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Stonechild Kindle Edition
Stonechild recently won a Gold Award from Literary Titan who said this — "Stonechild isn’t just a book—it’s an experience that lingers in the mind long after the final chapter is done, leaving one eager to explore the nuanced messages woven throughout its narrative.”
Stonechild also won the Silver in its genre in the BookFest Awards 2024.
- Reading age9 - 18 years
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJune 14, 2020
- ISBN-13979-1069975279
Editorial Reviews
Review
Review
From the Author
Being an ex-copper, I treated the project as I would have treated a major incident in the police. My office at home became my incident room. Files for each of the characters, and a spreadsheet for their interactions with each other. A large sheet of MDF went up on the wall, and pinned to it, a map of London. I marked the locations of the statues, and if in the story they were going to go somewhere, I detailed how they would get there. During all of this, I was playing out scenes in my head, and developing traits for my characters.
I made two, week-long trips to London, took over five hundred photos, and walked and timed the journeys made by the characters. If the main character, Molly, was to climb under a bridge using some scaffolding, I did the same to see if it was possible, sometimes under the cover of darkness! Often, I would stand in front of a statue imagining how they would come to life, and what it would look and sound like. With Boudicca, I had to think of how she, her daughters and the hoses and chariot would leave their concrete plinth and the effect of them crashing down onto the road.
I needed to have Molly and Charlie's parents out of the way, so they took a plane from Heathrow and flew to South America. That led me to introduce my love of airports, which are full of emotion. At the same time Alcock and Brown coming to life and causing a major incident was a great opportunity to bring in some police tactics. The Metropolitan Police were kind enough to let me spend a day at Heathrow Airport to learn about their operating procedures and how they respond to incidents. I'd like to think that now, should the statues ever come to life, they have some preparation in place.
So, I hope you enjoy the story and its message. Please do leave a review on here. Being a self-published author, it really helps and I appreciate your views.
From the Back Cover
As the world reels in this wonder of science and religion, Molly Hargreaves has other plans and she sets out to prove that things are not as they seem. Chased, captured and confined, Molly confronts the statues and her own fears. But who can she convince? The people are welcoming, the Government has succumbed, and the police try to act, but how do you shoot stone and metal? Be prepared to be run ragged around London on a mystery worthy of the great Sherlock Holmes.
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B08B5FSNST
- Publisher : Independent
- Accessibility : Learn more
- Publication date : June 14, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 3.5 MB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 231 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-1069975279
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Reading age : 9 - 18 years
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,787,473 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4,298 in Contemporary Urban Fiction
- #6,327 in Contemporary Fantasy Fiction
- #15,079 in Fiction Urban Life
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Kevin Albin served 25 years with the police in the UK, eight years of which were with a tactical firearms team, and he worked as a hostage negotiator. In 2002, he took a career change, and retrained as an International Mountain Leader (BAIML) working across the globe guiding on mountaineering trips and expeditions as well as leading expeditions on conservation. He has led many trips to the jungles of Borneo, his favourite destination. He uses these experiences in his writing.
In 2011, Kevin won the Bronze in the Wanderlust Magazine World Guide Awards for his work as a guide.
It was whilst working on a corporate training day in London, when he pictured a statue coming to life to give his clients the answer to the clue they were working on. The rest grew from there.
His hope is that his writing will continue to spread the word on conservation and protection of all species.
Stonechild won the Silver Award in its genre in the 2024 BookFest Awards.
Kevin won the Gold Award for his writing of Stonechild from Literary Titan. They said this — "Stonechild isn’t just a book - it’s an experience that lingers in the mind long after the final chapter is done, leaving one eager to explore the nuanced messages woven throughout its narrative”.
Stonechild is now available as an audiobook, performed by award-winning narrator, Tim Campbell.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2020This is a very unique story, mixing together numerous themes. The story moves forward at a very quick pace, making it impossible for the reader to put down.
Although it is obviously fiction, the subject matter has been extremely well researched meaning the reader also learns a number of interesting facts whilst being entertained.
For a first novel, this is extremely good and I will be interested to see what the author comes up with for his second novel.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2021Don't worry that the target audience is for younger readers. I found it a great read, and so did my mom who is 89!
The storyline is really creative, but the underlying message is one we need to all take stock of. Caring for our environment is not just something that would be "nice" to do. It is critical.
Highly recommend!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2021A uniquely thrilling, “what if” journey of a young British girl; a book replete with powerful environmental messages. Written so well, you want to believe this can, should, or will happen. A captivating, important story for a changing climate (climatic) world. CALVIN SCHWARTZ October 3, 2021
- Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2024“Stonechild” introduces Molly Hargreaves, a fifteen-year-old living in London with her brother, Charlie, and her conservationist parents.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s written for a YA audience but the historical aspects and content could certainly be enjoyed by an adult audience as well. While a fantasy book, the historical aspects (especially in reference to those inhibiting the statues) are frequent with some more obvious references and others I had to look up. My absolute favorite was learning more about Edward Jenner and the important role he played in vaccination and modern medical science.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2021I absolutely loved this story. An imaginative and mysterious way to bring more attention to environmentalism. Loved the strong, young girl as the main character, and the mystery surrounding everything that is happening. Great read!
- Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2021The author does an incredible job of drawing the reader in immediately. There were so many twists and turns I found myself unable to put it down. An absolute must-read!
Top reviews from other countries
- The Mallorcan BooksellerReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Stonechild - a great story delivered with pace and excitment
A very enjoyable read by new author Kevin Albin. A really good story and one that will resonate with both adults and children. Great descriptive content and good twists all along the way.
The book maintains a consistent pace throughout and comes to an exciting conclusion.
Highly recommended and I will be watching out for more books from Mr Albin.
- A.G.Reviewed in Canada on March 14, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC
This story was one that went beyond what I could have ever imagined.
At the start, it seems to be a pretty normal and typical day, similar to perhaps an average read until
the statues came to life. From this point on, everything changed.
Molly a very young girl, very intelligent and curious is intrigued but somewhat suspicious about these statues, and is determined to find out what is really going on. Things to her don't seem to be as they appear. She sets off on a mission to discover the truth, through the streets of London.
The characters have their own unique personalities and are very relatable. The idea of including the importance of climate change and our environment without being too scientific and data driven in a story such as this is brilliant.
The author has done a beautiful job that you couldn't wait to turn the page in anticipation as to what will happen next. The story is written exceptionally well, so much so that it is very difficult to put down and stop reading.
A storyline that screams to be on the big screen and I truly hope to see this in the theatre. An easy read that is suitable for all ages as young as 9/10-year-olds and up. Schools would benefit from having this book to discuss the importance of climate change, our environment, and the planet.
I anxiously await the sequel. Highly recommend and very deserving of 5 stars and higher.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Australia on April 21, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Really Enjoyed this Read!
This is one of the books that keeps you captivated thought out. It's an interesting story and a believable story. I really enjoyed it and i look forward to more reads in the future!
Thanks Stonechild for a great read.
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M BittermannReviewed in France on June 19, 2020
4.0 out of 5 stars Intéressant et passionnant
Peu habituée à lire en anglais je me suis quand même laissée prendre par l'histoire, habilement menée entre détours par la Grande Histoire, dont on croise quelques héros et poursuites dans les rues et les monuments emblématiques de Londres.
Intéressantes aussi les connections avec les événements actuels , qui ouvrent la réflexion sur nos façons d'interpréter l'histoire et d'oublier certains travers des grands hommes ou femmes pour en faire des héros parfaits...
- Helen M GardamReviewed in Australia on September 24, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
A ripping yarn, well researched with a poignant message for our times.