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Throwing Stones
What if you fell in love with a Pagan?
And what if you were both gay? What would happen next?
Is it the crush young Jesse Bryce has on the exotic Griffin Holyoke or something else that makes Jesse want to build a bridge of acceptance between his town and Griffin's Pagan community? And can he do it?
In this paranormal romance, something is drawing seventeen-year-old Jesse Bryce toward the community of Pagans who live in "the village," just outside his rural Oklahoma town. Maybe it's that he has a crush on Griffin Holyoke, a tall, dark-haired boy with a tree tattooed all up his back. Or maybe it's that the Pagans accept Jesse for who he is, unlike his family--or his church, where he hears that being gay is a sin.
After a man from the village is murdered while trying to prevent an assault on a girl from the town, Jesse's confusion at the town's unsympathetic reaction inspires him to set a mission for himself: to build a bridge of acceptance between the town and the village.
As Jesse defies his parents and continues to visit the village, he witnesses mysterious rituals that haunt him with their beauty and intensity. And he falls in love with one enigmatic, mercurial Pagan who opens his eyes to a whole new world.
This first-person story explores what can happen when we make conclusions about others based on too little information, or on the wrong information. Whether we're misunderstanding each others' religions or each others' sexual orientation, everyone benefits from learning the truth. And everyone benefits from forgiveness.
And what if you were both gay? What would happen next?
Is it the crush young Jesse Bryce has on the exotic Griffin Holyoke or something else that makes Jesse want to build a bridge of acceptance between his town and Griffin's Pagan community? And can he do it?
In this paranormal romance, something is drawing seventeen-year-old Jesse Bryce toward the community of Pagans who live in "the village," just outside his rural Oklahoma town. Maybe it's that he has a crush on Griffin Holyoke, a tall, dark-haired boy with a tree tattooed all up his back. Or maybe it's that the Pagans accept Jesse for who he is, unlike his family--or his church, where he hears that being gay is a sin.
After a man from the village is murdered while trying to prevent an assault on a girl from the town, Jesse's confusion at the town's unsympathetic reaction inspires him to set a mission for himself: to build a bridge of acceptance between the town and the village.
As Jesse defies his parents and continues to visit the village, he witnesses mysterious rituals that haunt him with their beauty and intensity. And he falls in love with one enigmatic, mercurial Pagan who opens his eyes to a whole new world.
This first-person story explores what can happen when we make conclusions about others based on too little information, or on the wrong information. Whether we're misunderstanding each others' religions or each others' sexual orientation, everyone benefits from learning the truth. And everyone benefits from forgiveness.
398 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2015
8 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Robin Reardon
23 books180 followersI'm an inveterate observer of human nature, and my primary writing goal is to create stories about all kinds of people, some of whom happen to be gay or transgender—people whose destinies are not determined solely by their sexual orientation or identity. My secondary writing goal is to introduce readers to concepts or information they might not know very much about. On my website, robinreardon.com, see individual book pages for “Digging Deeper” sections that link to background information and research done for the novel.
My motto is this: The only thing wrong with being gay is how some people treat you when they find out.
Interests outside of writing include singing, nature photography, and the study of comparative religions. I write in a butter yellow study with a view of the Boston, Massachusetts skyline.
My motto is this: The only thing wrong with being gay is how some people treat you when they find out.
Interests outside of writing include singing, nature photography, and the study of comparative religions. I write in a butter yellow study with a view of the Boston, Massachusetts skyline.
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April 26, 2020
I first want to thank Netgalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op, and Robin Reardon for providing a copy for review! The cover is what drew me in initially! (I love it)
Throwing Stones is an extremely moving queer coming-of-age story of a Christian teenager navigating religious, family, and community prejudices within a conservative rural Oklahoma town.
Jesse Bryce came to realize that people saw in him only a reflection of their own preconceived ideas of what he was, which was due to a foundation filled with fear and misunderstanding. There is a sadness and isolation that is felt very deep. Jesse wants to feel a sense of love and belonging in his life and to be accepted for who he is. He ends up becoming drawn to Griffin, a Pagan teenager who lives in a village outside of town with other Pagans. There is a history of deep hate and violence between the two communities.
These topics are skillfully handled and the story is wholly absorbing. There is a cast of characters that grow and develop as the story weaves through their daily lives of school, community, and religious/spiritual activities. There is a romance that begins between Jesse and another male character -- and there are a few sexual scenes that occur throughout the story. These scenes cover around 4-5 pages in total and were not entirely fade-to-black but written more so with a younger audience in mind.
Robin Reardon has complete control over her story and her style. She is careful to avoid sensationalizing the parallels of coming out within a deep rooted Christian family with the prejudices and judgment towards the pagan community. About halfway through, the story turns in a direction that brought tears to my eyes -- It’s a journey of self-discovery where forgiveness, love and perspective are overall themes.
Throwing Stones is an extremely moving queer coming-of-age story of a Christian teenager navigating religious, family, and community prejudices within a conservative rural Oklahoma town.
Jesse Bryce came to realize that people saw in him only a reflection of their own preconceived ideas of what he was, which was due to a foundation filled with fear and misunderstanding. There is a sadness and isolation that is felt very deep. Jesse wants to feel a sense of love and belonging in his life and to be accepted for who he is. He ends up becoming drawn to Griffin, a Pagan teenager who lives in a village outside of town with other Pagans. There is a history of deep hate and violence between the two communities.
These topics are skillfully handled and the story is wholly absorbing. There is a cast of characters that grow and develop as the story weaves through their daily lives of school, community, and religious/spiritual activities. There is a romance that begins between Jesse and another male character -- and there are a few sexual scenes that occur throughout the story. These scenes cover around 4-5 pages in total and were not entirely fade-to-black but written more so with a younger audience in mind.
Robin Reardon has complete control over her story and her style. She is careful to avoid sensationalizing the parallels of coming out within a deep rooted Christian family with the prejudices and judgment towards the pagan community. About halfway through, the story turns in a direction that brought tears to my eyes -- It’s a journey of self-discovery where forgiveness, love and perspective are overall themes.
September 15, 2015
Another winner from Robin!
THROWING STONES is deep and satisfying exploration of a clash of cultures (rural American and pagan), all told from the POV of another of Robin's terrific gay teen characters.
With a large cast of characters, a number of subplots, and some sophisticated themes, the degree of difficulty on this one was high; this might very well be Robin's most ambitious book. But I think she pulled it off. Highly recommended.
THROWING STONES is deep and satisfying exploration of a clash of cultures (rural American and pagan), all told from the POV of another of Robin's terrific gay teen characters.
With a large cast of characters, a number of subplots, and some sophisticated themes, the degree of difficulty on this one was high; this might very well be Robin's most ambitious book. But I think she pulled it off. Highly recommended.
November 12, 2015
This review was originally posted on Just Love
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (rounded up for this site)
* I received an advanced copy of this novel from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. *
This book was honestly stunning! It's a coming of age story set in a conservative small town, and it deals with some pretty heavy issues. It's not just a coming out story, it's also a story about what it means to belong, and about opening your heart to those around you. Jesse was a fantastic protagonist, and his story was inspiring and beautiful to follow.
There are a lot of topics here that I really loved, and all of them were handled extremely well.
Family
Jesse is taking small steps in his quest to be open about who he is. He comes out to his best friend, and then, afraid of their reaction, to his Christian family.
It's the scenario that so many LGBT+ youths face, and Jesse's family reacts as expected. But Jesse keeps pushing, keeps trying to educate and enlighten, until slowly his family starts to understand that this is a fundamental part of who he is.
Bullying
Even before he comes out, Jesse is bullied in school. Once rumors start to fly about his sexuality, things get even worse. I think seeing bullying in a YA novel is extremely important, especially a book that deals with coming out. And it's not just Jesse who gets bullied; the kids from the pagan village are also taunted and hit by their Christian peers.
I'm not sure I'd recommend Jesse's particular brand of fighting back, but it was brilliant to read nonetheless!
Acceptance
I think all people are drawn to those who accept them, and Jesse is no different. When he learns that the pagan community doesn't care if he's gay, and even embraces it, he feels like he's finally found a place to belong.
But even more, I like that the people in the village are encouraging of Jesse to be honest and open with their family. Instead of taking him in, they show him that the most important acceptance is that of his family and his own community.
Religion
When I first read the summary, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a young man guiding his Christian family and town into accepting not only his own homosexuality, but also the pagan community that lives nearby. I had worries, I'll admit; books dealing with religious themes often come off as either "too dismissive" or "too preachy". But Robin did an excellent job of writing both communities in a way that was educational and neutral, and also realistic from the various characters' POVs.
Courage
But my favorite part of the novel is Jesse's courage.
He doesn't even realize it, but he's the bravest person in both the town and the village. He's the one who steps forward and refuses to let the bullying and the hatred continue. Yes, he's still human, and he still gets upset and downtrodden, but that doesn't stop him from pushing forward with what he believes is right!
Final Verdict
While a bit on the long side (at 327 pages), I still really enjoyed every bit of this novel. It's slower paced, but that's essential in a story like this, where it's the emotions that are important, not the actions.
There's also a really lovely romance here, but I didn't want to spoil too much about that because it was a surprise and a treat!
This review was originally posted on Just Love
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (rounded up for this site)
* I received an advanced copy of this novel from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. *
This book was honestly stunning! It's a coming of age story set in a conservative small town, and it deals with some pretty heavy issues. It's not just a coming out story, it's also a story about what it means to belong, and about opening your heart to those around you. Jesse was a fantastic protagonist, and his story was inspiring and beautiful to follow.
There are a lot of topics here that I really loved, and all of them were handled extremely well.
Family
Jesse is taking small steps in his quest to be open about who he is. He comes out to his best friend, and then, afraid of their reaction, to his Christian family.
"Mom, this is real. I'm real. I need you to understand." (Kindle Loc. 226)
It's the scenario that so many LGBT+ youths face, and Jesse's family reacts as expected. But Jesse keeps pushing, keeps trying to educate and enlighten, until slowly his family starts to understand that this is a fundamental part of who he is.
Bullying
Even before he comes out, Jesse is bullied in school. Once rumors start to fly about his sexuality, things get even worse. I think seeing bullying in a YA novel is extremely important, especially a book that deals with coming out. And it's not just Jesse who gets bullied; the kids from the pagan village are also taunted and hit by their Christian peers.
I'm not sure I'd recommend Jesse's particular brand of fighting back, but it was brilliant to read nonetheless!
Back in school after a trip to the hardware store, I used a graffiti remover to rub and scrape away the red FAGGOT. Then I picked up the can of purple spray paint I'd bought and, at a rakish slant, in big, bold, gorgeous letters, I wrote: GAY. (1328)
Acceptance
I think all people are drawn to those who accept them, and Jesse is no different. When he learns that the pagan community doesn't care if he's gay, and even embraces it, he feels like he's finally found a place to belong.
"I can't be myself at home. They hate who I am. And they make me ashamed of it." (2124)
But even more, I like that the people in the village are encouraging of Jesse to be honest and open with their family. Instead of taking him in, they show him that the most important acceptance is that of his family and his own community.
Religion
When I first read the summary, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a young man guiding his Christian family and town into accepting not only his own homosexuality, but also the pagan community that lives nearby. I had worries, I'll admit; books dealing with religious themes often come off as either "too dismissive" or "too preachy". But Robin did an excellent job of writing both communities in a way that was educational and neutral, and also realistic from the various characters' POVs.
One side of his mouth curled up in a half-smile. "You Christians. You get upset over the silliest things." (649)
Courage
But my favorite part of the novel is Jesse's courage.
"Courageous?"
"Aren't you? I think you are. Griffin says you create your own recipes. You wander into the woods late at night, alone. You defy the conventional wisdom of your family and friends to come into this den of heathens so you can explore something that calls to you, something they aren't likely to understand." (2603)
He doesn't even realize it, but he's the bravest person in both the town and the village. He's the one who steps forward and refuses to let the bullying and the hatred continue. Yes, he's still human, and he still gets upset and downtrodden, but that doesn't stop him from pushing forward with what he believes is right!
