Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11269 in Books
• Published on: 1995-03-30
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Stone Cold, winner of the 1994 Carnegie Medal, serves as a sinister warning to any young runaway and not just because there is a killer on the loose. Narrated by 17-year-old Link, homeless and jobless in London after being driven out of home by a drunken, abusive stepfather, he vividly recounts the day-to-day experiences of a homeless person. Because he tells it like it is, his descriptions of sleeping rough shatter any romantic notions: "So you pick your spot. Wherever it is ... it's going to have a floor of stone, tile, concrete or brick. In other words it's going to be hard and cold. It might be a bit cramped, too--shop doorways often are. And remember, if it's winter you're going to be half-frozen before you even start."

If this was just another diatribe on the perils of sleeping rough, the reader's interest would soon wane but it is far more gripping than that. The author alternates Link's tale with that of an unknown serial killer preying on the homeless. You, the reader, see how closely their lives brush against each other and know it's only a matter of time before they clash. Will Link be joining the other recruits in the cellar--what a deterrent that would be! (Age 11 and over.) --Nicola Perry

Synopsis
This book offers a tense, exciting thriller combined with a perceptive and harrowing portrait of life on the streets as a serial killer preys on the young and vulnerable homeless. 17-year-old Link is distrustful of people until he pairs up with Deb, homeless like him. But what Deb doesn't tell him is that she's an ambitious young journalist on a self-imposed assignment to track down the killer and that she's prepared to use herself as bait. This book is the winner of the Carnegie Medal.

Customer Reviews

Psychopath meets the homeless: the outcome seems bleak
As any serial killer knows, the easiest targets are those who wouldn't be missed - prostitutes, the homeless, the poor and alone. As for the homeless, no matter how streetwise, who can resist a couch for a night and a bowl of tomato soup? The book alternately guides us through the minds of a psychopath and a boy who has lost his way in life. On another level, it also shows how the System can spit out two human beings, turning them into something less. This is not a fairy tale and may leave your child cowering under his duvet. And yet, it may lead him to appreciate shelter, a warm bed and food in the fridge. And yes, to remember to have good friends and never to talk with strangers.

DUMBING DOWN
This is an entertaining read but does not have the depth to be studied for GCSE - what are the examiners thinking of choosing this over Steinbeck, Dickens, Hardy, et al? Even the students are aware they are being patronised - no offence to the book but as 'Literature'? Please! It's doing the author no favours, either, because anything you HAVE to read becomes boring by definition, doesn't it?

Gripping and compelling
The book's theme, poverty and life on the streets, didn't appeal to me before I read the book as I'm used to reading crime novels. However, reading the first few pages of the book immediately changed my opinion as I couldn't stop reading.
The book is relatively short and the story is easy to comprehend. It is written in such a manner that there aren't any dull moments in between that you have to force yourself to read.
The story is suitable for children aged 12 and up, and many will probably be able to identify with the main character, Link, and his troubles at home.
All in all, this book gives an exciting and confronting view of life on the streets, while combining this with an original plot.