The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
Little, Brown and Company - Little, Brown and Company
Release date: 2008-07-21
Hardcover
Author: James Patterson
Science Fiction / Fantasy (Young Adult), Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), Action & Adventure, Fiction / Action & Adventure, Science Fiction - Adventure, Suspense, Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic, Criminals, Human-alien encounters, Juvenile Fiction, Kidnapping
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The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
Date undefinedFrom the first paragraph of THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X, the reader is intrigued with what is to come. James Patterson, in collaboration with Michael Ledwidge, creates a unique science fiction story that will especially appeal to the younger male population.
Daniel is only three years old when his parents are murdered in the kitchen above him. The murder isn't a typical murder. It's one most of us wouldn't believe. You see, Daniel's parents are murdered by a 6-foot tall praying mantis looking alien, Ergent Seth. Seth has come looking for Daniel's parents because they are Alien Hunters. And they have The List. The List names the most horrific, evil, murderous aliens.
As the story develops, Daniel shares with the reader his thoughts, and, more importantly, his various super abilities. Because, like his parents, Daniel too is an alien. But Daniel is able to blend in with humans. His parents had settled in Kansas, the most unassuming place for them to blend in.
Daniel begins where his parents have left off. Daniel is 15 and has begun to hunt the aliens that are on The List. After a few successes, he decides to take on Ergent Seth. Seth is #6 on the list. Seth is probably more powerful than Daniel, but Daniel has revenge on his side.
Daniel is taken on a wild adventure on his quest to defeat Seth. On his journey, he travels to Alpar Nok, the home planet of people like him, Alien Hunters. The biggest surprise is when he discovers his grandmother is still alive. But Daniel is determined to be victorious over Seth and continues on. Seth warns him it will be a battle to the death for one of them, but Daniel will not give up. The battle that ensues is imaginative, though maybe a bit gross in its description in the final scenes.
With definite appeal to the teen boy audience, girls and adults alike will also enjoy the unique change of pace that James Patterson has taken with THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X. The action moves quickly as Daniel faces his greatest challenge. But of course, as one can expect with James Patterson, a sequel is not far behind: DANIEL X: WATCH THE SKIES in August 2009. And if you can't wait that long, check out the graphic novel: DANIEL X: ALIEN HUNTER.
Reviewed by: Jaglvr
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
Date undefinedi love the maximum ride books (ignoring the 4th one because well lets be honest its more like a brochure for global warming with max as the narrator.) so i had very high hopes for this book, even after the massive disappointment that was "the final warning" the idea behind the book was great. a young boy with the power to create. change himself into a flea if he wants to and even summon up his parents and imaginary friends for advice... but besides that...it was another let down. the story seemed rushed, thrown together, more like something you'd read on one of those forum websites where people make up their own stories based on someone elses ideas. and upon finishing the book what greeted me? three or four exerts from upcoming Daniel x books. making me wonder if dearest patty is just trying to increase the size of his wallets bulge.
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
Date undefinedOver the past few years, James Patterson has done yeoman's work on a number of fronts to encourage young adults to read, namely with his Maximum Ride novels. He and co-author Michael Ledwidge have just published a new series, one that will appeal to fans of science fiction and that has just enough action --- and charm --- to appeal to teens and those who still wish they were. The lead-off book is THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X, and it's a good one.
It kicks off, appropriately enough, with Daniel X's backstory, or at least some of it. Daniel is a 15-year-old alien from outer space whose purpose-driven life is dedicated to eradicating monstrous beings from other planets, called Hunters, who see Earth as a candy dish ripe for the plucking. Daniel's parents were murdered, apparently by The Prayer, first among equals of a group of alien outlaws whose goal is to eliminate all life on earth.
Comic book fans of all ages are familiar with the themes of parental loss --- Superman, Batman and Spiderman are but three fiction icons who lost one or both parents to evil --- and science-fiction aficionados will recall the good-and-bad-alien-in-our-midst themes from any number of sources ("Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" from the original "Twilight Zone" series comes most immediately to mind). Before their apparent demise, Daniel's parents left their son a list of the aliens he needs to eliminate if he and his adopted planet are to be safe. And how is he supposed to do this? Daniel has powers, chief among them is the ability to manipulate molecules. There is some sort of vague limitation to it, however, and Daniel himself is still testing that out, so it is interesting to see what will work, how and against whom.
In this inaugural volume, Daniel is both the pursued and pursuer of an alien baddie named Ergent Seth, who is Number Six on The List. Daniel moves from Portland, Oregon, to Glendale, California, where he enrolls in high school, acquires a girlfriend who gives new meaning to the term "girl trouble" and makes an involuntary interstellar trip across space where the biggest surprise of all awaits him, even as he moves toward an ultimate confrontation with Ergent Seth and takes another step toward his destiny.
This sounds like a lot --- and it is --- but Patterson and Ledwidge grab onto the reader's attention and don't let go for a second, propelling one along at Warp Factor Six. Much of the book is graphically violent, but no more so than what you'd find in your average video game, and Daniel gives fair warning at the beginning that things will get a bit rough before the ride is over. And as a bonus, THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X features three chapters from the next installment in the series. All that, and the authors even include a plug for THE ILIAD by Homer, arguably the first military thriller. Does it get any better than that? We'll have to wait to find out.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