Final Verdict
While a bit on the long side (at 327 pages), I still really enjoyed every bit of this novel. It's slower paced, but that's essential in a story like this, where it's the emotions that are important, not the actions.
There's also a really lovely romance here, but I didn't want to spoil too much about that because it was a surprise and a treat!
This review was originally posted on Just Love
November 8, 2015
I have to be honest; I have yet to read one of Robin Reardon's books without falling in love with the book, and "Throwing Stones" is no exception. All of her books have a strong gay characters that are trying to come to terms with their own feelings and dealing with friends/family/communities as they are in the process of coming out. But she also tackles other themes that are in the forefront of our society today: transgender issues (Educating Simon), Intelligent Design and mental illness (Evolution of Ethan Poe), and fundamentalist religion (The Revelations of Jude Conner- a special favorite as it is set in Idaho where I live). Her novels use the other issues to address the themes of hatred, discrimination, ostracism, and acceptance. These issues are then used to also show how the gay population in our country is treated in similar fashion. Her newest novel, "Throwing Stones," is no exception and is a great addition to Ms. Reardon's canon. As in many of her other books, religion and its part in our society, both positive and negative, takes a central role.
"Throwing Stones" is the story of Jesse Birch, a teenager living in a small town in south-eastern Oklahoma. Jesse finds himself falling head-over-heels for Griffin Holyoke, a hot, young fellow classmate. The problem is that Griffin is from the "village," a group of Pagans that live in a community on the southern edge of Jesse's small town. The people of the "village" have been accused of everything from vampirism and child-stealing to witchcraft and devil-worship. As Jesse spends more time with Griffin and his "people" he begins to realize that these stories are completely wrong. When his affection for Griffin, who is straight, are not returned Jesse turns his attention to another dark and brooding young man in the village, Ronan, who does return Jesse's interest. As the story progesses, Jesse tries to get his conservative family to understand both his homosexuality and the truth behind the people of the village. Along with the daughter of his church's minister, Jesse forms a student group at his school as an attempt to bridge the gap of misinformation between the two communities. The leaders of the town and the village also get in on Jesse's mission to bring the two groups together. As the contacts between the townies and the villagers increase, incidents of vandalism and violence increase threatening not only Jesse, but his friends and family as well. And through it all, Jesse is trying to work through his relationship with Ronan, who doesn't agree with Jesse's attempts to bring the two communities closer.
One of the great strengths of Robin's books is the depth of research she must do in order to be able to talk about these issues in such great detail. (Its also why we have to wait SO LONG between the release of her new novels!) Whether its dealing with the topic of Paganism and what it IS and ISN'T, talking about rockhounding in south-eastern Oklahoma, or describing the process of setting up a controversial school club (in this case a TVA,a town-village alliance, as opposed to a GSA, a gay-straight alliance), her books are always full of pertinent information necessary for the story without being so overly detailed as to cause the story to drag. I always learn something when reading her books.
Many of the other reviews talked about the amount and graphicness of the sex scenes in Throwing Stones. Personally, I didn't find it to have a greater amount or more graphic sex than many other YA novels written today. If you add all of the "sex scenes" together they add up to slightly over 2 pages of an more than 300 page novel. As a teacher of high school freshman, many of the books my students are reading have as much sex, or more, as this book. I wonder if the issue has to do with the fact that it is gay sex that is described and we still are a bit more concerned over its description in YA novels than straight sex. I wouldn't put this book in a junior high library, but think it is fine as a high school YA novel. But I will admit, I do tend to be more liberal on this topic than some.
In conclusion, I loved Robin Reardon's new novel. Now I just have to wait a year or so for her next one.
One last comment, I absolutely LOVED the cover on this book. It is the best cover on any of her books. I know that doesn't have anything to do with the story, but wanted to congratulate Ms. Reardon for a great choice.
Now for the obligatory disclaimer: I recieved a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. But I will also admit that I have ordered a print copy of it to add to my collection.
"Throwing Stones" is the story of Jesse Birch, a teenager living in a small town in south-eastern Oklahoma. Jesse finds himself falling head-over-heels for Griffin Holyoke, a hot, young fellow classmate. The problem is that Griffin is from the "village," a group of Pagans that live in a community on the southern edge of Jesse's small town. The people of the "village" have been accused of everything from vampirism and child-stealing to witchcraft and devil-worship. As Jesse spends more time with Griffin and his "people" he begins to realize that these stories are completely wrong. When his affection for Griffin, who is straight, are not returned Jesse turns his attention to another dark and brooding young man in the village, Ronan, who does return Jesse's interest. As the story progesses, Jesse tries to get his conservative family to understand both his homosexuality and the truth behind the people of the village. Along with the daughter of his church's minister, Jesse forms a student group at his school as an attempt to bridge the gap of misinformation between the two communities. The leaders of the town and the village also get in on Jesse's mission to bring the two groups together. As the contacts between the townies and the villagers increase, incidents of vandalism and violence increase threatening not only Jesse, but his friends and family as well. And through it all, Jesse is trying to work through his relationship with Ronan, who doesn't agree with Jesse's attempts to bring the two communities closer.
One of the great strengths of Robin's books is the depth of research she must do in order to be able to talk about these issues in such great detail. (Its also why we have to wait SO LONG between the release of her new novels!) Whether its dealing with the topic of Paganism and what it IS and ISN'T, talking about rockhounding in south-eastern Oklahoma, or describing the process of setting up a controversial school club (in this case a TVA,a town-village alliance, as opposed to a GSA, a gay-straight alliance), her books are always full of pertinent information necessary for the story without being so overly detailed as to cause the story to drag. I always learn something when reading her books.
Many of the other reviews talked about the amount and graphicness of the sex scenes in Throwing Stones. Personally, I didn't find it to have a greater amount or more graphic sex than many other YA novels written today. If you add all of the "sex scenes" together they add up to slightly over 2 pages of an more than 300 page novel. As a teacher of high school freshman, many of the books my students are reading have as much sex, or more, as this book. I wonder if the issue has to do with the fact that it is gay sex that is described and we still are a bit more concerned over its description in YA novels than straight sex. I wouldn't put this book in a junior high library, but think it is fine as a high school YA novel. But I will admit, I do tend to be more liberal on this topic than some.
In conclusion, I loved Robin Reardon's new novel. Now I just have to wait a year or so for her next one.
One last comment, I absolutely LOVED the cover on this book. It is the best cover on any of her books. I know that doesn't have anything to do with the story, but wanted to congratulate Ms. Reardon for a great choice.
Now for the obligatory disclaimer: I recieved a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. But I will also admit that I have ordered a print copy of it to add to my collection.
December 25, 2020
EDIT 25/12/2020: Changing this to one star, as I re-evaluate things at the end of the year.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author, Robin Reardon, for providing a copy for review!
I have a few thoughts about this novel which left me with mixed feelings, so I hope I can convey everything clearly.
I don't think it's marketed in the right category... I'm not sure paranormal romance fits, especially the romance part. Maybe YA fantasy? Anyway, this is the least of my issues with it.
The novel starts out really well, it's engaging and paints the atmosphere amazingly. You can really feel the animosity between the Christian townsfolk and the Pagan villagers, as well as Jesse's, the main character's, inner turmoil. He struggles with coming out to his family and the aftermath, as especially his father and brother turn their backs on him.
Because of the atmosphere that is so eerie and maybe a bit dark and spooky (specifically the Halloween celebrations of the village), I honestly thought something bad was going to happen. It felt like something ominous was coming, but all that happened was that Jesse started being friends with a villager guy who's in his class, and learning about their traditions and way of life.
My biggest issue from about 30% onwards were some weird /awkward phrases that often made me cringe. It was completely different from the tight narration of the first third. I am not sure if only this first part was looked through by an editor or if more attention was given to it, but the rest had typos, names of same character spelt differently, unrealistic dialogue and just magically dropped plot devices (ex: tornado warning only coming 5 minutes beforehand), which made me think 'yeah right' (deus ex machina, but not exactly). It's a real shame, because the last two thirds fell flat and felt anticlimactic after the beginning was so well set up.
I also didn't really feel the romance... Jesse's love interest, Ronan, is a bit of a coarse guy. I think their relationship was more physical. Also wasn't a fan of the cougar comparisons, it was just strange.
I think the title is absolutely perfect, it has so many meanings in the novel! I also think the themes and symbols were really powerful and cohesive! And although I am glad it was clarified what bisexuality really means, all the explanations (not just the ones about sexuality, but re: Paganism, made it feel like a manual, so 2 stars from me.
Read for 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book by an author with flora and fauna in their name.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author, Robin Reardon, for providing a copy for review!
I have a few thoughts about this novel which left me with mixed feelings, so I hope I can convey everything clearly.
I don't think it's marketed in the right category... I'm not sure paranormal romance fits, especially the romance part. Maybe YA fantasy? Anyway, this is the least of my issues with it.
The novel starts out really well, it's engaging and paints the atmosphere amazingly. You can really feel the animosity between the Christian townsfolk and the Pagan villagers, as well as Jesse's, the main character's, inner turmoil. He struggles with coming out to his family and the aftermath, as especially his father and brother turn their backs on him.
Because of the atmosphere that is so eerie and maybe a bit dark and spooky (specifically the Halloween celebrations of the village), I honestly thought something bad was going to happen. It felt like something ominous was coming, but all that happened was that Jesse started being friends with a villager guy who's in his class, and learning about their traditions and way of life.
My biggest issue from about 30% onwards were some weird /awkward phrases that often made me cringe. It was completely different from the tight narration of the first third. I am not sure if only this first part was looked through by an editor or if more attention was given to it, but the rest had typos, names of same character spelt differently, unrealistic dialogue and just magically dropped plot devices (ex: tornado warning only coming 5 minutes beforehand), which made me think 'yeah right' (deus ex machina, but not exactly). It's a real shame, because the last two thirds fell flat and felt anticlimactic after the beginning was so well set up.
I also didn't really feel the romance... Jesse's love interest, Ronan, is a bit of a coarse guy. I think their relationship was more physical. Also wasn't a fan of the cougar comparisons, it was just strange.
I think the title is absolutely perfect, it has so many meanings in the novel! I also think the themes and symbols were really powerful and cohesive! And although I am glad it was clarified what bisexuality really means, all the explanations (not just the ones about sexuality, but re: Paganism, made it feel like a manual, so 2 stars from me.
Read for 2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book by an author with flora and fauna in their name.
June 11, 2020
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I definitely had mixed feelings on this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the exploration of sexuality and on different religious/spiritual groups but on the other, I disliked the romance aspect of it, dialogue and "Cougar" comparisons.
I thought that the book started well with Jesse's awkward coming out scene to his friend Brad and his parents in particular. We got a real glimpse into his character as he dealt with his inner turmoils about what being gay really means as well as how quick his Christian township was to judge other people unlike their own. Jesse considered this and thought to bridge the divide between the Christian town folk and the Pagan villagers. Jesse started getting involved with a Pagan student in his class who taught him their pagan ways and their spiritual connections to life.
I really enjoyed that aspect to the novel but as Jesse's friendship with him developed, a relationship grew from it that I wasn't particularly sold on. Rowan and Jesse's relationship was more physical and sexual rather than a relationship with true love at the core of it. It seemed more lustful than a typical YA novel which lead me to believe it should've been added to the New Adult genre rather than Young Adult. But it wasn't just full on sexual themes that didn't sell me in the romance department, it was also some of the dialogue. It just seemed so unrealistic especially since at some points long explanations were written to give Jesse some insight into their pagan way of life. While it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it did seem pretty manual coming from a teenager.
Although I understood the whole idea of spiritual connections to animals, I disliked the way that there were lots of references to cougars in particular. I just wasn't a fan of it. That being said, most of the writing was pretty comprehensible especially with so many metaphors! Even the title was a metaphor with so many meanings attached to it throughout the novel.
