REVIEW FROM WEEK 39 AND 40

WEEKS 39

"The Dangerous Days of Daniel X" by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
(from back cover)
From the day that his parents were brutally murdered before his very eyes, Daniel X has used his secret abilities--like being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind--to hunt down their assassin. Finally, with the help of The List, bequeathed to him by his parents' dying breath, he is closing in on the killer.



MY THOUGHTS: This book wasn't what I thought it was. I have never read a book like this by James Patterson. It is a Science Fiction book. It is also about a teenager who has secret abilities. He is an alien living on our planet as a human. Another alien came here looking for THE LIST. That is why his parents were killed. Now Daniel is hunting down all the aliens on that list. He has some help from people he has made up to be his friends. He also has his mom and dad, that he has made up from his memories of them. They are as real as if they were there. He is also just 15 years old. This is a very good book and I really enjoyed it a lot.

WEEK 40

"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski
(from back cover)
Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm--and into Edgar's mother's affections.

Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires--spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.

MY THOUGHTS: I have heard of this book a lot, hopping around book blogland, and saw different opinions of it. I got the book Saturday at the library and was a little awed by how thick it was. 904 pages long. But once I started it I couldn't put it down. It kept calling me to finish it. I wanted to find out what happened to Edgar's father and what his uncle had to do with all this. As Edgar searches out the whys and hows a terrible accident happens that sends Edgar and three of dogs into the wilds of Northern Wisconsin. Edgar does a lot of growing up while on the run and finally figures out being home with his mother and dogs is what he wants. So he heads home to find a way to implicate his uncle in his father's death. I didn't really like the ending to this book. I left questions that would have liked answered. Other than the ending this book was written beautifully. I felt like I was with Edgar and the dogs while they were growing up together. Awesome book!!