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    Night Runner
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    Night Runner
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    Night Runner
    Ebook282 pages4 hours

    Night Runner

    By Max Turner

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 24, 2010
    ISBN9781443405096
    Unavailable
    Night Runner
    Author

    Max Turner

    MAX TURNER writes urban fantasy books and is also a science and physical education teacher. His first novel, Night Runner, was a Red Maple Award Honour Book and a finalist for the Sunburst Award. Its sequel, End of Days, was shortlisted for the Ottawa Book Award. He lives in Ottawa with his wife and three children.

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    Reviews for Night Runner

    3.5/5

    103 ratings23 reviews

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    • 3/5
      3.7 Stars

      I really enjoyed this vampire story. The plot twist near the end was surprising and fun. I felt the foreshadowing was a little heavy handed, but overall this was an amusing read. I think I will pick up the sequel, too.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed the first part of this book and slowly learning the symptoms that he had. The rest of the book was alright. I liked Zack's character, but I found the other characters slightly flat. Perhaps it was because of the style of narrative, I don't know. It's worth reading if you like paranormal YA novels.
    • 5/5
      Night Runner is the best book about vampires! This book is about a 15 year old boy named Nate and his Best friend named Charlie. Nate has been at the ward since he was 5 and only comes out of his room, at night. One day, Nate's Uncle, Max came to visit Nate and while he was there Uncle Max warned him that someone was coming to get him and to run as fast as he could when it reached nightfall. It never even occured to Nate that he was a vampire, i mean, it was right there all along, he only eats special red juice, he comes out at night, and his favorite thing to do is run, Alot, and fast. Night runner is a great book, and if you like Mysteries, Death, and action, then this is the book for you. I like the book Night Runner because it has alot of action and killing.
    • 5/5
      This book is about a boy named zack who went in coma when he was eight years old and ever since then he has thought he had a disease. After 5 years Zack finds out that when he was alone in the desert a dog didnt bight him a vampire did, which makes him a vampire. Zack's uncle comes to visit him and explains everything. Apparently Zack's dad was a vampire killer and when he was exploring the old runes, they didnt fall on accident and kill him, no vorlok an evil vampire kills him. Now Zack's nurseis missing and he is off on an adventure to find her and learn how to train zack to control his thirst for blood. I think you should read this book becuz it is a horror book and you will never want to put it down. If you like horror books this is one of the best books you can read. This is the very first book of a series. That is why you should read this book.
    • 2/5
      This book was a little too over written for a YA Action book. There was so much word building and so much detail to things that really didn't matter. The main character who's pov the story is told in seemed to ramble on for no reason. Has this been a General Fiction book it might have been useful info to the story but when you’re just reading and waiting for the action to start it's just boring. I'm not sure if it was done because is a first book or just how the writer writes. You open the book with an action scene then have another in the middle of the book then in the last 50 pages it’s pretty much all action but between the action scenes its Blah Blah Blah most of it boring. I will probably pick up the second in the series just to see how it is if it’s boring I won’t finish it. : )
    • 1/5
      I liked the beginning of this book, but once Zack went out on the run (early in the book) the writing became very immature. I actually enjoy a lot of young adult books, but not this one. It was just too immature and too easy to guess what would happen next.
    • 4/5
      Action packed and nonstop from the beginning I instantly fell in love with Night Runner's main character Zack. His existence, while almost-excepted on his behalf but still sad, drew me in from the beginning. His story intrigued me and even if he didn't want to solve the mystery that surrounded his life I sure as heck did. This book while not something I would typically pick up ended up being one I loved for many reasons including Max's voice and personality. The secondary characters in this story also offer a great foundation to this story rounding it out. Romance took a backseat in this novel making it great for teen guys and girls alike.
    • 3/5
