Max Turner (2)

It's nice to get a break from all the swooning once in a while. This was a fun vampire story with a likable narrator in Zack, a boy who has lived in a mental hospital for several years after being bitten by a "dog" when he was a child. At the same time, his father was killed, leaving him an orphan. With Zack's allergy to the sun and to all foods except his special red shakes, the author doesn't really keep the reader in the dark about his character's true nature, but he does keep Zack in the show more dark for a while. Zack's only contact with the outside world has been through limited outings, TV and visits from his best childhood friend, so his introduction to the human world later in the book is as entertaining as his introduction to the vampire world, and his comments that compare pop cultural relationship ideals to real life are humorous. The story was simply told, but good enough that I want to check out the next one in the series. show less

This novel is a lot of fun!

It is the sequel to Night Runner, which was an OLA Red Maple Award Honour Book and Shortlisted for the Sunburst Award.

Last year I reviewed Night Runner and said, "I like this novel because it has twists and turns, great characters and wry humour. While the protagonist is a vampire, this novel deals more with secrets and life choices than it does with vampire angst. More than just a page turner, you will be drawn to the lovable, realistic, multifaceted characters show more and their weird, humorous reflections as they deal with life's challenges. "

If you have read this far you are probably thinking, OMG another vampire book for teenage girls. You would be wrong. While this is yet another vampire book, it wasn't inspired by the Twilight craze but rather by the desire to whet the appetite of young male readers. Although I am not the target demographic, this novel captured my interest mostly because it is not a star-crossed romance. This is the story of a young boy who, through no fault of his own, is forced to adapt -- to accept his body for what it is, to solve mysteries, cryptic prophecies, deal with dangerous creatures and navigate the tangled and messy interpersonal relationships that are integral to adolescence. This novel appeals directly to all young people and specifically to boys who face similar challenges (-- body image, mysteries of life, confusing female communication, dealing with dangerous creatures of the opposite sex, and learning to handle new relationships). The End of Days begins with,

"I'm told vampires are popular in books these days. I'm not surprised. The perks of infection are pretty sick. Awesome physical power. Highly tuned senses. The ability to recover from almost any injury. Good dental hygiene. A simple diet. And that immortality thing -- very impressive on a resume." p.1

This is clearly a male voice -- it does not deal with affairs of the heart rather with the physical aspects of being a vampire and all the challenges associated with that destiny. Zach, the protagonist, wonders,

"My head was full of questions. 'Am I that messiah?'...'So what do I do? Who can I trust? This thing, this Beast, it seems unstoppable. And the Coven wants me dead, me and my friends. They've already sent one vampire. Mr. Entwistle thinks they'll send an army of them once they stop fighting one another.'" p. 132-133.

In addition to being a exciting face-paced page-turner End of Days is also a clever, humorous and insightful novel. Here is an excerpt of a pursuit of a hairy wolf like creature.

"The door frame buckled under Mr. Entwistle's boot. Pieces of cinder block scattered as the housing for the deadbolt tore loose from the wall.

'Well, there goes the element of surprise,' Charlie muttered.

The old vampire laughed. 'The way you two breathe, he could hear you through six feet of concrete.' He stuck his head in the doorway. 'Honey, I'm home...' His voice was remarkably steady....

'Well, let's see what Old Yeller was up to.' Mr. Entwistle moved carefully into the room". p. 228

While details draw the reader into the chase, the pervasive humour remains just as entertaining. As well, all the characters and especially Zack take things in stride with a realistic and pragmatic approach. At the beginning of the next chapter, he reflects,

"Hope is a funny thing. It can be totally unreasonable-- bone dumb, in fact -- and a part of it still clings to your brain. I remember as a kid hoping to find a lightsaber in my Christmas stocking, and after reading my first Marvel Tales comic, hoping that I might get bitten by a radioactive bug and receive the full range of superpowers you'd expect from such a miracle. You can bet all that hope came to nothing. But other times hope is dead on. Like when you hope the winter will soon be over and it's already late April. That's the kind of hope you want to have. It's less disappointing." p. 234

Peppered with thoughtful introspection, this novel invites the reader to relate to its characters, to believe that all of today's challenges can be overcome with determination and sense of humour.

Just another vampire novel? Not really -- more like a novel about hope, about growing up, about bravely meeting challenges face on and winning. show less

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 show more 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. show less

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 show more 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. show less