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The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (Daniel X #1)

by James Patterson (Goodreads Author), Michael Ledwidge

3.45 · rating details · 5,458 ratings · 891 reviews

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.Daniel has that power.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 p...more

Paperback, Large Print, 304 pages

Published July 21st 2008 by Little, Brown and Company

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Jul 23, 2008

Erika rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: No one

This is so the worst book known to man. I would say it is MIB meet Naked Gun 2 1/2. I really can not believe this book. Of course I choose it to read with my sister after getting into the Maximum Ride series. He is after all a reputable writer. Everyone has a few bad novels right. I even looked past the upset with the "Final Warning" in the Max Ride series.
Anyway words can not describe how awful this book is. Suffice it to say I will not be finishing it. Can't even fini...more

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Jul 23, 2010

Michael rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: don-t-judge-me

This book was, well...strange, to say the least. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. This is my first James Patterson "family" book, but really, no one over twelve would find this very interesting. It's like the authors are writing for eight-year-olds, at most. Some of my main concerns with this novel are:

1. The Short Chapters. In his adult thrillers, the two or three page chapters are used very nicely. They're all like mini cliffhangers, and make you want to read on. In...moreThis book was, well...strange, to say the least. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. This is my first James Patterson "family" book, but really, no one over twelve would find this very interesting. It's like the authors are writing for eight-year-olds, at most. Some of my main concerns with this novel are:

1. The Short Chapters. In his adult thrillers, the two or three page chapters are used very nicely. They're all like mini cliffhangers, and make you want to read on. In this book, though, the chapters end at the most awkward places. Here's an example on page 31: (Daniel's "Mom" is speaking) "Oh, I'm sorry, officers. My husband is a jokester sometimes. And slow to get to the point. Daniel doesn't need to go to school anymore." -NEXT CHAPTER- Was that supposed to be a dramatic cutoff point? It's almost as if JP is using the blank spaces between the chapters to take up space, so he can put a $20 price tag on this already very short book.

2. The "Bad Guy." The alien antagonist (named Seth? Seriously?) really got on my nerves. For one, he is terribly immature and bland in his "comebacks." And really, what was his point? There wasn't really any suspenseful buildup of his character before the "climax" (if you can call it that) of the novel.

3. The Pop Culture Remarks. I hope JP and ML aren't throwing in these awkwardly placed blurbs about famous electronics, movie stars, etc. to sound more "with it." Let's reference page 156: (Daniel is narrarating) "'I should have listened to you,' I moaned, crying. Shia LaBeouf couldn't have done a better acting job, not even with Steven Spielberg directing." Bravo, guys. That paragraph made such a great visual image and made the book that much cooler.

4. Daniel Himself. I didn't feel one bit of sympathy for him throughout this book. Neither does anyone else in his world, since he needs to create his own friends. And he probably has more superpowers than any other character created. Did I mention I can read minds? Flip through books in my head and ace every single test? Easily overcome a blow to the stomach? Create humans based on my memory of them? Talk telepathically with elephants? Oh yeah, he definitely has some in-depth conversations with elephants. Enough said.

So, all in all, this book was a train wreck. Hopefully the Maximum Ride series is better, because I've purchased the first three books in that series already. Oh yeah, and since I bought both Daniel X books at the same time, I guess I'm going to have to read one more volume in his oh-so-interesting life. Let's hope it gets better.

EDIT: For the record, I've decided I'm definitely not continuing on with this series. :)(less)

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Aug 11, 2008

Karin rated it

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Shelves: youngadult, 2008-reads, aliens

James Patterson has teamed up with Michael Ledwidge to write another young adult novel. James Patterson has already been successful in the young adult world with his wildly popular Maximum Ride series. James and Michael have worked together on two recent adult bestsellers - THE QUICKIE and STEP ON A CRACK.

THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X is an extremely fast read. Patterson’s traditional short chapters make you feel like your are flying through the pages. The story is fun to read, ...more

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Sep 30, 2008

Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it

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Well ... honestly, I don't know what to say. After being terribly disappointed by the fourth Maximum Ride installment, I picked this one up in the hopes that maybe Patterson would start off a series that was just as good ... that maybe had the potential not to get ruined as MR did. Unfortunately, I don't really see this series going anywhere. I swear this book was one of the worst I have read in my entire life, and frankly I wouldn't be surprised if it was secretly written by a twelve-year-old. ...moreWell ... honestly, I don't know what to say. After being terribly disappointed by the fourth Maximum Ride installment, I picked this one up in the hopes that maybe Patterson would start off a series that was just as good ... that maybe had the potential not to get ruined as MR did. Unfortunately, I don't really see this series going anywhere. I swear this book was one of the worst I have read in my entire life, and frankly I wouldn't be surprised if it was secretly written by a twelve-year-old. The whole plot was very messy and confusing; the twists were either really predictable or made me roll my eyes at how lame they were. Plus the whole thing has so many random pop culture references that it will probably make absolutely no sense to any kid who reads it in like two years.

