I Am Number Four

Earlier this week, I started reading I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. If the title sounds familiar to you, it's because the book was turned into a movie, which was a hit earlier this year.

I learned a day before starting the book that Pittacus Lore is a pseudonym for James Frey. He's the man behind A Million Little Pieces- a memoir which he claimed as truth, but really belonged firmly in the fiction section of any bookstore. I'm sure it would make an interesting novel, but I cannot shake the fact that he tried (and for a little while, succeeded) passing it off as biographical.

When I learned that James Frey was Pittacus Lore, my excitement about I Am Number Four dwindled. I considered returning it without having read a page. The more I thought about it, I changed my mind. The only reason I changed my mind is because this is written as fiction, and is being sold exactly as what it should be.

I'm enjoying the storyline. The characters are fun, the plots are intriguing, and it's holding my interest really well. The writing leaves more to be desired, though. Sentences are short and simple, the vocabulary isn't particularly complex, and chapters are quick enough that you can easily read 5-6 of them in an hour.

I can't help but feel that part of my lack of enthusiasm for the writing is because Pittacus Lore is James Frey. I'm afraid that knowing who the author really is is affecting how I feel about the book. Has this ever happened to you? How did you overcome it?