All in all, a pretty good book but there were a few things I disliked about it which impacted my final rating.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.4 STARS
I definitely had mixed feelings on this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the exploration of sexuality and on different religious/spiritual groups but on the other, I disliked the romance aspect of it, dialogue and "Cougar" comparisons.
I thought that the book started well with Jesse's awkward coming out scene to his friend Brad and his parents in particular. We got a real glimpse into his character as he dealt with his inner turmoils about what being gay really means as well as how quick his Christian township was to judge other people unlike their own. Jesse considered this and thought to bridge the divide between the Christian town folk and the Pagan villagers. Jesse started getting involved with a Pagan student in his class who taught him their pagan ways and their spiritual connections to life.
I really enjoyed that aspect to the novel but as Jesse's friendship with him developed, a relationship grew from it that I wasn't particularly sold on. Rowan and Jesse's relationship was more physical and sexual rather than a relationship with true love at the core of it. It seemed more lustful than a typical YA novel which lead me to believe it should've been added to the New Adult genre rather than Young Adult. But it wasn't just full on sexual themes that didn't sell me in the romance department, it was also some of the dialogue. It just seemed so unrealistic especially since at some points long explanations were written to give Jesse some insight into their pagan way of life. While it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it did seem pretty manual coming from a teenager.
Although I understood the whole idea of spiritual connections to animals, I disliked the way that there were lots of references to cougars in particular. I just wasn't a fan of it. That being said, most of the writing was pretty comprehensible especially with so many metaphors! Even the title was a metaphor with so many meanings attached to it throughout the novel.
All in all, a pretty good book but there were a few things I disliked about it which impacted my final rating.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.4 STARS
October 28, 2015
Readers of Robin Reardon's other work know what to expect by now: an endearing, well-developed, and introspective LGBTQ protagonist, a twisting plot worthy of the craziest telenovela, and deep explorations of myriad subjects highlighted by especially deep discussions of religious concerns. Oh, and frank and unapologetic depictions of teenage sex.
Throwing Stones falls squarely within this oeuvre and will not disappoint fans. This time we get to see a slice of rural Oklahoma, learn about rockhounding, survive a tornado, and experience Pagan life and rituals. Some previous themes from Reardon's novels reappear as well: high school bullies, Christian intolerance, spirit animals, and scrying have all featured prominently in earlier works. Reardon is adept at bringing disparate pieces like these together into a beautiful and compelling mosaic, and Throwing Stones is a perfect example.
Though the story gets off to a slow start, it's not long before the pages start flying by, the plot jumping breathlessly from scene to scene in unexpected directions. The strength of Reardon's work has always been her well-developed characters, and Throwing Stones has an especially large cast to balance. And yet, no character has been given short shrift, and even when their actions are unexpected, they're never unmotivated.
Jesse Bryce seems like a typical 17-year-old high school student just coming out of the closet. He's only out to his best friend and still contemplating the right way to tell his conservative Christian family. A chance meeting with Griffin Holyoke under the bleachers during the high school's Thanksgiving football game seems like it might hold the answers. Though a fellow student, Griffin is very much an outsider in the close knit, rural town of Himlen, OK because he lives in "the village," a small Pagan community on the outskirts of town. Feeling the outsider himself, Jesse is drawn to learn more about Griffin and his way of life, and boy is there a lot to learn. Soon Jesse has made it his mission to persuade the town to see the village in a new, non-threatening light, and maybe, just maybe, he'll discover how to help his family see him in a new light as well.
Though it features a teenage protagonist like her previous novels, Throwing Stones is decidedly more adult than Reardon's previous work. She's always pushed the envelope in terms of depicting teenage sex, a welcome change in a genre that is often overly chaste, but some will find Throwing Stones goes a bit too far. It's definitely an R where earlier novels may have passed for PG-13. This isn't a problem, but it does mean this might be inappropriate for younger readers.
If you are a fan of Reardon's other work, I highly recommend Throwing Stones. If you are new to her novels, I suggest starting with an earlier novel like the excellent The Evolution of Ethan Poe, which explores many similar themes but with a lighter touch, before taking on Throwing Stones. Either way, you'll be happy you did, and you just might learn something in the process. (4.5 stars out of 5)
Throwing Stones falls squarely within this oeuvre and will not disappoint fans. This time we get to see a slice of rural Oklahoma, learn about rockhounding, survive a tornado, and experience Pagan life and rituals. Some previous themes from Reardon's novels reappear as well: high school bullies, Christian intolerance, spirit animals, and scrying have all featured prominently in earlier works. Reardon is adept at bringing disparate pieces like these together into a beautiful and compelling mosaic, and Throwing Stones is a perfect example.
Though the story gets off to a slow start, it's not long before the pages start flying by, the plot jumping breathlessly from scene to scene in unexpected directions. The strength of Reardon's work has always been her well-developed characters, and Throwing Stones has an especially large cast to balance. And yet, no character has been given short shrift, and even when their actions are unexpected, they're never unmotivated.
Jesse Bryce seems like a typical 17-year-old high school student just coming out of the closet. He's only out to his best friend and still contemplating the right way to tell his conservative Christian family. A chance meeting with Griffin Holyoke under the bleachers during the high school's Thanksgiving football game seems like it might hold the answers. Though a fellow student, Griffin is very much an outsider in the close knit, rural town of Himlen, OK because he lives in "the village," a small Pagan community on the outskirts of town. Feeling the outsider himself, Jesse is drawn to learn more about Griffin and his way of life, and boy is there a lot to learn. Soon Jesse has made it his mission to persuade the town to see the village in a new, non-threatening light, and maybe, just maybe, he'll discover how to help his family see him in a new light as well.
Though it features a teenage protagonist like her previous novels, Throwing Stones is decidedly more adult than Reardon's previous work. She's always pushed the envelope in terms of depicting teenage sex, a welcome change in a genre that is often overly chaste, but some will find Throwing Stones goes a bit too far. It's definitely an R where earlier novels may have passed for PG-13. This isn't a problem, but it does mean this might be inappropriate for younger readers.
If you are a fan of Reardon's other work, I highly recommend Throwing Stones. If you are new to her novels, I suggest starting with an earlier novel like the excellent The Evolution of Ethan Poe, which explores many similar themes but with a lighter touch, before taking on Throwing Stones. Either way, you'll be happy you did, and you just might learn something in the process. (4.5 stars out of 5)
May 2, 2017
Jesse Bryce is a seventeen year old with a secret. Living in a small rural Oklahoma town, he's gay and he's not at all confident about what telling his traditional church-going family will mean. But Robin Reardon's newest book quickly becomes more than just another coming out story. Many of the common threads in coming out stories are present. The disappointment of one's folks, the strained relationship with one's siblings, even the task of telling one's best friend that just because you're gay, you're NOT necessarily interested in him sexually. Jesse is crushing on a boy in his class that lives just outside town among a group of new-age Pagans.
The addition of a plot-line about new-age Pagans gives even those who've lived through a coming out experience, a fresh perspective and the parallels between challenging one's beliefs in one area with challenging one's beliefs in another area are inevitable. How can I expect people to be open minded about my beliefs if I'm not equally open minded about things others believe? Even things that I've previously dismissed. Without preaching about how people's fear leads them to be intolerant of homosexuality, Robin uses the townies' fear of Paganism to illustrate how people in general can be intolerant and use their fears to avoid thinking about other concepts that are alien to them.
For that alone, the novel is worth reading. Add to that a charming and empathetic main character, well developed secondary characters and some keenly observed family dynamics (as well as behaviors that one seldom sees in YA romances) and one has a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read. While the sex in this novel is more prevalent than in some of her previous books, its still almost entirely innocuous. I was happy to see the intimacy of one boy reaching into his boyfriend's pockets for his truck keys and lingering. Not to mention what I think is my first ever encounter with bestial phone sex - talk about a mix of eroticism and innocence! But as these pagans often say "An it harm none do as ye will."
I also really enjoyed Jesse's evolving relationship with his brother and it was gratifying seeing how they both processed Jesse's revelation. Jesse's best friend, Brad had yet another sub-plot about domestic abuse that I was worried might develop in a trite way but even that resolved in a way I hadn't expected.
There WAS one thing that I was disappointed about - the story ended. I really enjoyed these characters and I wanted to spend longer with them than the story allowed. Perhaps a sequel is in order but then, I've enjoyed Robin's other stories as well and look forward to whatever she tackles next.
*** Note: I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest and impartial review ***
The addition of a plot-line about new-age Pagans gives even those who've lived through a coming out experience, a fresh perspective and the parallels between challenging one's beliefs in one area with challenging one's beliefs in another area are inevitable. How can I expect people to be open minded about my beliefs if I'm not equally open minded about things others believe? Even things that I've previously dismissed. Without preaching about how people's fear leads them to be intolerant of homosexuality, Robin uses the townies' fear of Paganism to illustrate how people in general can be intolerant and use their fears to avoid thinking about other concepts that are alien to them.
For that alone, the novel is worth reading. Add to that a charming and empathetic main character, well developed secondary characters and some keenly observed family dynamics (as well as behaviors that one seldom sees in YA romances) and one has a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read. While the sex in this novel is more prevalent than in some of her previous books, its still almost entirely innocuous. I was happy to see the intimacy of one boy reaching into his boyfriend's pockets for his truck keys and lingering. Not to mention what I think is my first ever encounter with bestial phone sex - talk about a mix of eroticism and innocence! But as these pagans often say "An it harm none do as ye will."
I also really enjoyed Jesse's evolving relationship with his brother and it was gratifying seeing how they both processed Jesse's revelation. Jesse's best friend, Brad had yet another sub-plot about domestic abuse that I was worried might develop in a trite way but even that resolved in a way I hadn't expected.
There WAS one thing that I was disappointed about - the story ended. I really enjoyed these characters and I wanted to spend longer with them than the story allowed. Perhaps a sequel is in order but then, I've enjoyed Robin's other stories as well and look forward to whatever she tackles next.
*** Note: I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest and impartial review ***
November 27, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Throwing Stones by Robin Reardon
1) “Throwing Stones” is an excellent YA novel. I like the depiction of Jesse,a teenager. The story starts out with Jesse coming out to his parents. Jesse is like any teenager: he wants to be loved, and receive love in return. His initial attraction to Griffin, another teenager from high school, brings Jesse out of his comfort zone as he tries to find out more about Griffin. Griffin, for his part, is leery of Jesse because Griffin is pagan and many others who live apart from the rest of the town are wary of people because of the prejudice in the town. The writer does a very good job of getting into Jesse’s mind, exposing his thoughts and feelings, and even confused emotions about Ronan, who he subsequently meets and for whom develops stronger feelings. I would have liked more setting details and more interspersed dialogue and story as Jesse’s family treats Jesse after he comes out. However, this is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone seeking a very good YA novel.
2) I enjoyed this story. This was a telling account of an attempt to break down the barriers and the fears people have with something they do not understand. Robin's easy writing style drew me into Jesse Bryce's life - thoughts, trials, curiosities, friendships, drama. The set up was Christian vs Pagan, and the misunderstandings that occur when rumor or gossip take over, and one boy's quest for the truth. Robin Reardon's ability to weave in a great deal of history and backstory of Paganism without it sounding like a lecture or a boring history lesson kept me spellbound to the story. This was a delightful read.
3) I loved this novel! I was particularly drawn to the main character, Jesse Bryce, and there is a solid sense of place about the story.
1) “Throwing Stones” is an excellent YA novel. I like the depiction of Jesse,a teenager. The story starts out with Jesse coming out to his parents. Jesse is like any teenager: he wants to be loved, and receive love in return. His initial attraction to Griffin, another teenager from high school, brings Jesse out of his comfort zone as he tries to find out more about Griffin. Griffin, for his part, is leery of Jesse because Griffin is pagan and many others who live apart from the rest of the town are wary of people because of the prejudice in the town. The writer does a very good job of getting into Jesse’s mind, exposing his thoughts and feelings, and even confused emotions about Ronan, who he subsequently meets and for whom develops stronger feelings. I would have liked more setting details and more interspersed dialogue and story as Jesse’s family treats Jesse after he comes out. However, this is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone seeking a very good YA novel.