Obviously, Patterson was trying to appeal to the same audience of Maximum Ride readers with the whole fast-paced plot and sarcastic tone kind of thing. But really, Max is a much stronger character than Daniel and her Flock is more lovable than Daniel's group of creepy dead imaginary friends following him around.

The sad thing is, I think this book had potential. The premise was interesting, but obviously it didn't get much outlining or development before it was carelessly barfed out onto paper. Daniel really could have been a much more interesting character; I mean, there's something dark and depressing about his whole life story that could have been more exaggerated to make the reader actually realize that he was a person -- okay well actually an alien with feelings but whatever. You get what I mean.

So over all, I was disappointed. Not that it makes much of a difference. Because if James Patterson's name is smacked onto the cover of a book A) it's guaranteed to get published, no matter how stupid it is, and B) everyone will read it. Figures.

Not that I don't like meaningless crap, because I do; I mean come on -- Maximum Ride is amazing for the first two books.

But ANYWAY -- unless you're interested in reading this cheap, thoughtless, blood-and-guts, explosions, talking elephants (not kidding) kind of stuff -- trust me. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR YOUR BRAIN CELLS. (less)

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Jul 28, 2008

Michelle rated it

· review of another edition

Wow. I can't believe that I am giving a Patterson book such a low rating, but...
I did finish this book, but about 20 pages in I knew it was not going to be good. I had absolutely no attachment to the main character whatsoever, and the whole gist of the story did not interest me. (And it's not like I don't like the idea of aliens and whatnot...I have been loving Stephanie Meyer's books...)
Overall, a HUGE disappointment. I have loved James Patterson for years, picking up every sing...more

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Dec 15, 2008

Julie rated it

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Recommends it for: Patterson fans. BIG Patterson fans.

Recommended to Julie by: Read other Patterson books.

Shelves: action-suspense, science-fiction, young-adult, 2008, signed-out

I understand what James Patterson is trying to do here - duplicate the success he's had to Maximum Ride by creating another fantastical, out-there series that can be marketed to a YA audience. It's even part of his "Pageturner" category, where "special care has been taken with the language and content" so that it is appropriate for all ages.

I would like to say, that despite this "care," it featured a seriously nasty fight scene gross enough that I had to...moreI understand what James Patterson is trying to do here - duplicate the success he's had to Maximum Ride by creating another fantastical, out-there series that can be marketed to a YA audience. It's even part of his "Pageturner" category, where "special care has been taken with the language and content" so that it is appropriate for all ages.

I would like to say, that despite this "care," it featured a seriously nasty fight scene gross enough that I had to skip part of it. Ewwwwwwwww.

The formula just isn't working in this case. I think part of it is because all of the tiny things that I didn't like about Maximum Ride (and I love that series) are multiplied many times in this book. First of all, I wish Daniel wouldn't spend the first section of the book telling us how awesome his powers are. Don't tell us, SHOW us. And stop telling us how important things are - we're not stupid. If it's that important to the plot, we'll notice.

I didn't dislike Daniel as a character, but he wasn't nearly as engaging as Max and the flock. Also, the number of pop culture references, presumably thrown in to make the book seem cool, has even increased from those in Maximum Ride. Once in a while they can be amusing, but they feel sooooo contrived, and they're going to make the book feel dated in just a few years. To me, this just indicates that Patterson(/Ledwidge) doesn't expect the book to have any real staying power, and doesn't CARE that it dates itself, as long as his readers enjoy it for now. Fair enough.

(I would like to point out, though, that Stephenie Meyer purposely did not say that Bella was listening to Linkin Park - although she will tell you so in interviews - purposely to prevent this problem in Twilight.)

As usual it was a lightning-fast read. I read it basically in one sitting. It didn't suck me in even so much as the BAD Maximum Ride books, and I don't know if I'll even pick up the sequel.

