Anyone read this yet?  I finished it and thought it was awful, but I was talking to a guy who I usually agree with on books and he loved it.  I'm wondering if this is more of a guy book and that's why I didn't like it.  I would be interested to see what the intended age group has to say.  (I'm pretty sure that's the 12-15 year old boys :-))

I read it and didn't like it that much.  I usually like science fiction, but I thought it was kind of boring and ridiculous.

I have it, but haven't read it yet. I've heard many mixed reviews on it, though. I think it's interesting though that it's written by James Frey (of the whole fake memoir debacle a few years back).

I thought the name sounded familiar and I couldn't think why.  Now I know. 

I haven't read it, but I heard it's already been optioned for a movie.  Anyone know if that's true?

Yeah, the movie appears to be true. IMDB already has a cast list up and says it will be released in 2011.

I think the whole situation surrounding it is really sketchy.  I got my copy of this at a book expo in May and there was advertising for it everywhere.  Then when it came out, I really thought with all the advertising it got it had to be a halfway decent book, but it was not very good at all.  It's weird that a week after the book came out they posted the trailer for the movie.  I really think this book was written to be a movie.  If they're hoping they've got the boys version of Twilight, I really don't think it's going to happen.

That article actually makes me really angry.  I know that's what Frey does, but it's not the fact that it's controversial, it's the fact that he is dumbing down an art form and expecting it to do well.  I think he really underestimates the YA reader.  The people responsible for putting Hunger Games on the bestseller list are not going to want to read assembly line books.  Thanks for posting the article though... it really is interesting and I will be passing this info on to my book group.

Anyone going to go see the movie?  It opens this week.  The reviews seem to be on lockdown, but what has slipped out hasn't been that great.  But for some reason, I still really want to go see it.  Maybe it is because the book did feel like it was written to be a movie script.  Maybe it is just because it is Alex Pettyfer.  IDK :)

Maybe it is just because it is Alex Pettyfer 

That would be my motivation for going.  :)  But I'll probably wait until it come out on DVD to see it. 

Supposedly I'm going on Tuesday.  I'm really apprehensive because my book group tore this book to pieces.  If the director can avoid all the plot holes from the book, I'd say it would probably make a decent sci-fi movie.  If anyone sees it this weekend, I want to know what you think!

hubby wants to see it.  I was like, you know he's an alien right?  He looked at me and was like, NO, now you just ruined it!  I had to laugh because I told him if you read the synopsis of the book, it says right there that HE IS AN ALIEN and they are getting knocked off in order of their number.  DUH!  No...I haven't read the book, but the scholastic book club has it offered in paperback so I was thinking of ordering it in case i decide i want to read it, or my son wants to...

My library has an ebook copy of this. After reading what you all have said about it, I am glad that I didn't decide to go off and purchase it. I'll give it a good few pages, and if I don't like it, then I'll stop reading it.

I was lucky to get a chance to see the movie yesterday . ( I won earlier movie preimer tickets to see it.) Didn't know anything about the movie but decided to go since it was free!  That being said I thought the movie was overall entertaining. It had action, fighting, violence, computer graphics for the guys and a love story with a handsome guy for the ladies.  I plan on borrowing the book from library  b/c I feel like there are plot details missing in the movie.  Plus I heard there might be movie sequel.

Val, I thought the trailer was so misleading.  There's nothing about the actual story.  Just things on fire and his romance with Diana Agron.  

i enjoyed it but according to my bf i dont have the best taste... there was a lot of action and the movie felt like something was missing like it was crying for a back story of some sort

i own the book but after hearing all of you complain about it i was afraid to read it before the movie so now i am off to read the book to see if it has what the movie was missing

I saw the movie on Friday.  It was fun - lots of stuff blew up, Alex Pettyfer and Timothy Olyphant were good.  I definitely felt like it was missing backstory.  They kind of brushed over the whole Mogadorians taking over their planet and why they are still being hunted.  They also didn't explain (at least that I remember) that they had to be killed in order, which is why it was significant that he was #4. 

eta: SPOILER for the book - I was kind of disappointed that they showed the lizard turning into Bernie Kozar.  I liked that in the book you didn't know the dog was anything special until he became a big scary monster.

Finally saw the movie!  I liked it a whole lot better than the book.  I missed the connection between 4 and Henry, but everything else seemed to make sense as a movie and it felt like a full story to me.  I guess the fact that I know the back story helped.  

Anyone seen Beastly yet?  Thoughts?

is beastly out this weekend?  haven't read that book either.  i only saw a trailer for it when we saw i am number 4.  thought with hutchins and then pettyfer they'd be hyping it.  any good?

we did see number 4 over presidents day weekend and i was pleasently surprised.  it kept our attention.  but reading the comments here, it sounds like there's a lot of backstory fromt he book not revealed.  yeah, they didn't explain why they were in a certain number, which seems like it might be important...

I want to see Beastly!  I might go tomorrow if I can convince someone to go with me. :)  I read the book a while ago and remember liking it.

I saw it too, and I agree.  As far as movie to book, they took out a lot of the magic.  In the book the witch left him with a magic mirror that he could use to see everyone, but in the movie he just looked like a creeper.  I was also surprised that the movie was less edgy than the book, because in the book he's a big furry beast.  When the trailers came out and he had the really cool artsy ugly costume on, I really thought they were going to make it just as grungy as the book, Disney teenie bopper and all.  What they actually did, was completely clean up the story including the ending which they completely rewrote.  It wasn't a fantastic movie but it wasn't awful either.  I definitely would have loved more NPH as well.  He was hilarious.

Side note:  I just read another article saying Alex Pettyfer is either going to play Jace from The Mortal Instruments Trilogy or Peeta from Hunger Games.  Is he the only teenage blonde actor working right now?

Apparently he is however I could see him as Jace but not so much a Peeta.  I think they should find not so well know actors for Hunger Games I think they would have better results that way.  Like what they did with Harry Potter.