2) I enjoyed this story. This was a telling account of an attempt to break down the barriers and the fears people have with something they do not understand. Robin's easy writing style drew me into Jesse Bryce's life - thoughts, trials, curiosities, friendships, drama. The set up was Christian vs Pagan, and the misunderstandings that occur when rumor or gossip take over, and one boy's quest for the truth. Robin Reardon's ability to weave in a great deal of history and backstory of Paganism without it sounding like a lecture or a boring history lesson kept me spellbound to the story. This was a delightful read.
3) I loved this novel! I was particularly drawn to the main character, Jesse Bryce, and there is a solid sense of place about the story.
November 22, 2015
Very good.
April 9, 2017
This is a great work! I was about to rate it 4 stars 'cause I didn't feel particularly thrilled. But by the end of the book, I realized Reardon achieved her goal: depict a mostly-unknown world in a story. As a "recent-converted" pagan, I really appreciate her doing this.
Plus, she also makes us ponder over love. It is present, or must be present, in every thing we do. In spite of our belief system, whether we're Christian or Pagan or whatever, we must love nature (which includes mankind). We must build bridges and get to know people who's not like us. Celebrate diversity!
Regarding to me, Throwing Stones helped me a lot and I feel very thankful.
I utterly recommend this book to everyone who likes useful stories and exploring new worlds.
Blessed be!
Plus, she also makes us ponder over love. It is present, or must be present, in every thing we do. In spite of our belief system, whether we're Christian or Pagan or whatever, we must love nature (which includes mankind). We must build bridges and get to know people who's not like us. Celebrate diversity!
Regarding to me, Throwing Stones helped me a lot and I feel very thankful.
I utterly recommend this book to everyone who likes useful stories and exploring new worlds.
Blessed be!
January 9, 2020
This book is a good, easy read. It is a nice introduction to paganism, although it does tend to focus on goddess centered Wicca which is just a subset of the pagan community. Although the author mentions that different pagans believe different things, the leader always referring to the Goddess seems to imply that this is the case. I do think the book gave a positive portrayal of a few different marginalized groups and tried to show the power and harm that preconceptions and closed minds can bring.
June 27, 2016
Throwing Stones was an epic journey. I’ve read two other books by Robin Reardon, and they have all been very well crafted, the stories provocative and the characters relatable, but this story surpassed them both. I think what I liked best was the fact you get several stories in one within the pages of this book of love and acceptance…of building bridges between people and communities who have canyons of fear and misunderstanding separating them.
I want to get my one criticism out of the way up front, because I want you to leave with a sense of how magnificent the book was. The prior books I read were published through a different house. I don’t know if this particular publisher for Throwing Stones is independent or if Ms. Reardon has branched out on her own, but there were enough spelling errors/wrong words that I was distracted from time to time. A slightly more careful editing job would have fixed this problem.
That said, let’s move on to all the ways the book was amazing.
Jesse is our main character, and through his eyes we watch the world around him happen. Although, that’s not a very good description because Jesse is one brave kid. He’s gay, curious about other cultures, open to new experiences, and persistent in his quest for paving a way for himself and others to get to a better place.
The main conflicts in the story, and I say conflicts because there are more than one, are Jesse’s sexuality and the divide in the town between Christian and Pagan people. Let’s tackle each one separately.
In terms of Jesse’s sexuality, he comes out to his best friend, who handles it pretty well, but when he comes out to his family they don’t handle it as smoothly. At least he wasn’t kicked out of his house. Along the journey of getting his family to continue to love him and to realize he’s no different than he ever had been, he has to look inward to see how his own views and beliefs may just be part of what’s preventing his father and brother from accepting him. The story is an exercise in patience for Jesse as he lives his life and slowly helps others to see him as he is…which essentially is no different than he was before. The love interest is thrilling in its newness for Jesse, as well as the fact it crosses the Christian/Pagan line. I was a little surprised by how much of the physical acts came into play since Jesse is seventeen and my understanding of young adult is that certain things aren’t normally directly described. If that would make a reader uncomfortable, they should proceed cautiously, but there aren’t many scenes that cross this borderline.
The main conflict in the story, however, was that between the Christians and Pagans in the small town of Himlen, Oklahoma. There was deep hatred and fear on the part of the town toward the Pagans—who use names such as heathens, devil worshippers, and vampires to describe them. The Pagans are blamed for every wrong that occurs in the town, and even the most open-minded of people who rally behind Jesse after he comes out remain skeptical of believing anything good about the Pagans.
For me, the beauty of this story was that Jesse’s sexuality was really a subplot, taking a back seat to the larger issue of communities divided by hate. The message, painted in a way that allows the reader to slowly form it in his or her own way, is that negativity and walls of opposition can only be broken down when both sides have at least one person who is willing to make the first move.
In Throwing Stones we experience Jesse making that first move, over and over, and then waiting for the other side to make its move. This becomes frustrating, heart-breaking and painful in more than one spot, but when the story lines finally start to weave closer and closer together toward the end, the rewards, for Jesse and for the reader, are larger than I normally experience when reading a good book. The triumphs are Olympian in proportion. And, in the end, one can’t help but realize that change for the better can occur when just a single person persists, following their dreams and fighting for what they believe is right.
There is so much more to this story that I couldn’t possibly cover it in a review. The scenes describing Pagan rituals, rochhounding (gotta read the book if you don’t already know what this is), simply driving around in a truck, all bring to life the inner workings of a young man’s life and how he manages to piece everything together to bring unity to those around him. Ms. Reardon has educated us as well as entertained, mixing an appreciation for the land and spirituality with the universal need we all have to belong and to feel loved.
This is a good book. A great book. One that had me crying for practically the whole last quarter of it.
Reviewed by Taz for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
I want to get my one criticism out of the way up front, because I want you to leave with a sense of how magnificent the book was. The prior books I read were published through a different house. I don’t know if this particular publisher for Throwing Stones is independent or if Ms. Reardon has branched out on her own, but there were enough spelling errors/wrong words that I was distracted from time to time. A slightly more careful editing job would have fixed this problem.
That said, let’s move on to all the ways the book was amazing.
Jesse is our main character, and through his eyes we watch the world around him happen. Although, that’s not a very good description because Jesse is one brave kid. He’s gay, curious about other cultures, open to new experiences, and persistent in his quest for paving a way for himself and others to get to a better place.
The main conflicts in the story, and I say conflicts because there are more than one, are Jesse’s sexuality and the divide in the town between Christian and Pagan people. Let’s tackle each one separately.
In terms of Jesse’s sexuality, he comes out to his best friend, who handles it pretty well, but when he comes out to his family they don’t handle it as smoothly. At least he wasn’t kicked out of his house. Along the journey of getting his family to continue to love him and to realize he’s no different than he ever had been, he has to look inward to see how his own views and beliefs may just be part of what’s preventing his father and brother from accepting him. The story is an exercise in patience for Jesse as he lives his life and slowly helps others to see him as he is…which essentially is no different than he was before. The love interest is thrilling in its newness for Jesse, as well as the fact it crosses the Christian/Pagan line. I was a little surprised by how much of the physical acts came into play since Jesse is seventeen and my understanding of young adult is that certain things aren’t normally directly described. If that would make a reader uncomfortable, they should proceed cautiously, but there aren’t many scenes that cross this borderline.
The main conflict in the story, however, was that between the Christians and Pagans in the small town of Himlen, Oklahoma. There was deep hatred and fear on the part of the town toward the Pagans—who use names such as heathens, devil worshippers, and vampires to describe them. The Pagans are blamed for every wrong that occurs in the town, and even the most open-minded of people who rally behind Jesse after he comes out remain skeptical of believing anything good about the Pagans.
For me, the beauty of this story was that Jesse’s sexuality was really a subplot, taking a back seat to the larger issue of communities divided by hate. The message, painted in a way that allows the reader to slowly form it in his or her own way, is that negativity and walls of opposition can only be broken down when both sides have at least one person who is willing to make the first move.
In Throwing Stones we experience Jesse making that first move, over and over, and then waiting for the other side to make its move. This becomes frustrating, heart-breaking and painful in more than one spot, but when the story lines finally start to weave closer and closer together toward the end, the rewards, for Jesse and for the reader, are larger than I normally experience when reading a good book. The triumphs are Olympian in proportion. And, in the end, one can’t help but realize that change for the better can occur when just a single person persists, following their dreams and fighting for what they believe is right.
There is so much more to this story that I couldn’t possibly cover it in a review. The scenes describing Pagan rituals, rochhounding (gotta read the book if you don’t already know what this is), simply driving around in a truck, all bring to life the inner workings of a young man’s life and how he manages to piece everything together to bring unity to those around him. Ms. Reardon has educated us as well as entertained, mixing an appreciation for the land and spirituality with the universal need we all have to belong and to feel loved.
This is a good book. A great book. One that had me crying for practically the whole last quarter of it.
Reviewed by Taz for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
May 24, 2016
ACTUAL RATING: 3.5
Before I begin, I should clarify that M/M and Paranormal YA fiction are two my least read genres, so the three-star rating shouldn’t be taken as a sign of any sort of failure on the book’s part. It’s just not my type of story to begin with.
In this day and age, the idea of one teenage kid teaching an entire community love and understanding sounds like a plot that firmly belongs in the realm of cheesy 80s movies. THROWING STONES manages to make it work—even the smallest actions can have a ripple effect of infinitely greater magnitude, after all. The quality of the writing is the book’s greatest asset, as the story is told with a keen understanding of both psychology and sociology that elevates the material above the usual trappings of the YA genre. Nothing feels cliché, even plot twists that I definitely seen before. To say that about a “paranormal romance” speaks volumes of the work itself.
There are few authors who can compare two wildly different forms of discrimination without cheapening both, but I’m happy to say that Robin Reardon is one of the few who can do it well. She knows when to emphasize the similarities between the oppression of pagans/witches and LGBT individuals, and more importantly, she also knows when it’s important to clarify the two groups’ differences, too. There are some experiences that Jesse has that his romantic interest can never have and vice versa, and they’re showcased spectacularly by Jesse’s own frustrations with the world around him.
Speaking of which, it’s refreshing to see a young character act like a real teenager without coming off as shallow or annoying. Jesse embodies the type of teenage passion that throws itself forward without a second thought for the consequences, and the book does a good job of balancing said consequences without being too critical of them. Whether it be in the coming out/first love narrative or the overarching pagan village plot, it’s a joy to see the character fumbling around and finding his way in life. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the rest of the cast for this very reason; there’s only Jesse’s interpretation of the characters around him rather than seeing the characters’ actions shine for themselves. Sometimes it works to the book’s benefit, such as when Jesse has a revelation about someone important to him, but other times it felt more like a barrier to the story at large.
In regards to paganism, I have conflicting thoughts about the grove in this book. The flavor of paganism portrayed in THROWING STONES wouldn’t be out of place in an eclectic tradition, and the book thankfully acknowledges that not every pagan practices the same way. There are clear influences from druidry, Dianic Wicca, and plenty of other labels that the average reader probably wouldn’t care about. I fully approve of this vague take on paganism, as many established paths have either experienced LGBTQ+ controversies or have specific rules or practices in relation to young or gay members. Robin Reardon’s system, in contrast, allows for more natural exploration that matches the development of the main character. By the time the paranormal elements begin to filter into the text, it felt completely natural.
