Swallowing Stones

by Joyce McDonald

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Dual perspectives reveal the aftermath of seventeen-year-old Michael MacKenzie's birthday celebration during which he discharges an antique Winchester rifle and unknowingly kills the father of high school classmate Jenna Ward.

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6 reviews
How do you deal with the consequences of an innocent act gone horribly wrong? That's Michael's dilemma in Swallowing Stones. What started out as a great 4th of July/Birthday for him quickly turned tragic, and from that event Michael learned lessons about himself and others.

Swallowing Stones is suspenseful and emotional. When a book is well written, the protagonist is a wonderful shade of grey, and Michael is just that. It's hard enough being a teen, but try being a teen dealing with the repercussions of an event that rocks a small town. Joyce McDonald did a wonderful job creating characters that are appealing, annoying, relatable, and every other adjective that you can attach to a teen, while at the same time making this an enjoyable show more read for adults as well. Recommended. show less
Michael McKenzie receives a Winchester Rifle for his 17th birthday, and not knowing it would kill anyone, shoots a bullet in the sky to try the rifle out. 1 mile away, Charlie Ward, the father of Jenna Ward, is killed in the head with a flying bullet, coming out of nowhere while fixing his roof. Michael never knew that he would kill someone, and it was not intended. Knowing that Michael has killed someone, he is shocked and stunned, and feels like as if he is swallowing stones. Jenna Ward is shocked and wants to gain revenge on the killer of her father. Can Michael keep this secret forever? and will Jenna EVER get over this tragedy?
Michael McKenzie is 17-years-old. He likes heavy metal, hanging with friends, girls, and he just shot a man. Michael fired his grandfather's rifle, which e got for his birthday, into the air. The bullet traveled over a mile and killed Jenna's dad who was repairing the roof. When Michael realizes what he has done, he panics and tries to cover it up. Can he keep this painful secret?

Other books to try: Whirligig, The Killer's Cousin, Driver's Ed, Tears of a Tiger

Other books by the author: Shades of Simon Gray, Shadow People

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Boy Protagonists
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Original publication date
1997

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, Teen, Young Adult
DDC/MDS
813Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English
LCC
PZ7 .M478418 .SLanguage and LiteratureFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction and juvenile belles lettresJuvenile belles lettres
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424
Popularity
73,000
Reviews
5
Rating
½ (3.57)
Languages
English
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Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
15
ASINs
3