I have never read a single young adult fiction book about vampires. Not Twilight, not Vampire Diaries even though I have watched the movies and the television series. Vampire Diaries is turning out to be one of those rare shows that get better with each season. I would even go as far as to say it’s as good as the mother of all vampire shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Just less snark.

I picked up Night Runner, a debut novel by Canadian Max Turner while browsing at the local bookstore. The hook intrigued me: Zack, a young man who has spent all of his young life living among the insane in a mental institution finds out his life may be stranger than it already is, starting with the men who are trying to kill him. With the help of his only friend Charlie, he escapes into the outside world with evil tailing him every step of the way. But his worst enemy is his emerging darker vampire nature which threatens to complicate his friendships and a budding romance with a beautiful girl.

I like the protagonist. Zack makes mistakes. He’s rash, he has no social skills other than the ones he learned in the mental hospital. These flaws make him “human” and more like the awkward teenager he is. Current pop culture commonly portray vampire protagonists as Adonis figures with perfect manners. Zack is a refreshing change; he’s the geek of his kind.

The book is slow in some places, confusing in others. Some of the descriptions were unnecessary (like what the inside of Zack’s uncle’s super car looked like). They just ended up slowing down the plot. Then again, I’m not the typical boy audience this book is geared towards. I’m glad though that I stuck it out to the end. It’s an excellent cliffhanger and it’s made me curious about the next book in the series, End of Days. So if you’re looking for a contemporary vampire tale set in Canada with more grounded and less fantastical characters, Night Runner is the book for you.

Any potential for a movie adaptation? As far as I know, there are no plans to adapt the book. If it were ever adapted you could get a movie in the same vein as 2010’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, an toneless action movie with even less special effects. It probably would be a more interesting TV series adaptation.

Rating: Not a must read.