      This book is about a boy named Zach who lives in the Nicholls Ward. He's not the normal boy you might see. He drinks this red stuff made by his nurse. One day Zach was in the Ward when this crazy man crashes into the lobby. He saw Zach and told him to run. Now Zach is running for his life. I didn't really like the book though because I'm not a huge vampire fan, however I would recommend this book to those Vampire lovers out there. I think you would really enjoy it. I think this book is good for middle school kids because there is a bit of blood and gore so it may not be suitable for elementary students. As you can see I only gave this book three stars because I didn't like the writing, it didn't really make sense to me and I am not sure why. But if you like Vampires then you should read this!
    • 3/5
      This was supposed to be an early reviewer book, but since I never received my copy, I checked it out from the library. I am constantly on the lookout for YA books that my oldest son and I can both enjoy. This one somewhat fit the bill. I enjoyed it, but there were so many awkward things left hanging. My son decided he did not want to read it. The premise was a little reminiscent of Harry Potter waking up one day to find he was not the boy he thought, but it was readable and I look forward to finding out more about Zach.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. It had a unique perspective, amusing and well-described characters, and a mostly "believable" plot line, though I thought the best parts were about the characters and dialogue rather than the action. The crazy guy who crashes into the hospital at the beginning reminds me eerily of Doc Brown from Back to the Future - I could picture him saying all those lines in my head... I didn't think I was going to like the ending, but it managed to wrap things up nicely. I look forward to reading more by this author.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book a must read go out and buy it
    • 4/5
      Zack Thomson lives in the Nicholls Ward – a mental institution, but it isn’t too bad. His medical condition makes it necessary for him to sleep all day and eat a very special diet consisting of strawberry smoothies. Living at Nicholls Ward ensures he gets everything he needs. He likes most of the people there, even the patients, but one nurse in particular is very close to his heart. Nurse Ophelia is the one that usually checks on him to make sure he has everything he needs and makes his dinner and snack during the night shift when she works.Zack has a best friend named Charlie that comes to visit him often. They play video games or move furniture around to create barriers for ping pong wars. Since Zack is only up at night, he basically has the place to himself so they can do just about anything they want (as long as they put everything back by morning). Sometimes Nurse Ophelia even takes him and Charlie out bowling. Zack has never given leaving Nicholls Ward a second thought – until someone comes crashing through the front entrance on a motorcycle and tells him to RUN!Zack is running for his life. With the help of Charlie he tries to stay out of sight and find the truth. The truth about his father’s death and the truth about himself. Nothing is as it seems.NIGHT RUNNER is great. I picked it up because I saw that someone mentioned that it was gory and thought it might be a good horror novel. While there is some biting and bloodshed, it isn’t anything I would consider horror. Vampire lovers will like it.NIGHT RUNNER is Max Turner’s first novel. He is a high school science teacher in Ottawa. I can’t wait for the sequel. ”Turner confirmed there would be a sequel. In fact, he had previously written and finished the sequel before he brought Night Runner to Harper Collins; however, due to a change in the ending of his debut novel, Turner rewrote the sequel three times before being satisfied.” (East Ottawa Star, Nov. 2008)Check out Max Turner’s Facebook Page.
    • 4/5
      What a ride! This book was thrilling and exhilarating! With all of the new vampire books coming out because of this vampire craze it was nice to hear a fresh voice in the genre. The characters were complex, funny, and oftentimes insightful. I think I'll definitely be reading this one again! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading AND also reluctant boy readers, who I feel would really get into this book. I really enjoyed Turner's writing and I can't wait to read another one of his books soon!
    • 4/5
