Cold Water by Billie A. Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

This is a deeply touching YA Mystery Suspense story! I loved it!

Zigfield Scorpio (he prefers Zip, so that's what I'll call him from now on) is a fantastic character. He is a teenager who has not had an easy life. His mother is an alcoholic, and the bullies at school are tormenting him. However, I respect him for his drive and determination not to give in to the gangs, and his desire to have a better life.

This story touched me very much, as Zip is one of the most real characters I have ever come across. He is inventive, thoughtful, compassionate and most of all, loving. He is also very street smart for his age. His tale is sad in many ways, but it is also extremely heart-warming! The trials and tribulations he faced while living on the street were many, but he also made some wonderful friends. I loved the camaraderie of the street people, and how they create their own family out of a mismatched bunch of characters. The story is told from Zip's perspective, and flows beautifully. There were a few scenes that found me grabbing a tissue, but this book is not all doom and gloom. There are moments of levity and warm wit that made me smile. The mystery and suspense at the end has me looking forward to reading the next book!

Billie A. Williams has written a fast paced YA mystery suspense novel that captured my attention from the first page! Her characters are extremely life like, and I felt like I could reach out and touch them. I highly recommend this YA novel to the younger readers of 11+, but I think adults of all ages would enjoy this story too. - Lynn Worton

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