Every once in a while - not very often - you read a book that changes the way you think. And this is one of those.
The tale is told from two distinct first-person perspectives - two diaries read concurrently, the perspective shifting with each chapter
division. It works remarkably well, because the characters are far from ordinary people. The first is a homeless teenager, compelled to
leave home because of an abusive step-father, now living rough on the streets of London. The second is a serial killer, prowling the streets
of London on a mission to rid the city of "dossers," as he calls them. It's clear from the outset that the two are destined to cross paths, and
the suspense is maintained throughout the novel.
This is no fairy tale. It's a grim depiction of homelessness, and a sharp criticism of our apathy towards it. Swindells does not gloss over the
subject. He makes it clear that everything is not OK with the world, and we need to wake up.
This is a short novel, only a hundred pages. It is marketed as a children's book, and I admire Swindells for daring to open kids' eyes like
this instead of pulling the wool over them, like so many writers. And if you're an adult, I can only urge you not to skip this one because of
the packaging. This novel won't make you feel good, but it will change you.
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