Sally Prue is a wonderful writer who never “writes down” to her audience. She’s not unlike David Almond in that respect.

Cold Tom[image error] is a dark book, set in a parallel world of demons, a Tribe and Tom, who thinks he can survive alone, but it’s never gratuitously dark. It’s like a nightmare you always know you can wake from and which always has that sense of unreality that stops it being dangerous.

I’ve selected it as a Positively Teenage choice as I think it’s another perfect transition book, moving a young reader from the hand-holding protective books of childhood towards independence and resilience that is the aim of adolescence. I don’t think you can become resilient without being tested and stretched and made to think for yourself. And I think books like Cold Tom do that.

It’s short, too. It’s great for a young reader who feels daunted by longer fiction but who wants to experience a gripping and thought-provoking read. Read it as an exciting adventure or read it to understand something about human connections, friendships and why no one can be an island. We are tied to each other and we should value those ties. Even when they hurt.

Don’t read it when you need cheering up or to have a good laugh, though. It’s not likely to have that effect! And don’t read it if you like your endings neat and sweet… This is a book to build resilience, not to wrap the reader in a cocoon. It’s a book for discussion, too. Parents sometimes worry that teenagers love very dark books: yes, they often do. It does no harm in a young reader who is showing no other signs of distress in his or her lives. Dark books can allow risk-taking and emotional boundary-pushing in a safe context. Don’t stop your healthy 11-12yos reading whatever books they like.

Buy Cold Tom here.

Another book you might like by Sally Prue is The Devil’s Toenail[image error]