The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson (2010-06-15)

Ms. Broderick
LaNiqua Brown

Book Review

Today, I am going to tell you about my favorite book. This wonderful book that I am talking is Daniel X. The person who wrote this fantastic book is the amazing James Patterson. You might know this marvelous author from Maximum Ride, and Fang. Right now I am going to tell you a little summary of this excellent book. Daniel X is a kid whose parents were murdered. He was only three years old when this happened. He has some problems. If you want to know what they are, read this tremendous book.
This is a book where you would think it was boring by looking at the cover. Of course I love reading so I am almost interested in all chapter books. This is a terrific book if you give it a chance. Thank you. Have a great day. If you really like this lovely book there are more to come.

I bought this and expected much more than i really got for the money. I thought hey i can't go wrong with a James Patterson especially after reading Maximum ride. BOY i was WRONG!!

Daniel X is a young 15 yr old boy whose parents were killed by The Prayer, what is the prayer you ask? A praying mantis alien. Very original ...

So without parents, family, or help he sets out to destroy those on "The List" left to him by his parents.

He discovers that he naturally has supernatural powers. Of course..so along the way you see him talking to his dead parents, dead sister, and of course getting out of EVERY sticky situation.

This novel was worse than Juvenile, it was like eating soggy carboard. Gross, soft, nothing to make you think hard, and very bland.

Should you read this? Only if you haven't got any other books to read, in other words only if your stuck on a deserted island with only this book.

With Patterson having books in all the other markets, adult thrillers, adult romance, adult sci-fi, young adult (maximum ride series) and children's picture book (although he failed terribly here with Santa Kid) it was inevitable he would try his hand at the pre teen junior fiction market. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X is first in a planned series (the second book of which will be a comic book) and although it may be enjoyed by a few little kids who are into aliens, if they are at the reading level to read a book this long (still short by adult novel standards) they are probably going to reading stuff from the young adult section anyway so won't pick up this book.

Good junior fiction can be enjoyed by older kids and adult readers as well, I work in a library and a lot of people who borrow Junior paperbacks aren't kids. They're just people after a quick simpler less getting into emotional type read, that most junior fiction is. I found this book an effort to push through, it just isn't a book that gives anything to older readers. So those adults looking for an enjoyable junior fiction read between adult fiction novels won't find a satisfying read here.

This really is a junior fiction book that will appeal to a very small percentage of children who are not past the Saturday morning cartoon level of entertainment. Like any Patterson novel though, you're going to check it out anyway, no matter what the reviews are saying, but I encourage you to get it from your library first before forking over hard earned money for it.

The basic plot is a three year old boy witnesses his parents being killed by a giant praying mantis as he transforms and hides from the mantis by becoming a tick. Daniel is no ordinary boy, his parents were alien hunters and Daniel is determined to follow in their footsteps. Daniel has weird powers that allow him to invent friends, bring back his parents and other things many a child probably wishes for. This story is a narration of his adventures as he battles with aliens on earth working his way up to the confrontation with his parents' killer.

After watching the death of his parents, Daniel takes over their work. He becomes an alien bounty hunter. He isn't like other teenagers. Daniel has the ability to manipulate objects and animals with his mind. He can create himself in any shape that he chooses.

His parents left him "The List", an alien enhanced computer listing all of the alien fugitives on earth. It's his mission to stop the fugitives and hopefully one day he'll find his parents assassin.

This book is completely different from the "Maximum Ride" series. James Patterson has created an interesting character that children and adults will love. I can easily see this being adapted into a movie.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X is a readable young adult novel. The protagonist is a teen-aged alien hunter. He has the power to create with his mind and to change his own shape. Daniel's parents were murdered when he was three and he inherited The List. The List has all the alien criminals who live on Earth and threaten the human race.

The opening of the book is a bit slow as Daniel sets the scene for us and hints at previous adventures. The story takes off when he decides to go after Number Six, an alien named Ergent Seth. The problem is that Daniel may have bitten off more than he can handle. This alien is a nasty and powerful opponent. Daniel is attacked by cats, and his house is turned into a graveyard. What is worse is that he is now going to high school.

The authors have created a wise-cracking young hero with Daniel X. They make him powerful enough to be cocky, but also give him a vulnerability that means taking on the bad guys from The List is no walk in the park. The villain of this book is well constructed and makes a good foil for the young alien hunter.

This is the first of a series, and I am sure that as the series develops, the pace and interest of the hunt will be maintained. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended for Young Adult readers who like fantasy.

