James Frey Pens Teen Alien Series for HarperCollins

Posted on July 10, 2009

James Frey, the author of the discredited, memoir A Million Little Pieces, is now writing science fiction for young adults. Frey has a cut a deal with HarperCollins to publish a series of four novels starting with I Am Number Four. The series is already a big success bacause the film rights have been purchased by Transformers director Michael Bay. The plot of the series involves a group of teen aliens who are assimilating to high school on Earth.

WME began shopping the book's feature and publishing rights early in the week to a number of producers and studios. The agency used a pseudonym for the authors presumably because Frey is notable mainly for his scandal-ridden fudging of facts in his ostensible memoir of addiction and subsequent high-profile dressing down by Oprah Winfrey on her show.
The "Four" story line involves nine alien teens assimilating to high school on Earth after their planet is destroyed by an enemy species. The fourth of the group discovers that the enemy is now after him on Earth.

EW.com says James Frey is writing the teen alien series with debut novelist Jobie Hughes.