At the same time, the “pagans just want to live peacefully in nature and it’s the Christians being intolerant” element rings a bit idealized. There are many pagans, not to mention some Big Name Pagans, who are zealously intolerant of Christianity to the point of hostility. Given that fighting prejudice is a huge component of THROWING STONES, I’m a little surprised that these types of attitudes in the pagan community weren’t touched upon in greater detail. Granted, part of this is because most of the villagers’ distrust is shown through the teenage characters, which severely limits the scope of the issue.
From a story-telling perspective, it must be noted that a lot of time is spent explaining various Wiccanate concepts to Jesse. While necessary to the plot, it unfortunately slows down the book’s pacing to a crawl for a good chunk of the middle of the story.
I would like to give props to the author for being active in the Heathens, Pagans, and Witches Goodreads group discussion about the book. It’s great to see an empathetic author being so open to ideas and making sure that her books are presented in a tactful manner, and it’s a solid read with a great message for it’s intended demographic.
EDIT (5/24/2016): Corrected a minor erroneous opinion.
Before I begin, I should clarify that M/M and Paranormal YA fiction are two my least read genres, so the three-star rating shouldn’t be taken as a sign of any sort of failure on the book’s part. It’s just not my type of story to begin with.
In this day and age, the idea of one teenage kid teaching an entire community love and understanding sounds like a plot that firmly belongs in the realm of cheesy 80s movies. THROWING STONES manages to make it work—even the smallest actions can have a ripple effect of infinitely greater magnitude, after all. The quality of the writing is the book’s greatest asset, as the story is told with a keen understanding of both psychology and sociology that elevates the material above the usual trappings of the YA genre. Nothing feels cliché, even plot twists that I definitely seen before. To say that about a “paranormal romance” speaks volumes of the work itself.
There are few authors who can compare two wildly different forms of discrimination without cheapening both, but I’m happy to say that Robin Reardon is one of the few who can do it well. She knows when to emphasize the similarities between the oppression of pagans/witches and LGBT individuals, and more importantly, she also knows when it’s important to clarify the two groups’ differences, too. There are some experiences that Jesse has that his romantic interest can never have and vice versa, and they’re showcased spectacularly by Jesse’s own frustrations with the world around him.
Speaking of which, it’s refreshing to see a young character act like a real teenager without coming off as shallow or annoying. Jesse embodies the type of teenage passion that throws itself forward without a second thought for the consequences, and the book does a good job of balancing said consequences without being too critical of them. Whether it be in the coming out/first love narrative or the overarching pagan village plot, it’s a joy to see the character fumbling around and finding his way in life. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the rest of the cast for this very reason; there’s only Jesse’s interpretation of the characters around him rather than seeing the characters’ actions shine for themselves. Sometimes it works to the book’s benefit, such as when Jesse has a revelation about someone important to him, but other times it felt more like a barrier to the story at large.
In regards to paganism, I have conflicting thoughts about the grove in this book. The flavor of paganism portrayed in THROWING STONES wouldn’t be out of place in an eclectic tradition, and the book thankfully acknowledges that not every pagan practices the same way. There are clear influences from druidry, Dianic Wicca, and plenty of other labels that the average reader probably wouldn’t care about. I fully approve of this vague take on paganism, as many established paths have either experienced LGBTQ+ controversies or have specific rules or practices in relation to young or gay members. Robin Reardon’s system, in contrast, allows for more natural exploration that matches the development of the main character. By the time the paranormal elements begin to filter into the text, it felt completely natural.
At the same time, the “pagans just want to live peacefully in nature and it’s the Christians being intolerant” element rings a bit idealized. There are many pagans, not to mention some Big Name Pagans, who are zealously intolerant of Christianity to the point of hostility. Given that fighting prejudice is a huge component of THROWING STONES, I’m a little surprised that these types of attitudes in the pagan community weren’t touched upon in greater detail. Granted, part of this is because most of the villagers’ distrust is shown through the teenage characters, which severely limits the scope of the issue.
From a story-telling perspective, it must be noted that a lot of time is spent explaining various Wiccanate concepts to Jesse. While necessary to the plot, it unfortunately slows down the book’s pacing to a crawl for a good chunk of the middle of the story.
I would like to give props to the author for being active in the Heathens, Pagans, and Witches Goodreads group discussion about the book. It’s great to see an empathetic author being so open to ideas and making sure that her books are presented in a tactful manner, and it’s a solid read with a great message for it’s intended demographic.
EDIT (5/24/2016): Corrected a minor erroneous opinion.
February 29, 2016
I know that some readers avoid religious themed books like the plague but call me crazy; I actually tend to enjoy them. I’m not an atheist, yet I’ve never pointed to one religion and said – yep, that’s the right one. I believe there is a “creator” but I also believe that “he” isn’t a judgmental asshole. If someone has lived their life as a good person, he isn’t going to see them eternally punished because shit, they’re Catholic and Jewish was the correct answer. God, or whatever each religion wants to call the figure they worship, is love and acceptance in my opinion. So it always fascinates me that religion is the cause of so much violence and hate. Paganism isn’t something I know much about, so I was interested in this story as soon as I read the blurb. Although I’ve never read any other book by this author, the Goodreads reviews for Throwing Stones all say something along the lines of – of course it’s good, it was written by Robin Reardon – so I was expecting great things from this story. And I can thankfully report, that the author delivered on that expectation.
The story is told from the first person perspective of gay, closeted, seventeen-year-old Jesse Bryce. Jesse is just beginning to nudge at that closet door, and because of this he is ultra sensitive of the behavior and opinions of people around him. The author has created Jesse with a perfect combination of both youth and maturity. He is more mature than most other teens his age, as one often sees in kids who don’t feel secure or safe. And while Jesse isn’t scared that his family will physically hurt him should they learn his secret, he is terrified that they’ll reject him in disgust. But at the same time, his point of view still has a distinctly youthful feel to it.
The romance between Jesse and Ronan was almost incidental to the plot, although it did provide the author more opportunity to develop the characters and show the reader another side of these teens. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good romance. But the core foundation of this book wasn’t the love story, instead the need for acceptance came across as the principal theme.
Throwing Stones is one of those stories that make you stop and contemplate your own thoughts and opinions alongside the reflection going on amongst the characters. Watching Jesse’s family struggle to accept his sexuality would normally have made me angry. But the author put such care and consideration into how these conflicts were presented that as they struggled to understand him, I was made to struggle through understanding them.
This book is a little longer than average for this genre, but not once did I get bored by what was happening on the pages. You have to appreciate the quality of this story. You can feel the attention paid to the little details, which is clearly a reflection of this author’s skills. It’s all well and good to throw out the saying – one person can make a difference – but what Robin Reardon has accomplished here, is to show us what that looks like, and in a completely credible way.
Throwing Stones is a memorable book, a book that makes you feel hope and acceptance and forgiveness and love, and teaches us that we hurt ourselves when we hate or fear what we don’t understand.
I would only hesitate to recommend this to a reader who is adamant that young adult novels are not to their liking. To all others, this is one of my must-read picks for 2016. It will surely find itself a place on my favourite books of the year list come December.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/02/2...
The story is told from the first person perspective of gay, closeted, seventeen-year-old Jesse Bryce. Jesse is just beginning to nudge at that closet door, and because of this he is ultra sensitive of the behavior and opinions of people around him. The author has created Jesse with a perfect combination of both youth and maturity. He is more mature than most other teens his age, as one often sees in kids who don’t feel secure or safe. And while Jesse isn’t scared that his family will physically hurt him should they learn his secret, he is terrified that they’ll reject him in disgust. But at the same time, his point of view still has a distinctly youthful feel to it.
The romance between Jesse and Ronan was almost incidental to the plot, although it did provide the author more opportunity to develop the characters and show the reader another side of these teens. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good romance. But the core foundation of this book wasn’t the love story, instead the need for acceptance came across as the principal theme.
Throwing Stones is one of those stories that make you stop and contemplate your own thoughts and opinions alongside the reflection going on amongst the characters. Watching Jesse’s family struggle to accept his sexuality would normally have made me angry. But the author put such care and consideration into how these conflicts were presented that as they struggled to understand him, I was made to struggle through understanding them.
This book is a little longer than average for this genre, but not once did I get bored by what was happening on the pages. You have to appreciate the quality of this story. You can feel the attention paid to the little details, which is clearly a reflection of this author’s skills. It’s all well and good to throw out the saying – one person can make a difference – but what Robin Reardon has accomplished here, is to show us what that looks like, and in a completely credible way.
Throwing Stones is a memorable book, a book that makes you feel hope and acceptance and forgiveness and love, and teaches us that we hurt ourselves when we hate or fear what we don’t understand.
I would only hesitate to recommend this to a reader who is adamant that young adult novels are not to their liking. To all others, this is one of my must-read picks for 2016. It will surely find itself a place on my favourite books of the year list come December.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/02/2...
December 29, 2015
"Throwing Stones" is the third book by Robin Reardon I have read 2015, and the only novel length book I haven't read yet is A Question of Manhood. So far I have not read a Reardon book which has disappointed, "Throwing Stones" included. To me Robin Reardon is the best coming-of-age writer that I have read, though she may be the only one by which I still as an adult have read more than once.
So for this book, as far as content goes it is a typical Reardon book. At center, we have Jesse Bryce, a gay 17 year old who tells his story to us, the readers, from his first person point of view. The story starts off with us learning how he has recently come out to his best friend Brad, and shortly there after to his family: mother, father, and straight and soon to be engaged older brother Stu. Family members handle his coming out differently and not all that well. But even though this is a sort of coming out story, it is not the most important matter in the story.
Like many both fictional and real life teenagers, Jesse is trying to come to terms with who he is, and his part of the world in a bigger pattern, and this is where the paganism is entering the scene. Religion and spirituality is always a big part of Reardon's books, a part I like very much despite that I myself is atheist. Like me, Jesse is interested to find out how a group of people in his town are living, not as part of the Christians, but as pagans, something he don't know a lot about, and which he is warned to stay away from. Of course once he sets eye on a guy from the "village", which is the name of the place where the pagan families live, he simply can't stay away from them, and his new interest puts into motion some things that eventually will involve not just Jesse and his family but the entire town.
Stones play an important part of the story, both the phrase "throwing stones" literally and figuratively and actual stones as in rocks as Brad is a huge fan of going looking for rocks, and more than a few scenes take place while Jesse and Brad are looking for rocks. Also people are giving the likeness of rocks; if worked on carefully you may find the wonders laying beneath but it takes time and you never know what you will find at the first sight or if it will be worth the effort. Another big part of the books theme is forgiveness, asking and giving.
One thing I always loved about Reardon's characters is that they are never too likable, not even the main characters. Her teenagers are moody, grumpy, selfish, difficult to understand at times, but also sweet and endearing and just ... perfect in an almost real life way. The same goes for secondary and supporting characters.
The reason my rating stops at four stars instead of five may depend on the fact that I recently read both Educating Simon and The Revelations of Jude Connor and had my fill of coming of age stories with the latter focusing almost solely on religious issues, but also because I think part of how "Throwing Stones" was set up reminded me of The Evolution of Ethan Poe; from the town taking sides in a matter important for them, to the meeting of the towns'/congregations' members, to the not easily likable boy friend.
But even with that considered this is still a book I highly recommend, as I do with all the other Reardon books I have read. And I will be looking forward to new books in the future.
So for this book, as far as content goes it is a typical Reardon book. At center, we have Jesse Bryce, a gay 17 year old who tells his story to us, the readers, from his first person point of view. The story starts off with us learning how he has recently come out to his best friend Brad, and shortly there after to his family: mother, father, and straight and soon to be engaged older brother Stu. Family members handle his coming out differently and not all that well. But even though this is a sort of coming out story, it is not the most important matter in the story.
Like many both fictional and real life teenagers, Jesse is trying to come to terms with who he is, and his part of the world in a bigger pattern, and this is where the paganism is entering the scene. Religion and spirituality is always a big part of Reardon's books, a part I like very much despite that I myself is atheist. Like me, Jesse is interested to find out how a group of people in his town are living, not as part of the Christians, but as pagans, something he don't know a lot about, and which he is warned to stay away from. Of course once he sets eye on a guy from the "village", which is the name of the place where the pagan families live, he simply can't stay away from them, and his new interest puts into motion some things that eventually will involve not just Jesse and his family but the entire town.
