Flippin' Backwards: Vol 1 Issue 1 - Old Magic & Night Runner

My inability to go back in time and thoroughly review every single YA book has made me result to what I am calling Flippin' Backwards.

I'm going to go back and take a peak at some of my favorite books- again!

These will be mini-reviews of stand alone books and series alike.

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Halloween Special

Old Magic by Marianne Curley

Date First Published: April 2000 (hardback)
My Copy Published: December 2009 (paperback)
Published by: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 369 (paperback)
What's in it: Magic, Curses, Time Travel, Love
Overall Rating: 

Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing, but Kate Warren doesn't know why. (Click Here for Full Book Synopsis)

My Thoughts:  This book has a little of everything thrown into one decently sized novel.  I was easily sucked into Old Magic and found myself feeling the emotions of both Jarrod and Kate.  Something I hate to see is novels that lack character development and growth, this one does not lack either.  While I found myself disappointed at Jarrod in the beginning of this story, his character grew dramatically and believably, and I found myself rooting both main characters on during their journey.  Surprisingly, the time travel didn't disrupt the story.  For me it added depth and livened the story dramatically. 
This book was thrilling and always gave me something to go on for, including Jarrod and Kate's growing romance which set the tone and edge for this story along with a full plot.  This is definitely worth a read! 

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Night Runner by Max Turner

Date First Published: September 2008 (paperback)
My Copy Published: September 2009 (paperback)
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 261 (paperback)
What's in it: Action, Mystery, Fantasy, with a touch of possible Romance
Overall Rating: 

For Zack Thomson, life in the Nicholls Ward wasn't so bad (Click Here for Full Book Synopsis)

My Thoughts:  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.

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(All information taken from Goodreads.  Click on a cover to be taken to their respective Goodreads page)