What drew me to this book was its premise ("good" alien with special powers/intelligence hunting down the "Most Wanted" of the alien world - those villains who have nothing but violence, death and destruction on their minds), and although I didn't think the book as a whole was stellar, I still feel the idea is interesting enough; I just feel it wasn't developed much. The plot felt shallow and a bit TOO comedic, and I just didn't find myself able to get involved in the book much. I guessed long before it was revealed what was going to happen, which isn't always bad - but it is if the characters are weak (think of the roughest Disney character pencil sketchings, where they are only outlines, without any color or sometimes without noses or facial expressions - these characters are like that). I think these characters could be developed into very enjoyable/likable/interesting people. There are hints at who they are (there is one point in the story where Daniel is telling his sister a rather painful fact, and this telling and reactions from his family made me FEEL something, which is what I wanted to do more of), which I cheered and hunted hard to find but was not very successful. On a positive note, I found the way Daniel "gets into" Seth's head (#6 on the Most Wanted List) to be very clever; the book is not completely without imagination ... it was just a bit too sketchy (malnourished) for my taste.

This was billed as a book for young adults/teens. Some of these type of books have been huge with adults (Harry Potter/Twilight). I can't imagine this book will get anywhere near those heights. This book is bland, boring, obvious, too short, and ill-paced. The voices sound like an adult trying to sound "cool" like a kid by nrarrating the events and throwing in pop culture items. Its bad and blatant. Kids don't talk like that. Also, the main character is so powerful he's never in actual danger. Maybe young adults will like or even love this, but there is zero crossover appeal and I love Patterson's other works. I was also planning to check out the Maximum Ride series but now I can't see that happening. A skip if you're older than 14.

I just finished "Dangerous Days of Daniel X" It was a great read. I throughly enjoyed reading this; it was exciting, dangerous for Daniel, surprising and a quick read for the most part. In short: Daniel is an alien hunter (his parents were alien hunters and he has special powers. Daniel has the ability to create; he can create his best friends out of thin air, transform himself in to anything he wants to be and I'll let you find out the rest of his powers by reading the book ;) Daniel's parents, friends and sister are murdered and he avenges their deaths throughout the book by chasing after evil aliens on a list his father created of aliens that need to be exterminated. Needless to say the alien on the top of his list is the one who murdered all of his loved ones. If you love Dr. Who and anything SIfI, you will just love this series. And for those of you James Paterson fans out there this is a must read. This is an adventure for adults or anyone young at heart.. Enjoy, you won't regret it.

Reviewed by Billy Burgess
After watching the death of his parents, Daniel takes over their work. He becomes an alien bounty hunter. He isn't like other teenagers. Daniel has the ability to manipulate objects and animals with his mind. He can create himself in any shape that he chooses.
His parents left him "The List", an alien enhanced computer listing all of the alien fugitives on earth. It's his mission to stop the fugitives and hopefully one day he'll find his their assassin.
This book is completely different from the "Maximum Ride" series. James Patterson has created an interesting character that children and adults will both love. I can easily see this being adapted into a movie.

Aliens are a controversial and confusing topic, and this book will change your thoughts and opinions about it throughout. Daniel X, by James Patterson, redefines everything you may think about aliens. Daniel is an alien who has a list, a list that could save the world. Daniel and the List are the things keeping us from alien outlaws who want to destroy our planet. The book sucks you in from start to finish. It is well worth your money. No matter what type of reader you are, you will enjoy Daniel X. It mixes real-life situations with, literally, an out-of-this-world adventure. Daniel's goal is to save the universe by defeating every alien outlaw on The List until he defeats the #1- the Prayer. James Patterson does a fantastic job with the book. He is a best-selling adult author who now transforms his writing into a good book for all ages. In the book, Patterson makes use of great similes and show-don't-tells. After you read this book you will die to read the entire series of Daniel X.

I have trouble quitting a book I have started. This is unfortunate with this book. There is no logic to it. Some suggest it is pre-teen oriented but I am not sure they will buy it.

I generally enjoy Patterson's books. Well, once he started the nursery rhyme stuff; his earlier books are awful! The biggest characteristic this book shares with others is the 3 page chapters so a chapter is actually 2 pages and the book seems 1/3 larger than it is.

I kept hoping that this one would come together. But I do not believe it did.

His series Maximum Ride is miles beyond this. And, of course, his mysteries are great. But I'd recommend skipping this one entirely. Also any sequels.

First of all, I'd completely forgotten about this book until about 2 days before it came out. But, being a huge fan of Patterson's series Maximum Ride, I thought "why not?" and bought Daniel X the first day. (I think it was the comparison to Spider-Man that did it, even though Daniel X is actually closer to be an X-Men-esque mutant than Peter Parker. But I digress.)

