Swallowing Stones is a tough book. I love edgy young adult novels, and this one tackles the aftermath in a young person's life when he fires a gun into the air and accidentally kills someone. That's a tough scenario for an adult to handle, but the author puts a kid in that position, and considering that I work with at-risk students, I feel that it's definitely realistic.

If you are looking for a book with a happy ending, I'm going to have to tell you McDonald isn't serving that up here. This book tows the line for realism, and McDonald has created a story that is more invested in what matters than neatly tying details into a happy package.