The Dangerous Days of Daniel X [Hardcover]

James Patterson (Author), Michael Ledwidge (Contributor)

Book Description

Release date: July 21, 2008 | Series: Daniel X (Book 1)

<div><div>The greatest superpower of all isn't to be part spider, part man, or to cast magic spells--the greatest power is the power to create. </div><div></div><div>Daniel X has that power.</div>
<div>Daniel's secret abilities -- like being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind or to recreate himself in any shape he chooses -- have helped him survive. But Daniel doesn't have a normal life. He is the protector of the earth, the Alien Hunter, with a mission beyond what anyone's imagining.</div>
<div>From the day that his parents were brutally murdered before of his very eyes, Daniel has used his unique gifts to hunt down their assassin. Finally, with the help of The List, bequeathed to him in his parents' dying breath, he is closing in on the killer.</div>
<div>Now, on his own, he vows to take on his father's mission--and to take vengeance in the process.</div><div></div></div>

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Patterson jumps on the superheroes bandwagon with contributor Ledwidge and delivers the adventures of Daniel X, a superpowered alien whose mission is to defend Earth from more malignant, threatening aliens. In his first adventure, listeners hear the typical origin story (parents killed by the most vile alien on Earth), his early adventures (growing up on his own with amazing powers) and his first real step into manhood (facing off against another alien). The story throws in a few interesting twists, but isn't particularly dynamic as superhero narratives go. The production is sparsely sprinkled with sound effects, which work quite well and add to the story, but there is a lack of consistency to their execution. However, Milo Ventimiglia makes it worth the listen. His timing and inflection match perfectly with Daniel, the first-person protagonist. He sounds youthful enough to be believable as Daniel and easily transitions to other character voices within the story. A Little, Brown hardcover. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up—This splashy, somewhat nonsensical graphic novel is sure to find an audience despite its flaws. Daniel X is an orphan, his parents murdered by an evil alien. But Daniel, like his father before him, is also an alien, and not a regular one at that—he's a superhuman hunter of evil aliens. With a wealth of fantastical abilities and a list of baddies to catch (including his parents' killer), the teen is on a quest to rid the Earth of unwanted visitors. Along the way he meets Kildare, another alien and the son of one of the evildoers on the list, and the two team up to take down Kildare's gangster-alien father. The book is filled with clichés and ridiculous plot twists, and kids unable to suspend their disbelief will find the book lacking. However, the action-packed story line, kinetic computer-generated art, and Patterson's name are sure to attract readers.—Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (July 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316002925
• ISBN-13: 978-0316002929
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (178 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

It is no surprise that in January, 2010, The New York Times Magazine featured James Patterson on its cover and hailed him as having "transformed book publishing," and that Time magazine hailed him as "The Man Who Can't Miss." Recently, NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams profiled Patterson's prolific career, AARP named him one of the "50 Most Influential People Who Make Our Days a Little Brighter," and Variety featured him in a cover story highlighting his adventures in Hollywood.

In 2011, it was estimated that one-in-four of all hardcover suspense/thriller novels sold was written by James Patterson, he is the first author to achieve five million ebook sales (and is expected to hit ten million in early 2013), and he holds the Guinness record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers of any author. And his success isn't based solely on thrillers like the perennially popular Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club and Michael Bennett series. Patterson is now also the current bestselling author in the young adult and middle grade categories.

He's been called the busiest man in publishing, and that's not just because of his own books. For the past decade, James has been devoting more and more of his time to championing books and reading. From the James Patterson Pageturner Awards, to his website ReadKiddoRead.com, to his College Book Bucks scholarships and his regular donations of hundreds of thousands of books to schools here in the states and troops overseas (see interviews on Fox & Friends, The Dennis Miller Radio Show and CNN.com), Patterson has passed on his passion of books and reading and supported those who do the same. Jim personally funded a major ad campaign re-printing a recent opinion piece on CNN.com about how it is our responsibility to get our kids reading. The ad has run in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and USA Today. Those ads are a call to action to parents to make their kids reading a top priority; and were featured by USA Today here. Patterson believes that we cannot rely on schools, teachers or the government to get our kids reading; only parents can make this crucial change in the reading habits of our kids. Here are links to some interviews on his first-ever dual lay down (two books, one for parents and one for kids, in one day): AOL's You've Got, NBC's "Today Show" with Hoda and Kathie Lee, USA Today and Family Circle, NBC's "Today Show" with Al Roker, as well as an interview with AARP.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#1 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#1 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#1 in Books

#2 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#2 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

#2 in Books > Literature & Fiction

#1 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#1 in Books

#2 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#2 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

#2 in Books > Literature & Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 62 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Strange and Delightful July 21, 2008

By Jake Chism

Format:Hardcover

Daniel X is just your average fifteen year old, but only if your average fifteen year old is a bona fide Alien Hunter. When Daniel was three his parents were killed by The Prayer, a ruthless praying mantis-like creature from another world. Since then Daniel has made it his life's mission to hunt down The Prayer and all the other evil aliens that are determined to destroy Earth. Armed with nothing more than his unique powers, three not so imaginary friends, and his charming wit, Daniel sets off on whirlwind journey to kick some major alien butt.

James Patterson has most recently left his mark on the young adult market with his smash hit Maximum Ride series. This time around he shifts gears and brings us a strange and delightful science fiction tale that is loads of fun for all ages. Daniel X is a memorable and endearing character that is constantly full of surprises. Patterson and Ledwidge have collaborated to give us not only a fantastic new character, but also a fantastic story that is impossible to put down.

After sloshing my way through Patterson's mediocre Sail, I was beginning to wonder if he had indeed lost his edge. Daniel X is a refreshing reminder that Patterson still has what it takes to craft page turning fiction. After this engaging new offering fans both young and old will be begging for more Daniel X.

