The Cold Heart of Summer by Alan Gibbons - Barrington Stoke Book 28

I have read a few Alan Gibbons books recently, including Shadow Of The Minotaur, which I have been meaning to check out since he talked about it at our Reading Matters event last year.

The Cold Heart of Summer is shorter, but not too dissimilar to Shadow Of The Minotaur. Both are 'horror' stories and feature children with troubled lives. Debbie is the heroine of The Cold Heart of Summer. Debbie and her Dad are fixing up 'The Grange'. They are desperate for the cash so much stick with it even when the houses murderous past comes back to haunt them.

It is very similar to The House with No Name which I have reviewed before, and it is also reminiscent of The Shining; families changing in disturbing surroundings.

The Cold Heart of Summer is a basic horror story but (as in Shadow Of The Minotaur) you can also see that the real fear comes from the characters having to adjust to unfamiliar family life. However you read it, it will grip you to the end.