And then I got to the part where the aliens came in. Being a big fan of sci-fi, I immediately got excited - "ALIENS!" - and decided this was completely worth my $13. As I went on through the story it kept getting more complex, not to mention slightly confusing toward the end, but nonetheless it was a fun ride. I never quite understood whether or not Daniel's friends really were *SPOILER* dead, as his grandmother told him *SPOILER* but it doesn't really matter.

In short, if you like aliens and implausible action stories, this is a good book for you. I didn't like it as much as Maximum Ride, but it's a solid tale on its own. I'm eagerly awaiting further installments of Daniel's story.

This book's targeted age group is clearly mis-assigned. When I first read this book I was disappointed...I wanted something along the same lines as "Maximum Ride". My problem was that I was looking for reading materials for 14-15 year old students. All those nasty little things that the other reviewers are saying, I felt. BUT...

As someone who used to teach elementary, please let me recommend "Daniel X" to you if you have one of those high-level reading students/children who read above level but have a hard time finding appropriate books. Really, this book should have been targeted for 10-12 year-old kids.

I just gave this to my fifth grade daughter. She absolutely loves it! She loves the fact that Daniel can do about anything and thinks it is wonderful that he can conjure up what ever he wants to see. She finds the book exciting and really appreciates the short chapters.

Give this book to your reluctant readers. I think they'll love it.

Because I'm an author of action-adventure and mystery books for boys, I was asked to review his new book.

I've been a fan of some of Patterson's work, but that was mostly because of the films that were made from his books. Remember, I'm still a bit of a reluctant reader. I also support his efforts to get kids reading through his new web site, [...]

I could talk about the fact that Daniel is an alien, and his parents were aliens too. After they are killed, Daniel takes up where they left off, with a list that his parents left behind.
But you'll have no trouble finding reviews of this new book from other sources. the store alone has nearly 100 of them. I'd rather tell you about the book from the perspective of the reluctant boy reader.

My primary impression is that this would have been exactly the kind of book I wish I could have found as a boy. It has short chapters. Some are less than two pages, and the sentences tend to be short with a lot of dialog.

The book would be good for young readers as a gateway to reading. It`s geared, in my opinion, to the same age of reader that I target; boys 8 and up.

If you have a tween boy in your family, or circle of family or friends, who likes science fiction stories about aliens, and heroes with super powers, you might try The Dangerous Days of Daniel X.

Max Elliot Anderson
Author of Action-Adventures & Mysteries especially for tween boys
Books for Boys blog [...]

My kids wanted to discuss this character with me so I read the story. Now i want to finish the series, because it has a happy dialogue I tease me kids with later. Funny quotes and scenes are a big part of our family discussions. This book as many and it is very interesting to kids of all ages. I encourage parents to read and discuss it with your kids.

Although the Patterson books have been steadily going downhill ever since he decided to take on co-writers, I am always hopeful the next one will at least be an easy, swift read. But this one??? It is by far the most collosally stupid story ever written. And I love science fiction. I can't believe his publisher allowed this embarrassing thing out of the office. I guess they just figured there would be a certain amount of revenue simply because of his name. But there is no way this would have flown if submitted by anyone else. Makes one think Mr P was smoking something funny to even come up with such a bizarre idea for a story.

Well I normally try and research books before I buy them but I was in a pinch and needed a book for a slow Friday afternoon read and picked this up a the used book store. MISTAKE.. This books sucks! Maybe you have to be on Acid in order to understand it? It was written like a 5th grader made no sense and was flat out RETARDED.. I feel like a I was RAPED out of my 4$.. Can I get a refund and some Lube?

STAY AWAY FROM THIS CRAP!!!! Patterson should be ashamed to put his name on this book!!!

For avid readers, especially fans of sci-fi, I would say Daniel X is not worth the time. Reluctant readers, or readers new to science fiction, however, will probably eat up the wild action, weird aliens, and humorous descriptions of disgusting alien battle wounds and deaths. Fans of Patterson's Maximum Ride series will be especially disappointed in this very formulaic, predictable story.

A lot of the reviews here are accurate, except the ones that say this book is remotely good. I was stuck on a plane so i was forced to read this book and I literally could not believe that Patterson, who has done some great stuff in the past, would put his name on this book.

Not only is it obvious Patterson had nothing to do with the writing here, but it seems like it was written by a ten year old. Its a cheap Men-in-Black copycat and is completely unreadable. These authors selling themselves out by putting their names on books they have nothing to do with is unethical and clearly bait and switch tactics.

