I AM NUMBER FOUR MOVIE TIE-IN

An enhanced movie tie-in e-pub of pseudonymous author James Frey’s slapdash, cliché-ridden foray into sci-fi for teenagers attempts to add value, though much of it is readily available for free on the Internet. A “message” from Pittacus Lore, nominal author and Elder of the planet Lorien, explains how nine children and nine guardians escaped to Earth before their planet was destroyed by the Mogadorians, but it can also be read online at http://iamnumberfourfans.com (advertised in the e-book). Likewise, online, readers can “meet” seven out of the 13 characters “introduced” in the ebook, learn the Lorien horoscope signs, find still images from the film and watch most of the same movie trailers (via http://www.findnumberfour.com/ and http://i-am-number-four.movie-trailer.com/). The unique e-book features include an extended text version of the opening scene of the movie (how Number Three dies in Africa); five brief grid-enhanced satellite videos of “Surveillance Clues,” locations supposedly key to the plot; the first two chapters of the upcoming sequel, The Power of Six; and the journal of Sarah, the human girlfriend of the alien hero John Smith (Number Four), in which she describes 11 scenes in the book from her point of view, to complement John’s. Fans must decide if it’s worth paying $3 more than the plain e-book for such meager morsels. (Science fiction. 12 & up)