The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

June 30, 2008
Billed as a story "for readers from ten to a hundred and ten," this YA novel from bestseller Patterson (Maximum Ride) and collaborator Ledwidge (The Quickie), the fifth entry in the James Patterson Pageturners series, blends Harry Potter and Men in Black with results likely to please only die-hard Patterson fans. In the beginning, an alien six-and-a-half-foot-tall praying mantis known as "The Prayer" kills the parents of Daniel X, the titular hero, in the course of its search for "The List," a catalogue of "Alien Outlaws" plaguing Earth. Daniel, who can transform himself and alter reality, escapes by assuming the form of a tick, and succeeds in retrieving the list. A dozen years later, as a full-fledged "Alien Hunter," Daniel is traveling around the U.S., supporting himself and his gourmet appetites in an unspecified manner ("I didn't want to go crazy, so I settled on a rosemary-crusted rack of lamb with truffle-spiked potato puree"). Working his way up the list, Daniel prepares to take on "Number 6," Ergent Seth, before that monster can destroy Earth. Their climactic battle is as derivative as the rest of the book. Those used to a richly-imagined alternate world, developed characters and sophisticated plotting may have trouble getting past the first few chapters. Ages 8-up

August 25, 2008
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.