zack on "Saved by the Bell."
3. Epic fight scenes — Robert Pattinson and Cam Gigandet didn't win a Best Fight MTV Movie Award for nothin'. On screen and on the page, their ballet studio rumble kept us on the edge of our seats, and we want more of the same.
Are you excited to read Frey's first YA novel? Are there any "Twilight"/"Harry Potter" aspects you'd like to see incorporated into the book?
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