The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
by James Patterson
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Book Reviews of The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
Book Review: Well, it's not Maximum Ride, but...
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: Doesn't meet Patterson's high standard
Summary: 3 Stars
I was mildly disappointed with this book. It seemed to go by too quick with very little detail; almost reading as a brainstorm than an actual novel. The ideas and originality were there, but it definitly lacked depth. I kept thinking of The Host, by Stephanie Meyer, as I read this; and how much better it was for having a similar concept. I just felt like the aliens themselves could have been given more detail, he could have taken the time to really describe them and go into details, but it seemed as though everything was summed up and rushed through. The only time the book slowed to a decent pace was near the end, at which point the description and story really reached where it should have been all along.
I will say, after reading this I passed it on to my 9 year old, and he LOVED it. He's a big Ben10 fan and really related this book to that show, reading it almost as quickly as I did. So for kids, I do recommend this, though it doesn't even begin to compete with the bestselling kids books out there. For adults, I would not recommend.
Book Review: Give this book to your high-reading elementary student!
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: X-tremely hard to finish
Summary: 2 Stars
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.
Book Review: A Failed Attempt at a Childrens Book Couched in a Republican Allegory
Summary: 1 Stars
From the outset this book screamed "I want to be the first in a series of books like Harry Potter!" Actually, I wasn't quite sure if what I was reading was meant to be taken literally or figuratively, while at the same time wondering if this was a children's book or adult fair. Fair enough that most books have a surface story co-existent with sub text but the problem was that I could never fully comprehend which was supposed to be which. SPOILERS AHEAD -- In the end all I really took away was that this book was an allegory for the strength and truth of the republican party. The evil Californian film producer is finally ripped apart by the mighty elephant. Allegiances aside, cramming any sort of propaganda like that down my throat will just create vomit and bile.