Night Runner by Max Turner

Night Runner is the debut novel by Max Turner.  I won a copy of this book from The Story Siren and since I am a "sucker" (awesome pun right?!)  for a good vampire story,  I was excited to read it!  I have to say that I literally flew through this book!  It was really good!

From the back of the book:

"For Zack Thomson, living in the Nicholls Ward isn't so bad.  After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after. As strange as it was, it was home.  He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend, Charlie, often visited him; and Nurse Ophelia sometimes took him bowling.  Of course, that didn't mean he had it easy.  His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital could get lonely.  But it never once crosses Zack's mind to leave... until the night someone crashes through the front doors and tells him to run.  Along with Charlie and a girl he may or may not be falling in love with, he does just that: run.  Under cover of night, hiding amongst the shadows, he races for the truth."


I really enjoyed this book!  Zack was such a "normal" teenager in most aspects but extremely different in others. He lived a sheltered life in the mental ward and was naive about many things, but this gave him a vulnerability that was endearing.  The other characters in the book were developed in a way that made them believable, even though they were vampires!  I liked the way that the author told the story without giving too many details away.  This kept me glued to the story because I was unsure of where the story was heading next! The pace of the book was fast enough to keep you on your toes, but not so fast that you find it hard to grasp the details.  The author was very descriptive and this allowed me to visualize the story unfolding as I read.

Overall, I would say that this is a stellar debut novel!  There was plenty of action, suspense and intrigue. There is also the beginnings of a romance that is sure to blossom in the series as it continues.  The ending was awesome!  It was unexpected and exciting and opened the door for a killer sequel!  If you like the YA vampire genre- go out and get Night Runner by Max Turner.