So, this is my first book review on Duffhood.

I’m more enthusiastic about cinema than literature but I still like to read. Mostly Sci-Fi, although I am trying to exit that comfort zone.

Daniel X is a series I’ve been following for quite a few years now.

For those who are unfamiliar the series concerns a teenage boy (Daniel X) who is an alien with the ability to shapeshift, manipulate minds and recreate his dead relatives using his imagination.

After his parents are murdered he takes the responsibility as Defender of the Earth and goes on a quest to eliminate every name on the List of Alien Outlaws.

Lights Out, written by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, is the sixth and final book in the series where Daniel targets The Prayer, Number 1 on the list and the alien who killed his parents.

First off, these books are really silly. They’re crawling with problems and they don’t make a lot of sense.

The biggest problem is the protagonist, Daniel.

Since he has the power to pretty much do anything he is never really challenged and even when he is, he quickly resolves the opposition using his imagination.

This spawns another issue. Daniel never changes.

I think the idea of a protagonist changing when faced with opposition is a fact taught in Writing 101 and Daniel X failed.

So why did I continue to read the series? Well, hating Daniel X is like hating Doctor Who or the Jack Frost films.

They’re silly but they don’t care. Patterson was clearly having fun writing these books and it shows.

Lights Out has the immense action, cheesy humour and crazy imagination the previous five books had.

As a conclusion I felt a little empty handed. I was expecting this to be the biggest and craziest Daniel X book of them all and while it does have great action, it doesn’t seem any bigger than any of the previous entries.

Armageddon, the fifth book, is probably the biggest in terms of scale.

Lights Out however needed to be more epic.

That’s the only genuine criticism I can think of, apart from the countless plot holes but since its Daniel X they’re forgivable flaws.

In conclusion Daniel X: Lights Out could’ve been better but its still just as silly, wild and charming and makes for a decent conclusion.

Daniel X: Lights Out earns an adorable 5 out of 10.