Stones play an important part of the story, both the phrase "throwing stones" literally and figuratively and actual stones as in rocks as Brad is a huge fan of going looking for rocks, and more than a few scenes take place while Jesse and Brad are looking for rocks. Also people are giving the likeness of rocks; if worked on carefully you may find the wonders laying beneath but it takes time and you never know what you will find at the first sight or if it will be worth the effort. Another big part of the books theme is forgiveness, asking and giving.
One thing I always loved about Reardon's characters is that they are never too likable, not even the main characters. Her teenagers are moody, grumpy, selfish, difficult to understand at times, but also sweet and endearing and just ... perfect in an almost real life way. The same goes for secondary and supporting characters.
The reason my rating stops at four stars instead of five may depend on the fact that I recently read both Educating Simon and The Revelations of Jude Connor and had my fill of coming of age stories with the latter focusing almost solely on religious issues, but also because I think part of how "Throwing Stones" was set up reminded me of The Evolution of Ethan Poe; from the town taking sides in a matter important for them, to the meeting of the towns'/congregations' members, to the not easily likable boy friend.
But even with that considered this is still a book I highly recommend, as I do with all the other Reardon books I have read. And I will be looking forward to new books in the future.
December 28, 2015
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi
Jesse Bryce, of 'Throwing Stones' by Robin Reardon, is a young man full of questions about why the world, and specifically his family, believes that being gay is a sin. Jesse's next big concern is why the people of his small town persecute a group of Pagans who live nearby. Instead of just accepting the situation, Jesse decides to find a way to do something about both problems.
As Jesse gets to know people in the Pagan community, his tolerance for the many untruths and superstitions greatly affects him because he knows most of it is fear of the unknown, along with several fabrications or, at the least, exaggerations. As far as his family goes, Jesse has done his research and decides to help his parents understand by educating them about being gay; hopefully, having this information will help dispel their fears. Jesse wants to help them realize that he's the same person he's always been, and them knowing that he is gay isn't going to change him.
The children from the village go to school with the townspeople where they are persecuted and bullied. Their families are looked down upon and called devil worshipers or worse. Even so, they never retaliate. Jesse makes friends with some of the young men from the village and goes into their community, anxious to learn all about them and their beliefs. Jesse is open-minded and curious about the Pagan way. The people in the Grove accept Jesse's sexuality unconditionally, whereas his family is still struggling to accept it. When it's discovered that Jesse is lying to his parents about where he is going, he's banished until he has his parents' permission to return. Although Jesse is hurt and disappointed, he complies because he knows that honesty is highly valued in the Grove and is one of the values he admires about them.
There's a great deal more to this four hundred and six-page story than I can convey in a short review, but I want to say I was fascinated with how the “tutorial” on the Pagan way and how the other paranormal aspects of the book are explained and blended into the “real world”. It dragged a little during Jesse's learning process when he asked a plethora of questions, but it picked up the pace after that. It may have felt that way to me because I'm fairly versed in Paganism, but someone who isn’t may feel differently. As far as characters go, Jesse was a terrific and admirable young man with a lot going for him with a drive and ambition seldom seen in someone his age. Jesse would be the kind of person who when asked the question “Why?” he would answer, “Why not?” He didn't let barriers keep him from achieving his goal, whether it be promoting better relationship between the two communities or convincing his best friends that he was still “just Jesse”.
If you like unusual stories about Paganism, spirit animals, loyalty, truthfulness, young love, coming of age, and reuniting people, this may be one you will enjoy. Thank you, Robin, for reminding me that familiarity breeds understanding.
Jesse Bryce, of 'Throwing Stones' by Robin Reardon, is a young man full of questions about why the world, and specifically his family, believes that being gay is a sin. Jesse's next big concern is why the people of his small town persecute a group of Pagans who live nearby. Instead of just accepting the situation, Jesse decides to find a way to do something about both problems.
As Jesse gets to know people in the Pagan community, his tolerance for the many untruths and superstitions greatly affects him because he knows most of it is fear of the unknown, along with several fabrications or, at the least, exaggerations. As far as his family goes, Jesse has done his research and decides to help his parents understand by educating them about being gay; hopefully, having this information will help dispel their fears. Jesse wants to help them realize that he's the same person he's always been, and them knowing that he is gay isn't going to change him.
The children from the village go to school with the townspeople where they are persecuted and bullied. Their families are looked down upon and called devil worshipers or worse. Even so, they never retaliate. Jesse makes friends with some of the young men from the village and goes into their community, anxious to learn all about them and their beliefs. Jesse is open-minded and curious about the Pagan way. The people in the Grove accept Jesse's sexuality unconditionally, whereas his family is still struggling to accept it. When it's discovered that Jesse is lying to his parents about where he is going, he's banished until he has his parents' permission to return. Although Jesse is hurt and disappointed, he complies because he knows that honesty is highly valued in the Grove and is one of the values he admires about them.
There's a great deal more to this four hundred and six-page story than I can convey in a short review, but I want to say I was fascinated with how the “tutorial” on the Pagan way and how the other paranormal aspects of the book are explained and blended into the “real world”. It dragged a little during Jesse's learning process when he asked a plethora of questions, but it picked up the pace after that. It may have felt that way to me because I'm fairly versed in Paganism, but someone who isn’t may feel differently. As far as characters go, Jesse was a terrific and admirable young man with a lot going for him with a drive and ambition seldom seen in someone his age. Jesse would be the kind of person who when asked the question “Why?” he would answer, “Why not?” He didn't let barriers keep him from achieving his goal, whether it be promoting better relationship between the two communities or convincing his best friends that he was still “just Jesse”.
If you like unusual stories about Paganism, spirit animals, loyalty, truthfulness, young love, coming of age, and reuniting people, this may be one you will enjoy. Thank you, Robin, for reminding me that familiarity breeds understanding.
April 8, 2016
When a teen boy realizes he is gay, he is faced with telling his family and eventually the world. Living in a small-minded “Christian” town, Jesse knows of the hypocrisy most of his Christian neighbors are experts at displaying, thanks to the small village of Pagans that live just outside of town. Seen as devil worshippers and ritualistic killers, no one really knows what happens within the group and no effort is made to welcome them as neighbors. As Jesse comes out to his parents and best friend, he begins to see how much these pagans have in common with him and how he will be ostracized for his sexual identity.
Jesse finds himself going to the small village and finding a group of people who, while maybe different in their beliefs or how they practice their religion, they are kind, far less judgmental and far more accepting. Then there are the supernatural things they appear to be able to do, so there is more to them than meets the eye.
It is among these pagans that Jesse finds a boy to share his love with and like any young romance they grow closer in time. When a pagan is killed for his efforts to save a young Christina girl from being raped, Jesse knows he must do something to change the way both his town and the pagans feel about each other. In doing so, is he hoping to ease his own problems with being accepted as the same boy he has always been?
Robin Reardon’s Throwing Stones is a well-written tale of the trials of being different. While Ms. Reardon presents her tale in such a way that it reads like a young adult tale, there are definitely mature scenes that may be inappropriate for anyone under seventeen. Jesse is the kind of boy it would be a joy to know, caring, kind and not afraid to stand up for fair treatment for all. Sadly, many of the supporting characters that make up the town definitely give it the atmosphere of a town caught up in small-minded thinking and fear of change. Bullies are slapped on the wrist for cruelties to others, because their “connections” and innocents are ridiculed for being different.
Follow Jesse as he matures, accepts himself and accepts that he can only try to change the world one small piece at a time.
I received this copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: IAM Books
Publication Date: November 13, 2015
Gere: Fantasy | Gay Fiction
Print Length: 327 pages
Available from: Smashwords | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Jesse finds himself going to the small village and finding a group of people who, while maybe different in their beliefs or how they practice their religion, they are kind, far less judgmental and far more accepting. Then there are the supernatural things they appear to be able to do, so there is more to them than meets the eye.
It is among these pagans that Jesse finds a boy to share his love with and like any young romance they grow closer in time. When a pagan is killed for his efforts to save a young Christina girl from being raped, Jesse knows he must do something to change the way both his town and the pagans feel about each other. In doing so, is he hoping to ease his own problems with being accepted as the same boy he has always been?
Robin Reardon’s Throwing Stones is a well-written tale of the trials of being different. While Ms. Reardon presents her tale in such a way that it reads like a young adult tale, there are definitely mature scenes that may be inappropriate for anyone under seventeen. Jesse is the kind of boy it would be a joy to know, caring, kind and not afraid to stand up for fair treatment for all. Sadly, many of the supporting characters that make up the town definitely give it the atmosphere of a town caught up in small-minded thinking and fear of change. Bullies are slapped on the wrist for cruelties to others, because their “connections” and innocents are ridiculed for being different.
Follow Jesse as he matures, accepts himself and accepts that he can only try to change the world one small piece at a time.
I received this copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: IAM Books
Publication Date: November 13, 2015
Gere: Fantasy | Gay Fiction
Print Length: 327 pages
Available from: Smashwords | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 18, 2015
Robin Reardon rocked it again, with her latest book, Throwing Stones.
Jesse Bryce is your average high school student. He likes to go rock hunting with his best friend, Brad. He goes to school, goes on dates, goes to church, spends time with his family. It’s a regular life in a regular Small Town, USA... except just outside this town, there’s a village filled with people who are... different. They don’t act like everyone else does. They sure don’t worship like everyone else does. There’s a lot of rumors about what exactly they are... Vampires? Doubtful. Freaks? For sure.
And then Jesse meets Griffin Holyoke, one of the village kids... and Jesse realizes something... all those dates he had gone on? They weren’t real. Griffin makes Jesse realize he’s gay, and Jesse’s exploration of that discovery leads him to exploring the village and befriending Griffin, who, alas, is straight. No one in the village cares though. They’re pagans, and very open to anything that doesn’t harm other people. Gay, straight, love is love – and that attitude strengthens Jesse to come out to his friends and family.
As Jesse spends more time in the village though, he starts to become increasingly aware of just how much a divide there is between the townspeople and the villagers. As his connections to the village increase, especially when he meets a certain boy, he wants nothing more than to see the walls come down, and with the help of some friends from both sides of the divide, he sets out to do just that, with their own version of a GSA, but one designed to overcome differences between the town and village.
There’s challenges along the way, with people accepting his sexuality, with people’s fears and rumours and dislike of the villagers. There’s violence, and even though the church talks pretty clearly about “he is without sin”, literal stones are thrown. To overcome the obstacles in his path, Jesse must stand firm. He is like a stone skipped across the water – no one can see how far the ripples will reach.
As with all of Robin’s books, there are moments of true heart. One of the most touching is Jesse helping his mom return to dreams she had long since given up on. I won’t lie – there may have been an escaped tear or two.
The questions surrounding faith and spirituality are also pretty powerful, especially on a weekend like this one past, where we have seen such violence and bigotry cloaked in terms of religion. Finding common ground is the key to moving past what we see as differences, and in the end, it’s about love, respect, and peace.
Jesse Bryce is your average high school student. He likes to go rock hunting with his best friend, Brad. He goes to school, goes on dates, goes to church, spends time with his family. It’s a regular life in a regular Small Town, USA... except just outside this town, there’s a village filled with people who are... different. They don’t act like everyone else does. They sure don’t worship like everyone else does. There’s a lot of rumors about what exactly they are... Vampires? Doubtful. Freaks? For sure.
And then Jesse meets Griffin Holyoke, one of the village kids... and Jesse realizes something... all those dates he had gone on? They weren’t real. Griffin makes Jesse realize he’s gay, and Jesse’s exploration of that discovery leads him to exploring the village and befriending Griffin, who, alas, is straight. No one in the village cares though. They’re pagans, and very open to anything that doesn’t harm other people. Gay, straight, love is love – and that attitude strengthens Jesse to come out to his friends and family.