      There are a few things for certain that I did not know when I received this book. 1. I had no idea it was a Young Adult Novel upon receipt. 2. I had no idea it was a vampire tale.To be honest, I really didn’t know what to expect – but this wasn’t it. That’s not a bad thing, though. Even so, I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I love any novel that has some sort of psychological aspect. Starting out in a mental ward was incredibly interesting to me, although the novel didn’t truly discuss the other patients. Fortunately, this book starts out pretty quickly and before you know it, Zack is on the loose and running to find out the truth – and to live undead.Night Runner was a highly suspenseful, yet quick read. It definitely had a different take on Vampire-ism, and more from the “virus” aspect rather than paranormal. It almost made Vampirism believable as a true disorder. The only part I did not like about this, was the ending. It felt jumbled up and quick. I hate to go into it, so I won’t.. but the ending wasn’t believable for me. Almost too good to be true, in a way. Also – I know he’s 15 and all, but he falls in love with this girl in 24 hours. That bugged me.. but I guess most 15 year olds do, at least their idea of love. Considering he’s been locked up in a metal ward for 8 years, I guess that can be semi-believable.Before this, I had never read anything by Max Turner.. but after this, I will definitely read something else of his. I really hope he develops more Zach books because Zach was a truly likeable character and I would like to find out how he is further coping with his new realized identity.
    • 4/5
      Night Runner is about a 15 year boy named Zack who finds himself on the run and discovering a whole new world. The plot was a slight change from your usual vampire stories due to the fact that he did not know he was a vampire in the beginning. I pretty much figured out that he was vampire right away even though the author doesn't let us in on the secret immediately. I mean all the signs were there. You know the classic tell tell signs like unable to eat food, allergic to the sunlight, being able to run for hours without being fatigued, and yeah sleeping during the day. Apparently this did not occur to him until the obvious was pointed out to him by his long lost uncle Max. I must say the beginning was great. It had momentum and attracted my attention right away. The story flowed pretty good except in the middle when he is hanging out with his best friend Charlie. Oops I mean he was hiding out. The author did a great job in telling the story. Clearly this is meant for a young adult reading due to the lack of gore and adult topics I'm used to reading in vampire stories. I'm glad I read it. It was definitely worth reading if you are looking for a otherworldly read without the adult content.
    • 4/5
      Zack is a fifteen year old orphan plagued with an unknown condition and consequently forced to live in a mental institution. His life consists of sleeping by day (due to his strange allergy to light and food and pretty much everything) and entertaining himself by night via the gym and the television. He is completely cut off from the outside world with the exception of his life-time friend Charlie; in conclusion, his life is a total bore. Until one night when a crazy old man crashes into the building and tells Zack that people are after him and he has to run. From that point on Zack can kiss his boring life behind as everything is thrown into chaos and confusion and Zack goes on a journey to figure out himself and reveal what really happened to his parents. This book is definitely a twist on the old vampire tale---although when I began it I did not realize it was a vampire novel. I wasn't sure whether I would like this book or not in the beginning because it is written in first person and Zack, the narrator, is a little unreliable, not to mention a little strange after being practically raised in isolation. Even though I thought it could be a bit more detailed in some parts, also a little more gory, I liked how the tale is told from a vampire's perspective, even though he is just getting used to the idea. Despite my longing of more detailed description it was a fun read, and kind of seems like it needs a sequel. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a vampire story told from a different angle. Or a teenager.
    • 5/5
      This was a very good read that I would not normally have picked up myself. It's a vampire book that is geared toward the young adult reader. It's a story about a fifteen year old boy who does not know he is a vampire and does not know why he lives in a mental hospital. The story unfolds with exciting chase scenes and humor sprinkled thourghout. Even a bit of romance. It was a bit scary, but not enough to give a kid nightmares. I will definitely be passing it on to some teenagers I know.
    • 4/5
