Cold Skin by Steven Herrick Review

Title: Cold Skin
Author: Steven Herrick
Genre: YA
Page Count: 279
Book Type: Library Hardcover
Publisher: Front Street
ISBN: 9781590785720

From Goodreads: Cowards don't always hide. 

Sometimes, they're so gutless

they need to stand out. 

Eddie doesn't want to go to school; he wants to work in the mines. But his dad won't go down to the coal pits, and he won't let his sons go either. Nothing much happens in the town of Burruga except for fights at the pub. Then one Friday night a girl is found dead by the river, and every man in town comes under suspicion. Eddie is drawn into secrets and a bitter struggle for revenge. 

A teen's first love, sexual awakening, murder, cowardice, vengeance, and forgiveness...these are the powerful ingredients for Steven Herrick's gutsiest book yet. Herrick deftly reveals a cast of vivid characters in this chilling story of malice, power, and the courage to forgive.

My Review: I had never even heard of this book, but I picked it up off the shelf at the library and it sounded interesting. It is written in verse and that did take awhile to get used to, but once you did it really enriched the story. There are only six or so chapters, but each chapter is divided up into different character's points of view (or is it point of views? help?) which gives you natural places to stop. My absolute favorite character is Eddie. I just thought he was so darling and that he was the most relatable character. I was impressed with Herrick's ability to get into the nine character's heads. I really felt as if I knew each and everyone of them. Some are good and some are bad. I thought some really unexpected things happened, which I was delighted to see. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It was a super quick read and I really fell in love with Eddie! Enjoy and let me know if you end up reading it or if you have read it already. :)

Don't forget to check back this weekend for a super awesome giveaway!