As Jesse spends more time in the village though, he starts to become increasingly aware of just how much a divide there is between the townspeople and the villagers. As his connections to the village increase, especially when he meets a certain boy, he wants nothing more than to see the walls come down, and with the help of some friends from both sides of the divide, he sets out to do just that, with their own version of a GSA, but one designed to overcome differences between the town and village.
There’s challenges along the way, with people accepting his sexuality, with people’s fears and rumours and dislike of the villagers. There’s violence, and even though the church talks pretty clearly about “he is without sin”, literal stones are thrown. To overcome the obstacles in his path, Jesse must stand firm. He is like a stone skipped across the water – no one can see how far the ripples will reach.
As with all of Robin’s books, there are moments of true heart. One of the most touching is Jesse helping his mom return to dreams she had long since given up on. I won’t lie – there may have been an escaped tear or two.
The questions surrounding faith and spirituality are also pretty powerful, especially on a weekend like this one past, where we have seen such violence and bigotry cloaked in terms of religion. Finding common ground is the key to moving past what we see as differences, and in the end, it’s about love, respect, and peace.
November 5, 2015
I have been given advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Robins latest book looks at coming out in a different way to her other works. In this the main character of seventeen year old Jesse Bryce is openly gay to his family and whilst they are not all exactly supportive or understanding his is a fairly comfortable coming out story regarding his sexuality.
The way this book differs to the authors other works is that it takes the idea of exploring ones sexuality and also has the main character explore another faith. The exploration of a differing faith comes with the same thoughts, feelings and emotions that many LGBT people have when coming out. There is a sense of secrecy as family members and indeed friends and schoolmates might be hostile if found out. There is also the personal need for others to see that beliefs that are different to theirs are not as threatening or dangerous as people might think.
Throwing Stones sees bullying and ignorance and the horrifying effects that they put upon the victims as well as innocent bystanders. It doesn’t pack a punch and whilst not being too graphic on the effects of the bullying leaves the reader in no doubt the effects of the bullying on the individuals. The main character takes a stand against bullying on several occasions both with the help of friends and also on his own. This makes him a very likeable character and one that I find very believable as I can see aspects of myself in him.
There are some sex scenes which make this a more ‘adult’ young adult book but nothing that wouldn’t be happening in the early stages of any relationship. This could be in part due to the short story for part of the ‘Real Story Safe Sex’ project that the author was part of.
The story goes at a fair pace and I was captivated throughout the entire book. I had no issues with losing interest at all.
The beliefs of certain pagans was well represented in the book and the similarities of ‘coming out’ as a pagan are described extremely similarly to those of ‘coming out’ as a LGBT person which is what made this book so interesting.
We have characters who struggle to accept Jesse’s sexuality but the arguments he puts forward are sensible and heartfelt. In fact it is actually quite a good guide to coming out.
All in all another good book from a superb author and definitely one that I would recommend for my LGBT reading group and local library.
Robins latest book looks at coming out in a different way to her other works. In this the main character of seventeen year old Jesse Bryce is openly gay to his family and whilst they are not all exactly supportive or understanding his is a fairly comfortable coming out story regarding his sexuality.
The way this book differs to the authors other works is that it takes the idea of exploring ones sexuality and also has the main character explore another faith. The exploration of a differing faith comes with the same thoughts, feelings and emotions that many LGBT people have when coming out. There is a sense of secrecy as family members and indeed friends and schoolmates might be hostile if found out. There is also the personal need for others to see that beliefs that are different to theirs are not as threatening or dangerous as people might think.
Throwing Stones sees bullying and ignorance and the horrifying effects that they put upon the victims as well as innocent bystanders. It doesn’t pack a punch and whilst not being too graphic on the effects of the bullying leaves the reader in no doubt the effects of the bullying on the individuals. The main character takes a stand against bullying on several occasions both with the help of friends and also on his own. This makes him a very likeable character and one that I find very believable as I can see aspects of myself in him.
There are some sex scenes which make this a more ‘adult’ young adult book but nothing that wouldn’t be happening in the early stages of any relationship. This could be in part due to the short story for part of the ‘Real Story Safe Sex’ project that the author was part of.
The story goes at a fair pace and I was captivated throughout the entire book. I had no issues with losing interest at all.
The beliefs of certain pagans was well represented in the book and the similarities of ‘coming out’ as a pagan are described extremely similarly to those of ‘coming out’ as a LGBT person which is what made this book so interesting.
We have characters who struggle to accept Jesse’s sexuality but the arguments he puts forward are sensible and heartfelt. In fact it is actually quite a good guide to coming out.
All in all another good book from a superb author and definitely one that I would recommend for my LGBT reading group and local library.
November 1, 2016
Throwing Stones
By Robin Reardon
4 stars
A wonderful, offbeat new-adult story, set in an iconic “town without pity” in America’s heartland. Himlen, Oklahoma is an all-American Christian town, and the townspeople have little truck with a community of pagans called “the Village” just outside town. Misperceptions and myths based on fear and ignorance color the way the folks of Himlen treat the people from the village. Except one of the good people of Himlen, Jesse Bryce, begins to feel differently about the pagan families. Jesse is gay, and he comes to understand the connection between the way he is treated and the way the villagers must feel at the way they’re treated by the town.
So, “Throwing Stones” is a coming-out tale tied to a story of irrational religious prejudice. The whole pagan-village premise could have been ham-fisted and farfetched, but Reardon does a wonderful job of depicting the villagers through Jesse’s eyes. They are humanized without being saintly.
The secondary characters in the story are both important and carefully drawn to act as satellites to Jesse’s central viewpoint. Brad, his best friend; his brother Stu and his fiancée Patty; Ivy Gillman, the pastor’s daughter; and finally the two pagan boys, Griffin Holyoke and Ronan Coulter. Most of the story revolves around these young people; but adults matter, too, which is always a good thing in my opinion. Jesse’s pastor and his parents are crucial to the narrative, and particularly his mother who plays a catalytic role in the books’ dual plotline.
But it is Jesse who captures the reader’s heart. He comes across as a normal teenager who just wants to fit in; but also wants to be true to himself. Jesse’s empathy for the plight of the villagers – his ability to step outside the self-centered world of the teenager and see larger connections in society around him – becomes the means of transformative change, both for Jesse and for Himlen.
By Robin Reardon
4 stars
A wonderful, offbeat new-adult story, set in an iconic “town without pity” in America’s heartland. Himlen, Oklahoma is an all-American Christian town, and the townspeople have little truck with a community of pagans called “the Village” just outside town. Misperceptions and myths based on fear and ignorance color the way the folks of Himlen treat the people from the village. Except one of the good people of Himlen, Jesse Bryce, begins to feel differently about the pagan families. Jesse is gay, and he comes to understand the connection between the way he is treated and the way the villagers must feel at the way they’re treated by the town.
So, “Throwing Stones” is a coming-out tale tied to a story of irrational religious prejudice. The whole pagan-village premise could have been ham-fisted and farfetched, but Reardon does a wonderful job of depicting the villagers through Jesse’s eyes. They are humanized without being saintly.
The secondary characters in the story are both important and carefully drawn to act as satellites to Jesse’s central viewpoint. Brad, his best friend; his brother Stu and his fiancée Patty; Ivy Gillman, the pastor’s daughter; and finally the two pagan boys, Griffin Holyoke and Ronan Coulter. Most of the story revolves around these young people; but adults matter, too, which is always a good thing in my opinion. Jesse’s pastor and his parents are crucial to the narrative, and particularly his mother who plays a catalytic role in the books’ dual plotline.
But it is Jesse who captures the reader’s heart. He comes across as a normal teenager who just wants to fit in; but also wants to be true to himself. Jesse’s empathy for the plight of the villagers – his ability to step outside the self-centered world of the teenager and see larger connections in society around him – becomes the means of transformative change, both for Jesse and for Himlen.
November 13, 2015
[NOTE: I am submitting this review on behalf of William Worley, a student at Stivers High School for the Arts in Dayton, OH. William asked me to submit his review here, because he is not currently a member and will not be joining at this time.]
Robin Reardon has weaved a story that captures the emotions and thoughts of her characters perfectly, moves them through a thrilling and emotional plot, and then teaches a lesson on the importance of understand and acceptance.
In Throwing Stones a young man, who comes out as being gay, struggles to be accepted by his family and his community while dealing with his own emotions, and simultaneously building a bridge between two communities. Reardon has a found a way to put the reader completely in the shoes of her characters after what must have been endless research. The plot and subplots are full of twists and turns, sprinkled with jokes, hidden stories, and life lessons that will make you think in a new light. After experiencing every emotion available the reader can then have the satisfaction of a perfectly ended story and a new outlook on life.
I give Throwing Stones a five star rating on the accuracy of the thoughts, emotions, and actions of the main character alone. Everything else is icing on the cake. This is a must read for any teenager and also anyone who’s looking to have a little more understanding of the impact it makes by just accepting someone for who they are.
Robin Reardon has weaved a story that captures the emotions and thoughts of her characters perfectly, moves them through a thrilling and emotional plot, and then teaches a lesson on the importance of understand and acceptance.
In Throwing Stones a young man, who comes out as being gay, struggles to be accepted by his family and his community while dealing with his own emotions, and simultaneously building a bridge between two communities. Reardon has a found a way to put the reader completely in the shoes of her characters after what must have been endless research. The plot and subplots are full of twists and turns, sprinkled with jokes, hidden stories, and life lessons that will make you think in a new light. After experiencing every emotion available the reader can then have the satisfaction of a perfectly ended story and a new outlook on life.
I give Throwing Stones a five star rating on the accuracy of the thoughts, emotions, and actions of the main character alone. Everything else is icing on the cake. This is a must read for any teenager and also anyone who’s looking to have a little more understanding of the impact it makes by just accepting someone for who they are.
April 29, 2016
This book astounded me it was so wonderful, and the thing I love most about it are the lessons that are taught without being 'preachy', these lessons are taught through the insight of a very special, sometimes misunderstood boy.
Jesse is tired of not being able to be who he really is so he decides to come out to his best friend and family. It doesn't go as well as he had hoped, but it isn't as bad as it could be for sure. The process of Jesse coming out is real, real emotions, feelings and pain. You can feel Jesse's pain as if it were your own, and this of course is the mark of a great author!
Jesse starts hanging around people from the Village, who are a bit different. Things get more strained in his life, his best friend begins to pull away and his family doesn't understand and starts to forbid it. Jesse can see what others can not, just because something is different doesn't mean it is wrong or evil. Yet another lesson we learn in this book!
I can't give all the lessons away :P, but I will say that Jesse learns about himself and the people closest to him, and he learns that love doesn't mean being what someone wants you to be, if you are really loved, you are taken as you are! Thanks Robin, for a book that entertains and captivates us, but also teaches us lessons everyone should learn.
Jesse is tired of not being able to be who he really is so he decides to come out to his best friend and family. It doesn't go as well as he had hoped, but it isn't as bad as it could be for sure. The process of Jesse coming out is real, real emotions, feelings and pain. You can feel Jesse's pain as if it were your own, and this of course is the mark of a great author!
Jesse starts hanging around people from the Village, who are a bit different. Things get more strained in his life, his best friend begins to pull away and his family doesn't understand and starts to forbid it. Jesse can see what others can not, just because something is different doesn't mean it is wrong or evil. Yet another lesson we learn in this book!
I can't give all the lessons away :P, but I will say that Jesse learns about himself and the people closest to him, and he learns that love doesn't mean being what someone wants you to be, if you are really loved, you are taken as you are! Thanks Robin, for a book that entertains and captivates us, but also teaches us lessons everyone should learn.
October 26, 2015
Full Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.
