Stone Cold

Stone Cold is a young adult novel by Robert Swindells, first published in 1993. The novel sheds light on the harsh realities of unhoused living through the intertwined stories of Link, a young boy trying to survive on the streets of London, and Shelter, a disturbed former soldier who sees unhoused people as nothing more than targets.

The novel explores the psychological impact of being unhoused, societal indifference toward the suffering of others, and the nature of human connection. Swindells examines how unhoused people are vulnerable to prejudice and violence, revealing a dark side of society.

Swindells’ portrayal of unhoused living earned Stone Cold the Carnegie Medal in 1993, an honor given annually to the best children’s book by a British author. In 1997, Stone Cold was adapted into a television series of the same name, bringing the story to a wider audience.

This guide references the 2016 e-book version published by Penguin Books.

Content Warning: Stone Cold addresses sensitive topics, including violence, mental illness, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

Plot Summary

The novel uses a dual narrative, alternating between the perspectives of Link and Shelter. Link’s life takes a tragic turn when his stepfather, Vincent, forces him out of their home in Bradford. Now unhoused, Link heads to London, where he struggles to navigate the brutal reality of life on the streets and is assaulted by another unhoused person, who steals his watch. Later, Link meets Ginger, a streetwise man who becomes a sort of mentor, guiding Link on how to survive in a hostile environment.

Meanwhile, Shelter, a former member of the Army who was dismissed for “medical reasons,” resolves to clear London’s streets of unhoused people. He begins luring victims into his apartment under the pretense of offering them help, before murdering them and hiding their bodies beneath the floorboards. Shelter details his methods of committing successful murders: He pretends to be the owner of a homeless shelter and acquires a cat to appear harmless. One day, Link and Ginger encounter Shelter while begging for money, but they have no idea who he is. Shelter notices them and starts plotting to kill them.

One day while Link and Ginger are discussing where to sleep, Ginger mentions a man named Captain Hook who owns boathouses for unhoused people. They spend a night at one of the boats. The next day, while Ginger is talking to some of his friends, Link overhears that another unhoused person, nicknamed Doggy Bag, has gone missing.

Later, Ginger meets some old friends in Holborn, leaving Link behind. However, Ginger never returns. Link doesn’t know it, but Shelter lured Ginger to his apartment by telling him that Link was there and was severely injured, and Shelter then killed Ginger. Link, desperate to find his friend, asks Toya, one of Ginger’s friends, about what happened to him, but Toya has no information.

Heartbroken and frustrated by Ginger’s disappearance, Link resolves to focus only on himself. Soon, however, he meets Gail, a mysterious and beautiful young woman who, like him, is unhoused. They beg for money together, and Link develops feelings for her. Over time, he falls in love with her, and they spend all their days together. One day, Toya’s father approaches them with the news that Toya is missing. Link and Gail decide to investigate, and they discover that Toya was last seen with a man who was also seen with Ginger right before his disappearance. They piece the clues together and eventually track Shelter to his home. They begin observing his movements, hoping to uncover the truth about the disappearances.

One day, Link and Gail argue, and Link goes to Shelter’s house alone, deciding to keep watch from a distance. Shelter invites Link inside, pretending to be a kindhearted man offering food and shelter. Initially, Link starts to believe Shelter’s kindness, but everything changes when Link finds his watch—the one stolen by the unhoused person who assaulted him earlier. Link realizes that Shelter is a murderer. The two have a violent confrontation, and Shelter almost kills Link by suffocation. However, Gail summons the police in time, and they arrest Shelter.

After the police take Shelter away, Link asks Gail how she managed to contact the police despite being unhoused. She reveals the truth: She isn’t unhoused but is actually Louise Bain, a journalist. She has been posing as an unhoused person to author a story about the conditions facing those who live on the streets. Link feels betrayed, questioning the authenticity of their relationship and feeling that she has violated his trust.

Gail gives Link some money before they part ways. Left alone, Link reflects on the world’s injustice. He’s unhoused and struggling for survival, while Shelter, a murderer, is now in prison, where he’ll receive food, shelter, and care.