(Another side note: Why are there previews into two different "further adventures" in the back? Why not just a preview chapter or four for the next book? Odd.)(less)

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Apr 26, 2009

Gracie ;) rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 03, 2008

Jennifer Wardrip rated it

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Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

From 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...moreReviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

From 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.

(less)

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Sep 23, 2008

Carolyn rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: absolutely no one

The other night I picked up (and after half the book abandoned) the new James Patterson book The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. If I could give it less than one star, I would!
Now, I like reading 'childrens' and YA books on occasion, so I don't have a problem with that. I do however, fault it for writing 'down' to the level of an 8-year old with ADD problems. Seriously, they insult the intelligence of their targeted readers with this one.
Each chapter was a page and a half (of a book tha...more

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Sep 25, 2008

Sam rated it

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I'm going to try to make this as no-nonsense as possible. So, to start, I will make a statement that now determines part of my new reading criteria for a book: James Patterson has lost any skill he ever had, trading anything that might have been good for the cash he so desires. Therefore, TDDODX is not great, but it doesn't suck either. It is much faster paced than Maximum Ride and reads without bore (also like MR), but its premise is sloppy, hasty, and out of place. Aliens? Come on. On to...more

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Aug 23, 2008

Breanne rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Here is my nice review for our library's blog:

Daniel was born with the power to create. His abilities include being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind and to re-create himself in any shape he chooses. His mission: he is an Alien Hunter. From the day that his parents were murdered before him, he has used his unique gifts to hunt down villainous aliens on earth until he can close in on their killer.

This book combines the humorous quips of Spiderman with th...moreHere is my nice review for our library's blog:

Daniel was born with the power to create. His abilities include being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind and to re-create himself in any shape he chooses. His mission: he is an Alien Hunter. From the day that his parents were murdered before him, he has used his unique gifts to hunt down villainous aliens on earth until he can close in on their killer.

This book combines the humorous quips of Spiderman with the repellant bad-guy aliens of Men In Black. It will probably appeal most to young adult guys, and the short chapters (each one was 2-3 pages) make it a quick read.

Here is the truth:

The 2 page chapters gave me imaginary ulcers. It was such a disconnecting, disjointed way to put a book together. Is he trying to cater to today's short attention span? Aren't books supposed to be combating short attention spans? He would cut off the action right in the middle of a scene and start again in a new chapter. WHY. I tried to think of some reasons: It's supposed to be a Young Adult book. It caters directly to boys (who supposedly read less?). Ok, I can see how you're trying for that. But is this really what we have to do to get our children to read? I am depressed about our future.

As a librarian, really, I should be okay with any efforts to get people to read. Anything we can do to draw people in to read is a good thing, right? So should I be ok with this on principle?

Steve Jobs, who you hope would be knowledgeable of general public interests, recently said in an interview about Amazon's Kindle, "It doesn't matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don't read anymore." Another reason for depression, I think. People still read. To think otherwise, as the heated response to Jobs' comment has shown, is erroneous. Do we really need to chop down every chapter in a young adult book just to draw someone in, to make it easier for their fragile attention spans to handle?

I don't think so. As my own personal response, I hated it. There were 92 chapters in this 238 page book (I will save you getting out your calculator: it's an average of 2.6 pages per chapter). Aside from that, there were some other obnoxious elements. His quips weren't charming, and got old very quickly. The aliens were grotesque for the sake of being grotesque. Cliche developments ("kidnapped children! oh no!"). And the reader sees things coming dozens of chapters before Daniel did.

The good stuff: his powers were pretty cool. And the opening scene was pretty cool. And some character development toward the end of the book was interesting. And that's about it.

So sorry, James Patterson. I promise to read more of your books so that I don't form an opinion of your work based on this one.(less)

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Apr 13, 2009

Maggie rated it

· review of another edition

Well, I didn't like this book from James Patterson, even though I loved some of his others. With this said, authors have their down sides, too. There comes a good one--a *really* good one--and then comes a bad.

I love James Patterson--I think he's amazing, but I don't think that this was one of his best works. I was not into it, but being OCD, I made myself finish it. I didn't feel attached to Daniel, like I do to some of other characters from different books.

Creative id...more

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Aug 06, 2008

Ben rated it

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Recommends it for: teens

An amazingly quick read. It felt more like a saturday morning cartoon than a novel. It was light and teen-friendly without worrying about anything inappropriate. It deals with Daniel, an alien-hunter and his exploits in hunting a particular alien. It has short, choppy chapters and I read the whole thing (200+ pages) waiting for a plane in about 2 hours. It has a "Men in Black" kind of feel to it - almost comic-like, rather than serious. But I can't get over how fast it reads. I ...more

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Apr 08, 2009

Matt rated it

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Shelves: young-adult

Daniel X is pretty much like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" meets "Men in Black" but it is not half as good as either of those two media efforts.