Robin Reardon is back, and in tip-top form! This novel has everything that we have come to love from a Robin Reardon novel: Love, Friendship, a bit of intrigue, and more importantly, an unusual topic mixed in that forces the reader to think outside of the box and see things from another perspective.
This time, that question concerns paganism and our cultural understanding of it. The idea is presented to the reader in the form of Griffin Holyoke, a young man from "the village" that our narrator, Jesse Bryce, has a crush on. However, Griffin is only one of the issues Jesse must figure out. He also struggles with a family that doesn't understand his sexuality or accept it.
What we get from this mixture is another absolutely fantastic novel! I cannot wait to see what comes next from this wonderful author!
Robin Reardon is back, and in tip-top form! This novel has everything that we have come to love from a Robin Reardon novel: Love, Friendship, a bit of intrigue, and more importantly, an unusual topic mixed in that forces the reader to think outside of the box and see things from another perspective.
This time, that question concerns paganism and our cultural understanding of it. The idea is presented to the reader in the form of Griffin Holyoke, a young man from "the village" that our narrator, Jesse Bryce, has a crush on. However, Griffin is only one of the issues Jesse must figure out. He also struggles with a family that doesn't understand his sexuality or accept it.
What we get from this mixture is another absolutely fantastic novel! I cannot wait to see what comes next from this wonderful author!
February 29, 2016
Like the rest of Miss Riordan's books I enjoyed this one completely. It was a great novel and a very quick read but that shouldn't hamper anyone from reading it. I always find her books really give a good message of learning to accept sexuality. I always like the dichotomy that she inputs into her books and especially in this one being pagan and gay in small town America would ostracize you to a point where you couldn't even walk down the street. NOT that it is a problem for me but I felt that this book was more graphic that her other novels have been so that would be only warning I would give to a future reader especially if they were younger. Other than that I would recommend this book highly to everyone to read especially if they are going through a time of trying to build their own bridges with people.
September 14, 2015
I was given this book to give a honest review.
This book is everything you expect of a Reardon book. Religion, Power Animals, Research on Homosexuality, and of course a 100% shippable couple.
I found Throwing Stones an interesting read, whilst being a brilliant storyline, with twist and turns, it was also educational, I felt I learnt throughout the story, pretty much as Jesse did.
I liked Jesse's character, he was easily read, easy to connect to, and easy to believe. I would recommend this book to read, especially if you've read Reardon before.
Four Stars.
This book is everything you expect of a Reardon book. Religion, Power Animals, Research on Homosexuality, and of course a 100% shippable couple.
I found Throwing Stones an interesting read, whilst being a brilliant storyline, with twist and turns, it was also educational, I felt I learnt throughout the story, pretty much as Jesse did.
I liked Jesse's character, he was easily read, easy to connect to, and easy to believe. I would recommend this book to read, especially if you've read Reardon before.
Four Stars.
February 14, 2016
Amazing novel about coming of age, coming out, and acceptance
With 'Throwing Stones,' Reardon has created a brilliant exploration of acceptance. Acceptance of yourself, family, spiritual community, and the different.
I will be recommending this novel and author for quite some time.
With 'Throwing Stones,' Reardon has created a brilliant exploration of acceptance. Acceptance of yourself, family, spiritual community, and the different.
I will be recommending this novel and author for quite some time.
June 9, 2019
RATE: (3.5)
I really enjoyed this book, it's a deep and spiritual story, I fell in love with Jesse since the beginning and I loved how the character grew up. I just think it was a little long, it was good tho.
I really enjoyed this book, it's a deep and spiritual story, I fell in love with Jesse since the beginning and I loved how the character grew up. I just think it was a little long, it was good tho.
April 16, 2020
Throwing Stones takes place in the small town of Himlen, Oklahoma, and follows seventeen-year-old young Jesse Bryce, who has just come out to his ultra-conservative parents and brother as gay. They didn't take the news as well as he'd hoped and are having a difficult time accepting him, making life at home difficult for Jesse.
But after a chance meeting with Griffin Holyoke, a handsome pagan boy, Jesse subsequently finds himself strangely drawn to the "Village" - the nearby community of Pagans who are ostracized and treated with contempt and disdain by the townies. The villagers have been accused of everything bad that happens in town, including witchcraft, devil worship, slaughtering black cats, and even vampirism.
But as Jesse sneaks off to the village to learn more, he witnesses strange yet beautiful, intense, and beguiling rituals that bring him a sense of peace, belonging, and acceptance. To confuse matters even more, Jesse falls in love with a mysterious pagan boy who ends up exposing Jesse to a world he could never have imagined.
Jesse then takes it upon himself to bridge the hostile gap between the villagers and the townspeople. At home, he is doubly challenged as he attempts to make his family understand his homosexuality as well as accept the villagers.
Of course, one cannot be the bravest person in town and not expect pushback from those a little less enlightened and this was certainly the case here. But it is through this pushback that the author illustrates nicely how intolerance and fear of the unknown can cloud people's judgment of others and create unnecessary rifts and divisions.
What we have here then, is a not just a coming out story but rather a mesmerizing account about the clash between the local Christians and Pagans. I typically shy away from books about religion, but the author expertly handled both religions with sensitivity and compassion. This is also a story about acceptance and overcoming hatred and prejudice. Though Jesse's coming out does play an essential part in the narrative, it is secondary to the larger issue of the divisiveness of the community.
Though there are tense moments here, this ended up being a lovely, heart-warming story that brought tears to my eyes several times. This was a provocative book with a richly developed plot and complex, multilayered characters. I especially loved Jesse, our main character, and it is through his perspective that the story is told. He's brave, likable, empathetic, and determined, and it was so much fun getting to know him.
I also loved the various themes surrounding rocks and stones, both literally and figuratively, which worked wonderfully in the narrative. Additional themes included religious tolerance/intolerance, paganism, faith, spirituality, first love, hatred, prejudice, bullying, ignorance, community, loyalty, building bridges, forgiveness, acceptance, and even spirit animals.
All in all, this was a lovely, memorable, and moving book, and I absolutely loved it. I hope the author writes more stories set in this world, and I'd love to revisit these characters once again.
But after a chance meeting with Griffin Holyoke, a handsome pagan boy, Jesse subsequently finds himself strangely drawn to the "Village" - the nearby community of Pagans who are ostracized and treated with contempt and disdain by the townies. The villagers have been accused of everything bad that happens in town, including witchcraft, devil worship, slaughtering black cats, and even vampirism.
But as Jesse sneaks off to the village to learn more, he witnesses strange yet beautiful, intense, and beguiling rituals that bring him a sense of peace, belonging, and acceptance. To confuse matters even more, Jesse falls in love with a mysterious pagan boy who ends up exposing Jesse to a world he could never have imagined.
Jesse then takes it upon himself to bridge the hostile gap between the villagers and the townspeople. At home, he is doubly challenged as he attempts to make his family understand his homosexuality as well as accept the villagers.
Of course, one cannot be the bravest person in town and not expect pushback from those a little less enlightened and this was certainly the case here. But it is through this pushback that the author illustrates nicely how intolerance and fear of the unknown can cloud people's judgment of others and create unnecessary rifts and divisions.
What we have here then, is a not just a coming out story but rather a mesmerizing account about the clash between the local Christians and Pagans. I typically shy away from books about religion, but the author expertly handled both religions with sensitivity and compassion. This is also a story about acceptance and overcoming hatred and prejudice. Though Jesse's coming out does play an essential part in the narrative, it is secondary to the larger issue of the divisiveness of the community.
Though there are tense moments here, this ended up being a lovely, heart-warming story that brought tears to my eyes several times. This was a provocative book with a richly developed plot and complex, multilayered characters. I especially loved Jesse, our main character, and it is through his perspective that the story is told. He's brave, likable, empathetic, and determined, and it was so much fun getting to know him.
I also loved the various themes surrounding rocks and stones, both literally and figuratively, which worked wonderfully in the narrative. Additional themes included religious tolerance/intolerance, paganism, faith, spirituality, first love, hatred, prejudice, bullying, ignorance, community, loyalty, building bridges, forgiveness, acceptance, and even spirit animals.
All in all, this was a lovely, memorable, and moving book, and I absolutely loved it. I hope the author writes more stories set in this world, and I'd love to revisit these characters once again.
July 19, 2022
Author Robin Reardon has an incredible knack for Young Adult storytelling and character development, and like her previous novels, her latest page-turner, "Throwing Stones," features a gay teen at the forefront who learns during his own journey of self-discovery how much we are all products of our environments.
Narrator Jesse Bryce lives in a small Oklahoma town with his church-going parents and older brother, Stu. When he comes out to his family, their immediate reaction is far from warm and accepting -- especially Stu's. Thankfully, the news makes no difference to his best friend and teammate, Brad, who has his own problems at home.
Like any typical high school teen, Jesse has a crush on one of his classmates, Griffin. Unfortunately, Griffin is not only straight but he lives in a pagan community, known as "the village," where rumor has it they practice witchcraft, live like vampires and engage in un-Christian behavior.
When a village member is killed while trying to protect a girl from harm, the towns are divided even further, but as Jesse becomes better acquainted with his pagan neighbors, who don't care about his sexual orientation, he makes it his mission to bring the communities together, while trying to help his family accept the fact that he's gay.
The many wonderful, intriguing dimensions to this novel are customary of Reardon's superlative writing and what make this and her other works so engaging. At the core, Jesse's coming out presents the familiar struggle of a gay teen -- religious, on-the-defensive parents, a stoic sibling and bullying at school. His infatuation with Griffin results in Jesse's first encounter with rejection, which fortuitously leads him to another villager, Ronan, with whom he shares the same feelings and desires.
The religious rivalry ingeniously represents fear of the unknown and its disruptive culpability. Granted, we're not talking about the Salem Witch Trials here, but there is a longstanding reason why these communities remain separate, and when it comes to light, the author reminds us how important it is to integrate tradition with evolution. The same, of course, can be said of Jesse's family coming to terms with his sexual preference, as well as our country's recognition of same-sex marriage.
Jesse, Griffin, Brad and Stu are all quintessential examples of how young minds are ultimately responsible for shaping the future, and "Throwing Stones" makes not just for an emotive, entertaining read, but a parable of the limitless ways young hearts and minds influence how we live.
Narrator Jesse Bryce lives in a small Oklahoma town with his church-going parents and older brother, Stu. When he comes out to his family, their immediate reaction is far from warm and accepting -- especially Stu's. Thankfully, the news makes no difference to his best friend and teammate, Brad, who has his own problems at home.
Like any typical high school teen, Jesse has a crush on one of his classmates, Griffin. Unfortunately, Griffin is not only straight but he lives in a pagan community, known as "the village," where rumor has it they practice witchcraft, live like vampires and engage in un-Christian behavior.
When a village member is killed while trying to protect a girl from harm, the towns are divided even further, but as Jesse becomes better acquainted with his pagan neighbors, who don't care about his sexual orientation, he makes it his mission to bring the communities together, while trying to help his family accept the fact that he's gay.
The many wonderful, intriguing dimensions to this novel are customary of Reardon's superlative writing and what make this and her other works so engaging. At the core, Jesse's coming out presents the familiar struggle of a gay teen -- religious, on-the-defensive parents, a stoic sibling and bullying at school. His infatuation with Griffin results in Jesse's first encounter with rejection, which fortuitously leads him to another villager, Ronan, with whom he shares the same feelings and desires.
The religious rivalry ingeniously represents fear of the unknown and its disruptive culpability. Granted, we're not talking about the Salem Witch Trials here, but there is a longstanding reason why these communities remain separate, and when it comes to light, the author reminds us how important it is to integrate tradition with evolution. The same, of course, can be said of Jesse's family coming to terms with his sexual preference, as well as our country's recognition of same-sex marriage.
Jesse, Griffin, Brad and Stu are all quintessential examples of how young minds are ultimately responsible for shaping the future, and "Throwing Stones" makes not just for an emotive, entertaining read, but a parable of the limitless ways young hearts and minds influence how we live.
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