Night Runner (Nicola)
Night Runner by Max Turner
Pages: 261
First Published: Sept. 8, 2008 (Canada only)
Genre: YA, paranormal
Rating: 5/5
First sentence:
My name is Daniel Zachariah Thomson.
Comments: Zack is an orphan. His father died in an accident when Zack was four. Zach was there as well and was sent to the hospital in a coma. After awakening from the coma it is discovered he has a mysterious disease. He is allergic to all food and the sun. After moving from hospital to hospital he is finally confined to a hospital for mental patients and it is there that he grows up drinking special brain food drinks, sleeping during the day and waking for the night.
Then one day his favourite nurse disappears, a strange man on a motorcycle crashes through the reception windows leaving Zack with a unusual message. Later that day a large, mysterious man shows up in his bedroom, wakes him and claims to be his uncle.
Thus starts a tale where Zack finds out he is a vampire, his father was a vampire hunter and the very strong vampire who killed his father is now after him. He meets up with many people and places his trust in certain ones, yet the reader is left with an uneasy feeling that people may not be who they appear to be.
This is one of the best vampire books I’ve read in a while. Turner has created his own vampire mythos which maintains only a select portion of traditional vampire lore. Turner’s vampire world is unique and refreshing. The writing was sharp and the dialogue realistic. The tension and pace of the book started off with a bang and didn’t let up till the end. And even then, while the story is wrapped up there are many openings for a sequel and I certainly hope the author is planning to continue the story of these characters. For a first time writer, Max Turner has done a brilliant job. This book will appeal to all but especially to teen boys. It’s tough being a Canadian writer and even tougher to be a Canadian YA writer. Hopefully, this book will see international publication as it is much deserved. Highly recommended to vampire fans and worth paying the shipping from Canada to get yourself a copy.