The main character's super powers are very unbelievable, and they leave the reader wondering, if this guy is so powerful he should be able to defeat the bad guys with both hands tied behind his back, but I guess it would only be a short story if that was the case.

It would seem that Patterson is someone who just do...more

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Jan 15, 2009

Cheryl rated it

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Shelves: high-school-reads

The boys are going to like this one...aliens, gore, and a superhero 15 year old...I'll definitely order a copy for the media center.

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Aug 04, 2008

Jodi rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

If you are a 7th grade boy you will probably enjoy this remarkably poorly written tale of an alien-on-earth superhero. The repetitive sentences - Daniel would think something and then say the same thing out loud. He's 15 but can do pretty much anything and makes Superman seem like a bit player. It's a bit much. Actually, it's more than a bit. I listened to the audiobook and about the only positive thing I can say is that it's short. Patterson is far too condescending to his audience who isn't su...more

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Jan 17, 2009

Paige rated it

· review of another edition

I was disappointed in this book only because I didnt realize this was for younger children. I would say that even older teens are too old for this one.

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Dec 30, 2008

Aaron rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 18, 2008

Denae rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, fantasy-present-day

I shouldn't have expected much, after the bitter disappointment of MR 4. Sure, JP's writing is still down-to-earth intriguing and page-turning, but he doesn't have enough of it. The events of this book slipped by too fast, and we hear too little description of passing time and scenes.
Daniel was an idiot.
He had too many powers (and ridiculously unrealistic) and if he bothered to use them he'd rule the universe, or JP didn't properly define the power-limit for readers. Daniel went t...more

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Jan 25, 2012

Bob Osborn rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 23, 2012

Becky rated it

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I read and adored the 'Maximum Ride' series by Patterson, it was better than I ever expected. I added him to my list of authors I like. Back in September I gave this book to my Teen Book Group as their read of the month, half of them loved it, the rest hated it. I intended to read it but didn't get round to it. I've had it on my pile ever since. I kept putting it off because I figured once I'd read the first one I would want to read the whole series. But someone requested the book and I thought ...moreI read and adored the 'Maximum Ride' series by Patterson, it was better than I ever expected. I added him to my list of authors I like. Back in September I gave this book to my Teen Book Group as their read of the month, half of them loved it, the rest hated it. I intended to read it but didn't get round to it. I've had it on my pile ever since. I kept putting it off because I figured once I'd read the first one I would want to read the whole series. But someone requested the book and I thought I had better read it before I return it.
The chapters are 2-3 pages long each, they are really short and easy to read. At 227 pages it is quite short anyway but the pages have a lot of spacing on and each chapter starts half way down the page so it really is short.
I was intrigued by the start and thought I would enjoy this book but it soon went downhill. If this book had been longer I may have given up but as it was so short and fast paced I decided to finish it.
Daniel's parents are killed when he is three by an Alien. He isn't an ordinary 3 year old though, he is very advanced and quite possibly an alien himself. He decides to carry on his parents 'List' a file of Aliens that are causing havoc in the world. The closer to the top of the list, the tougher they are.
The premise of this book sounds good, I'm not really into Aliens that much but this sounded different. But I just didn't feel a connection to the main character. He was a bit big headed, a bit wimpy at times and completely delusional. He 'conjures' images of his parents or best friends. at first I thought these were like imaginary friends, then I found out that others could see them, and that they could move/touch/interact with things, I wasn't quite sure what they were meant to be. And no one ever seemed to notice that these 'people' would just randomly pop up. What's with that?
He also gets shot in teh stomach with some super powerful gun but apart from the initial shock and pain he then carries on pretty much as normal, jump down a chute into a swimming pool - fine, never mind that his spleen was hanging out of his stomach two seconds ago! Just didn't click with me. Maybe I'm just too critical but I really didn't get it.
I did like the character 'Phoebe Cook', there is a twist about her in the story that I sort of guessed at, but not in the exact way it turned out, but she was like a grounding, real force in the book, something to hold Daniel down.
I really did think this book had a lot of promise but I felt let down by it. It was an easy read though, I think I finished it in about an hour and a half. Not at all what I expected.(less)

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Jan 05, 2012

Dalton rated it

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Daniel x, is a very adventureous, action-packed book. Daniel is a alien hunter who has secret abilities such as being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind and to create them into any shape of his choice.But Daniel isnt your average human, he is the Earth's protector.

