Night Runner by Max Turner

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Re-Read? Absolutely. It reminded me of a certain other Vampire book... :)

Recommend? Yes! I think boys would love this book actually, which is rare for me to say. This book is definitely for both genders.

Release Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 272

Synopsis:

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 visited him often enough; and Nurse Ophelia--the prettiest no-nonsense nurse ever--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 crossed Zack's mind to leave...until the night someone crashed through the front doors and told him to run. Now he's on a race for answers--about his past, his parents, and his strange sickness--even as every step takes him closer to the darkest of truths.

My Thoughts:

Night Runner was a face paced tale about a boy (named Zack) whose had everything but a normal life. It was interesting to hear about his life living in a mental ward and not being able to hang around kids his own age. How he went through his fathers death, and then a near death experience himself. Though, Zack actually did really well with it. His visits from his friend Charlie kept him in touch with the real world and that was enough for him. Zack is a genuinely good kid.

There was a ton of background information in this book, so that sometimes the characters appeared a bit flat and static. I really enjoyed the background info and I know it is very necessary for the story, but I wish there was a little more characterization for some of the smaller characters. I actually was very surprised by Charlie. I expected several different outcomes for him, but things turned out very differently. I liked it.

The story was very interesting and kept me reading and I actually finished this book relatively quickly (which is hard nowadays with college). The plot was easy to navigate and understand and I liked the spin they took with it. The pace held well and kept me reading, which is always a good thing. I loved the ending-- Though I won't spoil anything! This is a definite read if you have some spare time.

Details:

Cover: 5.0
Plot: 4.0
Characters: 3.5
Writing: 4.0