Wow, this little gem doesn't waste much time getting down to business!
Danny is traded by his lowlife gambling addicted father in lieu of his latest $12,000 gambling debt. Danny accepts believing he can endure a month of basically being a whore. Unfortunately, Mr. Archer has other, much bigger, more devious plans.
Even though Danny's transformation occurs in an amazingly short time, nothing was ever really that unbelievable, and most even seemed quite plausible. Archer forces Danny to be reborn, first as a child, then as an adult. It is the process that is, of course, questionable on so many levels.
There are quite a few creepy characters here, aside from Mr. Archer, but Danny/Daniel is the real star here. He tries to fight for so long to hold on to who he was so that he can reclaim that part of him when he leaves. I loved his inner dialog and struggles and really wanted to see him come out the other side of this in a good way.
I was definitely not envisioning the ending happening as it did. I should have known Archer had a more long-term plan, since he waited so long initially for Daniel. Suffice to say, this was one fast hauntingly exciting ride. I could have easily read it in one sitting, and even though I couldn't wait to get to the ending, I was saddened to let Daniel go.