I really like how the author was descriptive and how you could easily picture it in your head.the book is really clear, descriptive, and easy to follow.If the story didn't have as much as decsciption as he...more

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Aug 26, 2011

Patrick rated it

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Shelves: young-adult, paranormal

Meh. Maximum Ride...I mean the siblings from Witch and Wizard...I mean a new supremely gifted kid, Daniel X, fights ~~evil scientists~~ ~~evil government~~ evil aliens with cynical, yet self-deprecating attitude, timely wisecracks, 2-page chapters, and inconsistent plotting.

I thought Daniel's mind friends were weird, especially his "romance" with the "genuine" girl created by his mind over matter powers. The bad alien somehow knew Daniel was hundreds of miles away and...more

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Aug 12, 2011

Karl rated it

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Yeah..................................................................................................This book wasn't amazing..............................................................................
My friend loaned it to me along with the second (he loves them).......................................
It's like a more poorly-written more non-story driven version of "Max"................................
If that's even possible...............................................more

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Jul 11, 2011

Tiffany Cooke rated it

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Recommends it for: Reluctant Readers - especially boys

Shelves: 2011

There has been a lot of talk lately about how boys have different tastes in books than girls. If you are looking for a great book for an eleven-year-old boy, you should definitely try The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. It is one of the best books my son and I have read together in a long time.
James Patterson is a well-known author for writing great action and suspense. There is plenty of action and suspense in Daniel X, but it isn't too scary for kids. Daniel is an alien who look...more

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Jun 12, 2011

gina rated it

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Shelves: young-adult

Every so often a book makes me angry because it is so poorly written. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X is one of these books.

I read this book to screen it for my classroom library. In particular, one of my fourth grade boys (we'll call him Tom) refuses to read anything but action books. At the beginning of the school year, Tom unabashedly exclaimed that he hated to read. I made it my personal quest to change him and asked him what kinds of video games he likes. He said, "I ...moreEvery so often a book makes me angry because it is so poorly written. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X is one of these books.

I read this book to screen it for my classroom library. In particular, one of my fourth grade boys (we'll call him Tom) refuses to read anything but action books. At the beginning of the school year, Tom unabashedly exclaimed that he hated to read. I made it my personal quest to change him and asked him what kinds of video games he likes. He said, "I like violent games!" Quite cheerfully, I might add. So, I started him with Alex Rider, a recommendation from my son, which is basically James Bond for kids.

Tom quickly took on to Alex Rider and tore through the whole series. After that, I was stuck--he wanted action, but he didn't want anything with magic or fantasy involved. Sadly, that left out a whole sub-genre of some great young-adult fiction. But then I figured, maybe he should try The Hunger Games. Right now, he is gobbling up the second of the trilogy.

But now, with summer drawing near, I've been frantically looking for a book that has all the action this kid craves with none of the magic. I googled "books like Alex Rider" and had to skip over great books like The Lightning Thief and The Warrior Heir. What popped up most often? The Daniel X series. I reluctantly cracked open the book---I have found James Patterson to be the most overrated writer currently around. His books actually irritate me because they are so poorly written....and he is so popular. But Daniel X ended up on a lot of librarians' lists, so I decided to give it a try.

Here's the hook in a nutshell: Daniel X is an alien hunter. End of story. I won't waste any time on the plot--I'm sure you can read summaries elsewhere. It's basically a Men-in-Black knock-off for teens.

I just want to ask--who put these books on the same list as Percy Jackson? It's shameful. There is no coherent world view--apparently Daniel X has any power that will conveniently solve his problems. Unless the writers need to put him into a life-or-death situation, in which case they conveniently fail to mention his alien superpowers.

The descriptions are completely void of any detail. Oh--let me quote an example: "The inside of Seth's cochlea was even grosser than his earwax situation. It was filled with this fluid that was...ugh, I don't even want to get into it." Pleeeease get into it! I WANT to hear about the fluid. But James Patterson and his co-author pass up EVERY SINGLE CHANCE to give the reader an enjoyable reading experience.

This book has two things going for it: (1) aliens are, in general, fun to read about, and (2) it's a very fast read. I wavered between giving it one and two stars--but this book is so horribly disappointing that I'm punishing it for letting me down.

