I read this book, Stones, a while ago, after having read it for the first time when I was in Grade 9. My Eng;lish teacher that year had a reading project for us, that saw us reading a variety of books all year, and this was one of them. I started that year with other books like Give a Boy a Gun and Down the Rabbit Hole. Stones, however, is one book that has stood out from that year.
Stones is by a Canadian author and is set in Ontario. The book combines a modern story, of a struggling high school student, Garnet and the strange new girl he befriends, Raphaella. They are both outsiders in their school, but before they know it, they are haunted by a mystery out of history. The book delves into Canada's past, dating back to the Underground Railroad and the prejudice that still existed towards people of colour. The book mixes an element of the supernatural with a story of struggling to discover who you are and what your place is in the world.
The book is well written, it was even named the CLA Young Adult Book of the Year, and keeps the reader engossed in the mysteries and twists in the story. The characters are both flawed, struggling to find their place in the world and not always making the best decisions, but this could be said of any high school student. This book would be a good fit for a supernatural mystery lover, someone who is looking for something a little different.
