In the depths of a reservoir lives a monstrous creature. Its existence is unknown to anyone except the teenage boy who feeds it, Stephan. Six years ago it was a vicious little baby. Now it has grown huge, and its rusting water cage can't hold it much longer.

Stephen is a boy with many secrets, and the Beast is the biggest. He has done many wrong things in his life: this is his worst. His life in foster care was always bad but is getting much, much worse. And he's in trouble with the police.

All the odds are against Stephan finding a decent place in the world, but his efforts to free himself of the Beast and to make a bit of money and establish himself in the world make him a character that not just I but all readers will remember.

This book has been brilliantly crafted and it has done Ally Kennen proud. It takes you through several phases: fear, danger, hate, heroism, love and cunning.

I think this book has a great chance of survival in the Carnegie awards.