So---next time I am tempted to read another James Patterson book, would somebody please stop me?(less)

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Jan 06, 2011

Tanner rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really liked the book. Daniel is a boy who is all alone only he isn't really a boy he is from another planet. His parents died because they were alien hunters when he was just 3 years old. He has lived on his own the whole time since then. He has powers to be able to create people to be around him at least humans can see them and interact with them for a short time. That is how he can live alone in with out being sent to foster care. He is trying to hunt down aliens on earth to save eart...more

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Nov 18, 2010

daniel ramkissoon rated it

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i actually really liked this book i think that it was fun,exciting and full of emotion. I think that James Patterson really did put a lot of effort into this book which made it so good. It had many twists and turn there was mainly only two problems: the super powerful alien that he has to defeat and he has to save these kids who are being held captive by this alien kidnapper who has been using them as slave. Daniel did recieve a lot of heart break because his parents died and it turns out h...more

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Jul 15, 2010

Mary rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: middle-school-books, fantasy

I read this because it's an NJ Battle of the Books title for 2010-2011 and expected to like it because I liked Maximum Ride well enough. Wrong. The more I read of this, the more resentful I was that I had to finish it. I was bothered by the condescending tone of the first person narrator, who makes asides directed to "you" to draw in readers and demonstrate how in touch with kids the authors are. There are, however occasional SAT type words thrown in (e.g. "extant"). The shor...more

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Jun 24, 2010

Violet rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A little over 4 hours give or take. That's how long it took me to read this book. A personal record! So its aafe to say that this book was a very, very easy read. And that's the truth. After reading Homer, Shakespeare, and more famous authors, this book was a walk in the park.

It was silly and cute, if not a bit over done. But that, I find, is James Patterson's style (at least for his young adult books). Simple, silly, action, the impossible, humor, teen crushs, ect. A formula that se...moreA little over 4 hours give or take. That's how long it took me to read this book. A personal record! So its aafe to say that this book was a very, very easy read. And that's the truth. After reading Homer, Shakespeare, and more famous authors, this book was a walk in the park.

It was silly and cute, if not a bit over done. But that, I find, is James Patterson's style (at least for his young adult books). Simple, silly, action, the impossible, humor, teen crushs, ect. A formula that seems to have made Patterson into a best selling author (judging by the Max. Ride series). Not saying this is a bad thing. His books are good for a nice afternoon of lazy reading, but not something that will last as a classic for years to come if you know what I mean.

Personally I thought his aliens had something to be desired. To state it bluntly, they sucked. I mean horse head people? Come on! If your going to do something with aliens, have the aliens have to be cool and scary, not like you got the idea from a child pasting and gluing a horse head on a human body. Such a shame to the sci-fi world. Horse head people....oh god that's so bad! But Patterson hasn't alway been the best as creating monsters/aliens, has he?

And there was also the fact that he called the alien that killed Daniel's parents, The Prayer. That's almost as bad as the Uber-Director in the 4th Max. Ride book. I mean, The Prayer? Come on! Can't you come up with a more original name for a huge praying mantis alien (anoter lame alien)? I'm starting to think that Patterson's imagination only extends to the main characters in his stories, because it seems like all his bad guys have really lame names, and/or are really lame creatures.

I seriously don't have anything else to say. I thought this book was okay and all, but I don't think I'll be reading it again in the near future. I might read the next book if I can find it for a few bucks or if its in the library, but I won't buy it new (or force my grandmother to buy it new for me). James Patterson for me has lost his fame because the 4th Max. Ride book was so bad (making me drop the series). And the fact that he comes out with like 4 books a year and no decent author (with good writing and story line) could possibly do that. To me, I see him as a story teller that doesn't always write for fun but sometimes because of the pressure to make more money (hence the continuation of the Max. Ride series).

I have nothing else to say on the book. It was cute, fun, easy, and a nice break from the real world, but not something that I necessarily love to death.(less)

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The subject of a Time magazine feature called, "The Man Who Can't Miss," James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone. In 2007, one of every fifteen hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. In the past three years, James has sold more books than ...more

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“Keep this in mind: there are no coincidences.” — 26 people liked it

“And then as always, I saw the prayer coming at me.
And, as always, Number 1 killed me! Set me on fire, cooked me to medium rare and then ate me!
I really, really, really hope I haven't just given away the ending of this story.” — 20 people liked it

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The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (Daniel X #1)

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