Swallowing Stones by Joyce McDonald is a suspenseful book about a tragic accident that set off a chain of events that would change the small town of Briarwood forever. Michael Mackenzie fired off his Winchester Rifle, showing it off to his best friends. But little did he know that he had taken the life of a man. There are 2 main characters within this book; Michael Mackenzie, the accidental killer and Jenna Ward, the daughter of the deceased father. After Michael finds out about the accident, his friend Joe, convinces him to keep it a secret because of his possible charges with the police. But throughout the book Michael is swamped by guilt from his conscience as more and more people are becoming involved with his problem. Meanwhile Jenna is bombarded with thoughts of “what if” she had done something different that day, maybe then he wouldn’t have been killed. This leads her to believe her father’s death is her fault. At first she had wanted revenge for whoever did this, but later in the book she realized that she just wanted to end the pain of her father’s death. Jenna realized she had to come to terms with herself before she could truly accept her father’s death. Both Jenna and Michael’s lives turn into complete chaos full of with misunderstanding, new friends and, broken trust. All of this mixed in with the anxiety of being a teenager. This is a truly great book filled with heart pulling moments, and is a true emotional thriller. This is a must read, for it is filled with suspense, fast paced , and an elaborate plot truthful of how one event can change a life, or the lives of many in one small mistake.