Don't waste your money. I swear if i was at the airport were I bought this I would have returned the book. I am an avid reader and this is the worst book i have ever read by far.

Is Patterson getting careless picking ghost writers or just getting greedy?
I found this book in a vacation house I rented. It looked to be unread. It still looks that way. After reading three pages I skipped to the middle, read another couple of pages, didn't try the end. Did Patterson even bother reading this before sending it to the publisher? Where was his editor? I used to enjoy his books however, since he joined the "factory" method of pumping out books for the buck, I'll no longer give him my time or my money.

I had high hopes for this book because the premise seemed interesting. However, it's pretty obvious very early, like within the first chapter, that this first-person story of Daniel's X's life told from the point of view of 15 year old was going to be a let down. Add in aliens that are hard to believe, almost cartoonish, and you have a story that is going to be more palpable for a young adult reader - likely under the age of 13. I think even teenagers older than 13 are too savvy for this story.

I had to force myself to continue the story to the end. I enjoyed Daniel's powers and the premise, hence two stars, but the story was so poorly written that I had to force myself to finish the book.

This is definitely something you borrow from the library. You'll be upset if you spend your money on this book, which is unfortunate.

Truth is- I love James Pattersons's books, especially his Maximum Ride series. However, I was very disappointed when I began reading this book. It is about a 15 year old boy who has super powers and fights aliens. The main thing about this book I hate is that it's boring. Period. The only thing that kept me going was Patterson's writing style and sense of humor. Daniel's powers make no sense and have pretty weird limitations. It would be nice if Daniel did not have so many powers and had a better reason to kill. The only reason he hunts aliens is because he wants to avenge his dead parents. Yet, the book almost never mentions the emotions Daniel has about his dead parents. The plot itself is pretty shakey and also rather confusing. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. I suggest you either borrow from a library (what I did). I'm usually not picky about what books I read, but I couldn't read through this whole book- it's too boring.

EHHH. I dont know. Weak characters, weak plot line, weak happenings. The author intends to make us scared for the Daniel, but we dont. Plus, Daniel, not even just as a character, as a person, is weak. He lets basic things take him down, lets his friends make him emotional, goes into to stupid situations- and more than anything , is bigheaded. Sorry, but No. Maximum ride was so much stronger!

I enjoyed Patterson books way back, but everything lately is just plain drivel. And the 1 or 2 page "chapter" thing got old years ago. The premise of this book sounded like it might be interesting, so I tried it.

The book said it was for folks "from 8 to 80". *I* thought they meant AGES 8 to 80 but after reading the book I realize they meant IQ POINTS!

Seriously, this thing is a little kids book and not fit for any kid pretty much old enough to read it for themselves. There has to be a lot better material to read to your kids or for them to read for themselves than this.

For adults, don't even bother opening the book as it is pure Patterson junk in the worst way.

There is this THING going on whereby famous authors in the mystery-thriller genre are writing truly awful stuff using barely acknowleged "ghost writers".

Some would say these co-authors are learning from the master.

That's the polite way of saying they are being USED for their own good.

Absurd.

Whereas I was a loyal Patterson fan, his takeoffs in other directions, using/abusing "ghost writers", has moved me to avoid any further purchase of his books.

I would merely be echoing other reviewers as to the depressingly low quality/value of "Daniel X", so I will stop here.

This isn't your typical read or story from Patterson which is a good thing. I believe it is good for the mind not to read the same type of story repeatedly over and over. It is a good thing for the mind to read something a little out of the ordinary which this story does. I found this fascinating from the beginning to the end. I wonder why all the bad reviews for this story.

This isn't your typical read or story from Patterson which is a good thing. I believe it is good for the mind not to read the same type of story repeatedly over and over. It is a good thing for the mind to read something a little out of the ordinary which this story does. I found this fascinating from the beginning to the end. I wonder why all the bad reviews for this story.

i 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.

This review is not meant to mean or inappropriate, it's just the facts as I see them, and I DO realize how subjective that is; Daniel X, what do you say about a book that was almost painful to get through? If you are a tween boy, who has been fed a steady diet of Power Rangers, Pokemon, and McDonalds' Happy Meal Toys, you might find this book somewhat entertaining. This book is a bad rip off of Men in Black and Ben 10, if James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge don't get sued for copyright infringement, they should at least be hung by their thumbs and forced to watch Teletubbies for an extended period of time, though I fear that would be too kind, and an insult to Teletubbies. In short, if you are stuck on a desert island with this as your only book, you are better off burning it for warmth than ever reading it.

