...These Aliens Existed

Article first published as <a href='http://blogcritics.org/books/article/the-power-of-six/'>The Power of Six</a> on Blogcritics.

            Recently there seems to have been an obsession with supernatural creatures in young adult fiction books. Everything from zombies to werewolves has been written about. Then, there are the books focusing on faeries and witches. However, very few books about aliens line the bookshelves. Until I started reading Pittacus Lore’s Lorien Legacies series, I did not realize that.

            Never before have I wanted to be an alien, or to know one. Lore’s books changed that completely. Suddenly I wanted to part of that world. I think that is one reason why Lore’s books stand out amongst the other young adult books.

            On August 23 Lore released the second book in the Lorien Legacies series: The Power of Six. The book starts where the first one, I Am Number Four, left off. John Smith (aka Number Four, Sam Goode, and Number Six are still on the run from the government because they presume that John is a terrorist rather than an alien learning to protect Earth.

            While I Am Number Four certainly had action in it, that book focused mostly on John Smith’s struggle with trying to be normal and his romance with Sarah Hart. In The Power of Six there is so much more action and I loved that about the book. At the same time I thought Number Seven’s struggle with her protector, Adelina, was an interesting relationship. Adelina, who is meant to teach Marina (Number Seven) about her legacies, or skills she will develop to help protect Earth, refuses to acknowledge her duties. Rather, Adelina has turned her life to serving God and pushed aside any connections with the world she came from.

            While there is very little action in those scenes, there is plenty of it in John Smith’s story, which also appears in The Power of Six. Without giving away too much, John Smith and the others have to run from a helicopter, save a lost item, and then fight against the big, bad Mogadorians who want to take over Earth.

There are also romantic issues to add to the story’s plot. It is more than just a love triangle in John Smith’s life. He believes that he will only love Sarah Hart, and yet he finds himself attracted to Six. To make complicate matters, Sam has a huge crush on Six. And, who does Six like? Well, I cannot spoil that part.

            My only problem reading the book was the abrupt change from Marina to John’s story. The only clue that Lore has changed characters is the styling of the font. As I moved through the story, it became less of a jolt and actually flowed well. However, that first time I was uncertain of what had happened. I expected the chapter to acknowledge the character’s point of view. Later in the story, though, the acknowledging of point of view would end up taking the reader from the story. The earlier chapters revolve around one point of view at a time. Then, when their stories begin to connect, it is not uncommon for two points of view per chapter. The movements happen quickly and the subtle change in font keeps the story moving without jolting the reader.

            I am sincerely excited about the third book and what will happen to the characters. A lot of new information is revealed at the end of the book. Plus, one of my favorite characters has gone missing so I am dying to see what happens to them.

            If you enjoy reading young adult books, but would like to read something unique, then I think the Lorien Legacies are for you. The books combine aliens, teenage issues, and action into an amazing series that deserves to be read. Much like the Harry Potter series, I think that this one is perfect for people of any age. It is not just for a younger market.

...The Book Had More To It

It is not uncommon while reading a book to wish that you could meet your favorite character, or characters. Maybe, you have even developed a crush on the protagonist. Possibly, you have even fallen for the antagonist. It is certainly a common phenomenon for the women who read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice or Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight.

            Allison Van Diepen’s The Vampire Stalker is a story about a high school girl, Amy, who meets the man of her dreams – who also happens to be the main character from a popular book series.

            The Vampire Stalker takes place in present day Chicago and there is nothing strange about Amy’s life. She goes to school, spends time with her two best friends, and she reads. Amy, though, has fallen for Alexander Banks of the Otherworld series, which revolve around a very different Chicago where vampires exist. Alexander Banks is a vampire hunter in books’ version of Chicago. Amy writes fan fiction for books and even has an account on a fan site where her name is Mrs.AlexanderBanks8021.

            Then one night after a school dance, Amy is attacked. Who comes to her rescue? The very Alexander Banks from the Otherworld series she loves. He is in her Chicago to hunt down the main antagonist from the books, Vigo, a menacing vampire.

            The aspect I love most about this story is that Van Dieper brings a literary character into Amy’s world. Unlike many books out there, the leading guy is not a vampire. Instead, he is a vampire hunter. To me that is a nice change of pace from the scores of vampire books out there now after Twilight’s success. In the story Vigo has no seemingly no morals and therefore not against killing humans for sport. Vigo does not go against the monster he has become.

            In the two hundred and fifty-seven pages of the book, Amy manages to fall in love with Alexander as a person, learn to stand up to bullies, and help kill a vampire. Amy’s infatuation quickly turns from a hardcore crush on a book character to love for the man the character really is. Within a week or so Amy admits to Alexander that she loves him.

In my opinion, Amy confessing her love so early on did not seem realistic. Certainly the “real” Alexander Banks and the book version are similar and therefore it would be easy to know and love the character. However, what about the man himself? I did not feel like there was enough transition between Amy’s feelings for the book version to the “real” version of Alexander.

            The story was quick, and I wish that more had been written about Amy learning to love Alexander as a man, rather than a character. I felt like that could have been addressed further in order to show a lesson to readers that reality is so much different than fantasy.

