Swallowing Stones is a book by Joyce McDonald. This book is more like a mystery and it has some romance ,but I wouldn’t consider it because it doesn’t really focus on romance. One thing that I like about the style of this book is that it keeps your on your toes until the end ,then you will fall straight on your face! Another thing that I like is that there is always something happening that would make you wanna read on, even as you go toward the end.
The whole novel takes place in the summer of Briarwood, New Jersey. The novel starts off as a teenage boy named Michael Mackenzie receives a winchester from his grandfather, at his party. Michael goes into the woods and shoot his winchester for the first time; but Michael does not know that when he shoots the winchester, the bullet traveled in the air and hit an innocent man that was fixing his roof with his daughter. The innocent man that was killed by Michael has a teenage daughter named, Jenna Ward. Jenna has been completely hurt and has not been being the same, and still can’t get over the fact that that happened to her father.
The relationship between Jenna and her boyfriend starts to change. Which all started because Jenna starts having dreams about the boy that killed her father and she started having these weird feelings when he comes around. Later, Joe, which is Michael’s best friend, tries to help him out by trying to cover up the crime and evidence. They both try to figure out a plan and quickly put it into action. As Michael understand and sees how his crime is affecting Jenna and her mother’s life, then he starts to feel really guilty and frustrated. After awhile, he starts hating the fact that he is lying to everyone, including the cops, but do not know how to let the truth out. As you read on, you well then start to see yourself that Michael is getting tired and don’t want to lie to anymore.
Since the novel is drifting back and forth between Jenna’s point of view to Michael’s point of view, you will get the understanding of how both characters is feeling and is going through as they go through Michael’s catastrophe. If you are the type of person that likes reading mystery books then this one is a great pick for you!
