I first read this when I was at school. I loved it then and I still love it now. It combines the story of a desperate young man, a hopeful young journalist and a cold blooded killer. The story unfolds brilliantly and the characters are fantastically written. Brilliant book!

This was recommended to me by one of my nieces as she knows I love to read. A very good book, easily read in one sitting. Danger lurks on the streets in many ways. True good Samaritans can be hard to find.

Now made homeless Link finds it hard living on the streets until he meets Ginger. Ginger befriends him and shows him how to life rough. But lurking in the shadows is a serial killer who preys on the young and vunerable and people like Link.This book is very gripping and i found it hard to put down. I think its a great read and would recommned to to anyone from the ages of 9 up.

Written by Robert Swindells, Stone Cold is a disturbing, chilling, unnerving thriller, which follows the path of a terrified homeless teenager. This book, set on the tough streets of London, won’t fail to freeze even the bravest of hearts. An acutely intriguing novel, it is destined to drive many readers to question their attitude towards homeless people. Link, a 16 year old teenager, has left his home for a life on the streets. Alone and lost, Link meets a streetwise tough: Ginger. When Ginger disappears, Link is left alone, adrift and abandoned. Life looks grim, until he meets Gail, a gorgeous, wandering 17 year old- he befriends her but sometimes, on the streets, getting what you want isn’t always what you need. Written in first person, it has a narrative divided between Link, whose chapters are full of gentle wisdom, and Shelter, an ex-sergeant major, who thinks that it is his duty to rid the streets of homeless people. Shelters’ life disappeared when he was clinically retired from the army several years ago on medical grounds, and, as he reminisces about his army days, we gain a privileged insight into Shelters head, both through his language and his actions. Link, who is old for his years, fills his chapters with a true description of what it is like to be alone in the world. His chapters are compelling, complex reading and they stay in your mind long after you’ve read the last page- these where definitely the best parts of the book. However, the plot is only woven into the first layer of the book and is far too simply revealed. Despite the twist at the end, I felt that the storyline could incorporated much more into the book also some of the characters where slightly two dimensional. They had a name, and one different characteristic, but other than that I thought that they were stick figures which could be used like instruments rather than real people. I enjoyed this book but although it ‘ticks all of the boxes’ I think that it could have been built on more. The main characters are cleverly crafted but the other characters all need another level put into them. The plot could also do with some refining. Nevertheless I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all children 12+. A compelling read!

The ending was a bit deflated. I would have also liked more accounts from shelter. This was a book I had to read at school but I never finished it and now I’ve finally finished it. The concept is great but I just feel it could have been executed better.