The premise sounded great - alien teenager good guy with superpowers fights evil aliens who killed his parents. Unfortunately, the execution is pretty amateur. Even as a preteen I would have been disappointed with the inconsistencies in the superpowers and the cartoonish bad guy aliens. I gave up about halfway through this very short book.

Imagine a world where anything is possible,well this is Daniel X's world. Daniel isn't your average 15 year old boy, he's a Alien Hunter and probably Earth's (Terra Firma) only protection from the most brutal and sadistic killers in the galaxy, Alien Outlaws. His story begins 12 years from present day, when he was three. While playing in the basement he hears his mother and father talk to a Unexpected visitor. The visitor wants something called "The List". Instead of getting the List and leaving, he kills off Daniel's parents. After a fast escape from a burning house and The vistor's wrath, We zoom to present day, and join Daniel X on a journey to defeat an Outlaw called Seth. The story will grip you and throw you around like a roller coaster, J.P's best world yet...

My first James Patterson book. Wished that it wasn't. Daniel X certainly doesn't have much to offer. I'll sum it up and make it short and sweet.

Daniel is basically an alien boy who turned himself into a flea to save himself from some killer alien known as the Prayer and can create stuff with his mind. I mean, what is he, a GOD? Daniel recreates his parents, sister, and friends whenever he feels lonely. Isn't that basically like TALKING to yourself? What's the deal with that? What are they MADE out of? James Patterson, time to shelve something new...and nothing about teenagers who think they're gods, please?

Question #1 - why did Patterson need any help writing this "See Spot run. See Jane run after Spot." malarkey.

Probable answer #1 - Hey Ledwidge (co-author), let me dot an I and cross a T, put my name on your book, sell 10 times as many with my name on it, and you give me half.

I think Patterson would put his name on a Chinese Restaurant menu to make a buck.

As to shape-changing Daniel, why bother changing into a tick, change into a T-Rex, kick some enemy alien behind, save yourself a lot of grief and pain, and thus qualify for a 2-page, 1-chapter book.

I am through with Patterson.

Jeff

This book started out pretty interesting, but with each chapter I got bored with it. I did, however, like the short chapters. It keeps things moving, but to be honest the whole plot with the aliens and Daniel in high school....just not my cup of tea. Maybe if I were younger I would have liked this story more.

this book was just amazing(just like any other james patterson book). i mean shure, this book is more interesting for teens than adults but that is because the author meant it that way or else it wouldnt BE in the young adult section. if you are a adult and didnt like this book than all i have to say is tha you probably shouldnt read teen books.

Entertainment for all ages, which is how this book was advertised, does not mean boring. The Harry Potter books are a good example of a storyline that all ages may enjoy.

In the first few pages, I thought this might be similar to the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz, but this was not to be the case. With chapters being 1.5 to 4 pages long and larger than typical print size, I am glad I didn't pay $20 for this.

Patterson hops on the "super hero" bandwagon to make his big buck$: Daniel X is simply a repackaging of Superman & Marvel's X-Men, written in a painfully slow and drawn-out style designed to be serialized. I forced myself to get 2/3rds of the way through, but stopped out of sheer boredom. Is there any author out there who can come up with something new and original?

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.

this book is quite different than the other books that James Patterson has written. i am a thirteen year old girl and this book is like way out there in the alien world. i mean i still like it, its just that it is really different.

Imagine if the explanation for much of the murder and mayhem in our world was that the offenders were possessed by nasty aliens?
Yes, the writing style reveals that this is book targets teen readers, but who cares? I still very much enjoyed it. A great story can be told without big words and complex plots. It was a fast, fun read.

So, this book didn't captivate me from the start. Ultimately all of the failings I see with this book can be taken as failings of the main character and narrator. He tells us how shocking or exciting things are when they aren't that exciting, and he tries to sell us on his friends and family as being really good at things, when ultimately they are imaginary, brought to life by Daniel's powers.

However, if these failings are Daniel's, it's never addressed directly in this book, and my hope that these things would be addressed was what kept me reading.

I can not recommend this book. It is decent but not great (but not horrible either), and doesn't function as a particularly great scifi or superhero book.

I have read other books written by James Patterson, Cross as an example, and was expecting the same calibre book here. I wish I would have read some reviews first. The writing seemed like it had been done by somebody many years younger with no experience. It was ripe with cheesy comments, and overflowing with cliches. I thought that it had some good ideas, and possibly a good potential story, but the story jumped too much without enough explanations and background. Look for it at a used bookstore, you should find a few copies.