Amy’s relationship with her father could have used more attention as well. Her father is brought in towards the end of the book and then nothing more is said of him. Did he return back to the woman he left Amy’s mother for? Did Amy say goodbye to him?

 The Vampire Stalker was nice, quick read. The story is perfect for young adults, mostly girls, who have ever developed a crush on a literary character. Amy is relatable because she is an average girl, but who also becomes more comfortable with herself throughout the story. I think two important points that Van Dieper touched on were that it’s okay to be different, even nerdy, and that you should stand for yourself, like Amy does with the bullies at her school.

            

...I Hadn't Spent So Much Time on YouTube

While I should have been preparing for an art history test (WHOOPS!) I ended up scouring YouTube for music. And, lucky I did or else I would not have learned about new bands (well to me, anyways) and new songs from old bands (ones that I have known about for a while, at least).

The first time I heard The Fray back in 2005 I was not too impressed. Something about the song "How to Save a Life" did not grab me immediately. But, like many of my favorite songs, I had to hear it over and over again. One friend, an avid Fray fan, introduced me to the rest of the songs on their first album. From then on I was kind of hooked. Now, the bands back with an upcoming CD titled Scars and Stories. I have already listened to the song "Heartbeat" only a gazillion and a half times. To me it has a different vibe compared to their other songs, but I could not explain to you what exactly is. Yet, there is definitely that Fray vibe. I guess maybe the vocals and guitar reminds me a little of Kings of Leon. Still, this song is The Fray's. I seriously wish I had the money to buy this song. There is just something romantic about the lyrics. When I listen to it I want to find someone to run away with, someone whose heartbeat I can feel and listen to. Really, no one does love songs like these guys. And, in my opinion, the lyrics are not too cheesy.

While watching TV (everyone needs a break from studying) I caught the trailer for the new season of The Walking Dead. The thing I enjoy most about that show is the characters. AMC brilliantly set up the plot and character issues in the first season. While there were certainly zombies in the first season, the second one promises even more. While I would love to go on a zombie rant (Zombieland, anyone?) I actually want to discuss the music from the trailer. Thanks again to television I have been shown a great new band: Wye Oak. Like the nerd I am, I instantly Googled "song from Walking Dead Trailer." The song "Civilian" plays in the trailer and is pretty much a brilliant song. The lyrics are honest and I think easy to relate to. And yet, I cannot explain them easily. They are from a woman's point a view and revolve around love and her own thoughts.

A lot of crap can be said about the Twilight movies, but their soundtracks are amazing. I learned that a band called Angus and Julia Stone would be on the lineup. Through a series of YoutTube suggestions I found the song "Lonely Hearts" which is Julia Stone's version of their original song "Just a Boy." I like Julia's take on the song and think it is interesting that she did not change the lyrics to fit her gender. The best way for me to describe her version is somber. Maybe, even haunting. Both versions are great, but I much prefer Julia's darker sound. Angus's comes across as more upbeat (though it's certainly not an overly happy sounding song). His has a romantic touch to it while Julia's has this sort of tragic vibe. Below are both versions of the song.

Speaking of amazing covers, I have been addicted to Birdy's version of "Shelter" by the XX. I love the XX and that song. But, I have to admit Birdy's version is quite powerful. She's only fifteen and yet so very talented. Birdy manages to portray the yearning that is in the original and I love the piano in it. To me it's a beautiful cover, one that does not completely trash the original. Maybe it's because of her age, but it is has such an innocence to it. But, I love the XX version because I love Romy Madley's voice and the amount of emotion in her voice, something that comes with age.

I think the next big song for graduations will be the song "Wetsuit" by The Vaccines. A song that pretty much sums of the feeling of summer in a little under four minutes. But, it has more than just a summer vibe to it. The song captures youth, too, and slowing down to enjoy it. If there ever was a song about Generation Y this would be it. Really, you just have to listen to this song and you'll understand its amazing-ness. Also, it is amazing how the band put together the music video by using photos that fans sent in from a music festival that The Vaccines were at.

All right, the last song: "Work" by 1,2,3. Seriously a catchy song. I listen to it every time  I go to work. And, for some reason, I suddenly want to throw on rain boots and jump around in puddles each time I hear it. Or, throw balloons filled with paint at a wall. Or, maybe do both at the same time. Now there is a wild idea. To me the song is just about working for society and not trusting that society at the same time. The song has a defiant tone and seems like an anthem for all the workers out there who go unnoticed like wait staff, construction works, and such.

I listened to his show, This American Life, on NPR for years because my mom loved it. The thing about Ira Glass is that his stories are so...creative and interesting. He shows that we have stories within our own communities. He is a great storyteller, and so to hear that he went through a phase where he felt disappointed by his work is humbling. It's good to know that at one point a great storyteller is one in my spot at some point. I found this video on one of my favorite author's blogs. Alexandra Bracken is kind of my hero because she started writing her book while in college and she works in publishing. Now, her book is out and she's working on her next one. I just wanted to share this with other writers out there who feel like they can't write how they want to, that their work doesn't have that "special" something. 

This is a longer version of the above.