Watch the Skies (Daniel X Series #2)

by James Patterson, Ned Rust

Overview

Daniel X thought he'd seen it all in his dangerous days of hunting outlaws-but there's no business like show business, and Number Five on his list of deadly targets is the most appalling criminal yet. An intergalactic reality television producer, he's orchestrated-literally-the extermination of millions, with a soundtrack and laugh track to accompany it. The evil entertainer's catching it all on film, and he's looking for a big-ticket draw. Who better to star than the Alien Hunter himself? Daniel finds himself cast in the lead role of a terrifying season premiere... of the gravest show on Earth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316119696
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	06/15/2010
Series:	Daniel X Series , #2
Pages:	239
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.75(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977 James Patterson's books have sold more than 240 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

Hometown:

Palm Beach, Florida

Date of Birth:

March 22, 1947

Place of Birth:

Newburgh, New York

Education:

B.A., Manhattan College, 1969; M.A., Vanderbilt University, 1971

Website:

http://www.jamespatterson.com

Editorial Reviews

In this James Patterson Daniel X installment, the ultimate superpower world saver has his work cut out for him -- and it's all being filmed. An alien usurper has set his targets on Holliswood, a quiet, unpretentious little town not accustomed to acts of mass mayhem. This terrifying intruder is not only killing the innocent Holliswooders, he's filming for the monsters back home. To defeat this brute, Daniel X creates his own warrior squad, setting the stage for a battle royal. Another good example of how "the king of page-turners" earned his name.

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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Publishers Weekly

When Daniel was only three years old, his parents were brutally murdered by a six-and-a-half-foot-tall praying mantis named The Prayer who had come for The List, a roll of all the current alien outlaws. Daniel himself is an extraterrestrial who makes it his mission to eliminate all those on The List. As he turns fifteen, he enters high school to avoid truancy charges from the local police, who seem to think it strange that a teenager is living alone in a house he created and who travels at odd hours. There he meets Phoebe Cook who tells him her sister Allison has been abducted. He falls for her and tries to help her find her sister. Phoebe is in actuality Ergent Seth, alien number 6 on The List. The alien captures Daniel and takes him and a group of kidnapped children he uses to sell drugs for him off in a space ship to a distant planet. Ergent Seth shoots Daniel in the stomach, and while he endures "teeth-clenching throbs of agony," Daniel still manages to escape, meet a woman who knew his father and turns out to be his grandmother, make friends with a herd of elephants who can communicate with him, and rescue the children. The whole story does not track well and is way over the top for even the most devout SF fans. Daniel has a dry sense of humor that is entertaining for a while, and there is a lot of gore and gruesome murders that will appeal to some readers. Unfortunately it is the first of a planned series. James Patterson's fans should stick with his excellent Maximum Ride books. Reviewer: Kathie Fitch

VOYA - Kathie Fitch

The Man Who Can't Miss.
— Time

Lev Grossman

"The Man Who Can't Miss."

Lev Grossman - Time

PRAISE FOR JAMES PATTERSON:
"Patterson never, and I mean never, disappoints."

Larry King - USA Today