      Night Runner, by Max Turner, is about a teenage vampire. Zach doesn't know he's a vampire. He's lived in a mental ward since he was 8, not because he's crazy but because he's an orphan with severe sun and food allergies. It isn't all bad; Zach doesn't go to school, his childhood friend Charlie comes to visit in the evenings, pretty nurse Ophelia takes him bowling and to the movies too. So what if he can only eat weird strawberry smoothies? Zach's well ordered life is thrown into chaos one night when a man on a motorcycle crashes into the ward and tells Zach to run. Zach's surprised, even more so when the man jumps out of an ambulance after being shot in the chest! The next night Zach's uncle Max shows up and tells him that not only was Zach's dad a vampire hunter, the vampire who killed him infected Zach. While this knowledge at least clears up some of Zach's past, it really complicates his future. I liked this book because i liked Zach. He's a sweet, pretty innocent kid. He's naive so makes some choices about who to trust that end up hurting him. In some novels these come off as just plot devices, but it makes sense from the character's perspective: he's been so sheltered his entire life that he's got no experiences to draw from. He's also not a Bella "vampires are the coolest thing ever" character. He's torn over what he is and really would rather be normal with a regular life. Turner writes decently though i feel the book was a bit fast. Turner seems to like writing action; it's easy to follow and i never wondered what was going on. As for the characters, Zach is fully formed but a some of the other characters are only lightly done: "best friend" Charlie, "love interest" Luna, "protective mom figure" Ophelia. Maybe that will change a bit if this book becomes a series.
    • 4/5
      I won this book from Early Reviewers but I didn't remember requesting it. It's not something I would normally have picked. But when it came I decided to check it out. The story set up - orphan being pursued by the evil man who killed both his parents finds out that he has supernatural powers - was too reminiscent of Harry Potter. However, I liked the story very much. Zach and his friends are very likable and inject alot of humor into what could have been a dull chase story. The dialogue rings true. I actually liked all the updated vampire lore too. It made it much more believable than older vampire stories. I also liked the Canadian setting as well. This is a good easy read for YAs and appears to set up many sequels to come. Now that I've met them I think I would enjoy keeping up with Zach, Charlie, Luna, Suki and Ophelia in their next adventures. I'm also hoping that we haven't actually seen the last of Mr. Entwhistle. He's just too good a character. Max Turner tells a great fast paced story with believable and engaging characters and new twists on an old genre. Great job!
    • 3/5
      NightRunner focuses on Zack Thomson and his friend Charlie. Zack relates the story from his point of view so Turner filters everything Zack experiences from the perspective of a 15 year old teenager who hasn't had much experience in the outside world. I found this technique interesting and refreshing.I found the perspective refreshing because I: 1. Don't read too much YA books (although I would like too) and sometimes teenage characters provide interesting observations about events that as an adult, I find to be ordinary or dull, or a pain. 2. Don't read many books where teenage boys are the main characters. A teenage boy provides a perspective on events, people, and conversations are different from teenage girls and of course, adults.I enjoyed Zack and Charlie's dynamic with each other as friends. And I enjoyed Zack's observations about the people he meets when he leaves Nicholls Ward. Zack's a compassionate character who makes difficult decisions. He's a person trapped in a situation and with a physical condition not of his own choosing. He must flee the Ward because others have made that a necessity.Night Runner moves quickly. At times I thought the plot predictable (especially if you've read plenty of vampire stories) but Turner provides some interesting plot twists that caught me by surprise. I probably should have seen them coming, but I didn't, probably because I was caught up in the book's action--always a good thing. Overall, I enjoyed this book. While the plot's pretty simple, the book discusses making choices--choices between good and evil and right or wrong without becoming sanctimonious or overbearing in the process.
    • 3/5
      This book was an enjoyable read, unlike this review. It was a hidden history sort. The vampires in it where more classic than modern. but they did not need ether coffins or grave dirt, could get by on any blood, but as use, human was the best. I like that not all had same ability, but we never learn what the mc is and the whole thing just ended. there was no real wrap up. that said I found it to have more plot tan anther recent set of sparkly vamp books.
    • 3/5
      Zack Thomson has lived in a mental institute ever since his parents died, which is when he developed a strange allergy to sunlight and most foods. It's the only place where his strange needs can be looked after, and for a long time, Nurse Ophelia seems to be able to look after him. However, one night, a lunatic breaks into the institute on a motorcycle, and warns Zack to run, and his life changes dramatically after that.
    • 5/5
      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.