The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Daniel X is a 14 year old orphan with incredible powers and a heavy responsibility. He can run incredibly fast, read minds, and create objects with his mind. He even recreates his murdered family when he feels lonely. And what does an orphaned boy with superpowers do everyday? He hunts aliens that are secretly living on Earth. Daniel owns a special laptop that supplies him with a most wanted list of alien threats to Earth. When he decides to go after #6 on the list he bites off more then he bargained for and may face his first defeat. The problem is that in his line of work defeat usually means death.

For me, this book did not live up to its potential. The idea of Daniel X, a teenage alien bounty hunter, is really cool but in the hands of James Patterson it just comes out as if you are reading the Cliffs Notes version of a better book. It is frustrating that the narrative is watered down as much as it is because it made it difficult for me to really get into and enjoy the book. By the end of the book I was enjoying it a bit more, although the ending is just as rushed as the rest of the book. The concept though holds a lot of promise and I really hope that the second in the series will slow down and show us more of Daniel, his job, and powers, and not the slide show tour that made up the first book. Daniel X is appropriate for all readers, and will interest boys who are looking for a quick action book with sci-fi elements. Its narrative problems may work in its favor when introduced to reluctant readers, who may not expect to invest a lot of time in a novel.

Posted under a librarian reads, review