44 of 53 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Only borrow it July 23, 2008

By rzsiftyxoq

Format:Hardcover

it's a pretty weak premise overall; daniel x is a 15 year old boy who seeks revenge for his parents. at first, you think it's interesting because the antagonist is this creature that looks like a 6 foot praying mantis, named the "prayer". but then, it gets worse. daniel's powers don't make complete sense and they have some pretty inconsistent limitations. his ability is to create. often times, he "creates" his long dead parents who comfort him, talk to him, give him advice and it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. A lot of times, daniel creates friends and he even can recreate himself. if you think my description is vague, try reading the book. it's a pretty vague power overall.

there are many pop culture references, a lot of juvenile jokes, and a whole lot of strange interactions between teenagers. the book really is childlike and i wouldn't consider buying it; just read it at a bookstore or something. patterson's books are usually pretty quick reads and this one is no different.

i think patterson really underestimates young readers at with this story. overall, i'd say the book is geared towards 9-12 year olds, except patterson himself probably thinks it's genius and believes anyone of any age can read it. I'd say no. Once you read it, you realize that the book is really for younger readers and tries a little too hard to make it "kid friendly". don't think it's a "Dark" book or something. i had a decent amount of fun reading it, but i wasn't really impressed.

43 of 55 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars DERIVATIVE DAYS OF DANIEL X July 29, 2008

By Jeffrey Landsman

Format:Hardcover

This is an ok little book that should hook young readers. On the back cover there is an attempt to attract older readers (it reads something to the effect of "whether your are 9 or 90...") The problem is that if you are over 12, you will likely feel like this is a rough draft inspired by Harry Potter and Men in Black (without the quality of either.) The story is short enough that there is not one but TWO potential follow-up stories at the end of the book. This is clearly set up as a cash-making series, and DEFINIETLY falls short. Not much happens with Daniel in this 1st episode of his Men In Black life. The book may be potentially good for young readers as a gateway to the idea of reading. If you are a teen or older SKIP IT.

For the grown up crowd Patterson is the master of the summer read. He is the Michael Bay of books. If you are in a slump and having a hard time reading, pick up Along Came a Spider and start off the Alex Cross series. Then switch on over to reading real books. This is NOT to discriminate or even critique the low quality of a Patterson book. This guy KNOWS how to spin a story. There is a place for his books - absolutely. They are like popcorn movies, that's all.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars "Dangerous Days" Like Old Times August 6, 2008

By Gregory Bernard Banks VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I should start off this review with a couple of notes.

First, I'm not familiar with James Patterson's past works, though I have probably seen movies inspired by his books. So unlike many of the prior reviews I've seen, I didn't bring any expectations based on past experience into the reading of this book. Also worth noting is that I am a kid at heart, although I tend to read (and write) darker, more adult-oriented fair more often than not. But when this book came to my attention the day of its release, I felt strongly compelled to read it, and so I downloaded it to my Kindle and began reading it soon after. And yes, I am happy I did.

Daniel X is the story of a 15-year-old boy who is an alien hunter, the orphan of parents who themselves were alien hunters, but who were murdered when he was three by the number one target on the List of aliens, who goes by the name "The Prayer." While Daniel's ultimate goal is to find The Prayer and make him pay for murdering his family, in this book Daniel is searching out alien number 6, a particularly nasty child stealing, drug dealing, bad movie producing being named Ergent Seth. Daniel, who has the power to literally create out of thin air and frequently conjures up his dead family or his quartet of teenage friends, usually for either emotional support of for help in a tight spot, goes after Seth, the most powerful foe he's yet to face. At first Daniel seems to have everything under control, but as the best laid plans are wont to do, things quickly go awry, and the hunter suddenly becomes the prey.

"The Dangerous Days of Daniel X" is a fun and quick read, and the writing is clearly targeted for the young adult market, and I'd say even younger.... Although 15 years old, Daniel often sounds and thinks more like an 8-year-old, so the book is a pretty safe read for most ages. In some ways it may even appeal to the younger kids more, given that today's young adult books usually cover more mature subjects and the issues of love and angst that are part of today's teen life. And therein lies both the strength and the weakness, such as it is, of this book. When reading the book, I can't help but feel that the book is almost too simplistic, that it was like a white wall scrubbed so hard to make it squeaky clean that the paint came a hair's breadth away from being peeled right off. While I personally enjoyed the book, which reminded me of some of my favorite childhood books like "The Forgotten Door" by Alexander Key and "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" by Robert A. Heinlein, books that each beautifully capture the sense of childhood wonder that I remember so fondly, I just didn't buy that this teenage boy, who's presumably been on his own since the age of three and therefore grew up really fast, remains as sweet and innocent as Opie Taylor and Richie Cunningham with wings and a halo thrown in for good measure. Patterson may have been better served to make Daniel younger, perhaps ten or so, just to more convincingly fit into the childlike mentality which he's bestowed upon this boy. While I think the book should be judged on its own merits, and not compared to past works by Mr. Patterson, I can see why the book is disappointing to some. It has neither the maturity nor the complexity of the king of Y/A fiction, Harry Potter, and yet it seems to aim for an audience more mature than the writing itself speaks to.

Having said all of that, I enjoyed the book, and will probably read the sequels that are previewed at the end of the book. It'll be interesting to see where Mr. Patterson takes this series, because it has the potential of getting better with subsequent books, if the author decides to age Daniel so that he better fits into a teenager's shoes. If you have young kids, or prefer to read clean, wholesome kid fiction, this is the book for you. If you are looking for more, then I'm afraid you may find this book a let down.

Let's hope that like a fine wine, Daniel X gets better with age.

- Gregory Bernard Banks, author, reader, reviewer Read more ›