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)
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From the Publisher
PRAISE FOR THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X "[Daniel X] has all the characteristic of his work for grown-ups: pace, action, mystery and cool...sharp and punchy with plenty of jokes and shocks."—Sunday Times (UK)
"A very satisfying read...and the cataclysmic ending is as clever and explosive as it is unpredictable. You won't see the end coming but you will be cheering when it arrives."—EDGEBoston.com
"Daniel X is a lightning-fast page-turner...an absolutely addictive read."—NightsandWeekends.com
"Polished, entertaining, and fashionable.... I'll be sharing [it] with my son."—Fantasy Book Critic
NightsandWeekends.com
"Entertaining . . . absolutely addictive . . . a lightning-fast page-turner."
Sunday Times (UK)
"Has all the characteristics of his work for grown-ups: pace, action, mystery, and cool . . . sharp and punchy with plenty of jokes and shocks."
Freshfiction.com
"Lots of action . . . a fast and furious read."
The Urban Intelligensia
"If THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X were a movie, I'd give it four stars. If it were a television show, I'd definitely place it in the category of 'must-see tv.' I couldn't put the book down!"
NOVEMBER 2008 - AudioFile
James Patterson is really getting this teen science-fiction genre down. The author of the MAXIMUM RIDE series, about bird children, is at it again with THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X, with some writing assistance from Michael Ledwidge. They could not have done better than Milo Ventimiglia as the narrator of this short novel about an alien boy, Daniel, who lives on Earth and hunts evil extraterrestrials who want to enslave the population and drain its resources. Clearly, kids will love this amazing alien gifted with mysterious powers. As Daniel, Ventimiglia, a regular on “Heroes” and “Gilmore Girls,” comes off as brash and confident, but, at the same time, a little scared about his mission. Ventimiglia also does a mean horse-faced alien impression. M.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine