The Dangerous Ones

The Novel is set towards the end of the 1960's in a small country town called Chanleigh.

The main character in this book is Robert. He is from a hardworking and decent family. His life has been idol and uneventful with the most exiting event being a trip to the swimming pool with his best friend. He enjoys visiting Gino's Café where he watches Dick and Cindy Steele they are kind of hero's in Robert's eye's. The thing that he likes most about them is the attraction of there life style.

"For a moment he wondered if he was, in fact, dreaming, for standing above him smiling down were Dick and Cindy Steele."

Dick had also been sent to an approved school and now stays with his mum and Cindy in a prefab behind a tile works. In the eyes of everyone else they are just filthy old squatters. He is like many young adolescent boy's and when the opportunity to try many new dangerous and exiting experiences arrives he jumps in to a world of deceit and crime.

The three supporting characters in the script are Dick Steele, Cindy Steele and Peter Forbes.

Dick has decided to become Roberts new friend. However there friendship doesn't count for anything and all Dick wants is to use Robert to help abduct child called Mathew so he and Cindy can hold him for a Ransom. He doesn't care about the law and breaks it several times. In one incident he threatens three boy's with a knife and in another he robs a shop. He is deceitful and a very bad influence on Robert.

"There you are,... I told you he was all right didn't I."

Cindy is young and attractive she uses her good looks to manipulate Robert into doing things he would under normal circumstances refused point blank to do. She is as bad as Dick but at one point in the story she did show slight remorse about using Robert to get Mathew.

"For the first time he could remember her face looked sad."

Peter was Roberts best friend at the start of the book. He has a sensible and quiet nature. Robert and Peter used to do everything together Peter would often go to Gino's café with Robert even though he hated the place. There friendship seemed to be good until Robert started talking to the Steeles and when Peter told him that they were squatters who stole from people and when he told Robert that he knew he liked Cindy and that he had gossip about her to, Robert punched him and ended there long term friendship.

"Could you? Robert said, and hit Peter solidly on the nose."

The minor Characters in the book are mum, dad, Mathew, Mr Seymour, Mrs Seymour and the Superintendent.

To Conclude I think this was an excellent Novel. The writer manages to present the temptations faced teenagers in an excellent manner. The main way he has achieved this is through the use of contrasting characters and the many different themes that he has incorporated into his book.