Swallowing Stones is a book about choices. The book starts out with a surprising twist with the death of Charlie Ward all over the radio and news. Michael Makenzie is a popular seventeen year old track star who has just had his birthday party on the fourth of July. Mike and his best friend, Joe Sadowski, trot along into the woods to try out Mike’s birthday present (a .45-70 Winchester rifle) given to him by his grandfather. Michael was so eager to try out his new gun he fired one bullet into the air that later he finds out, has changed his life forever. He asks Joe Sadowski to keep this between them and make up a story to cover up any evidence the police can find. Jenna Ward’s father had been shot and was now dead. She has never had a steady relationship with her mother and they fought all the time. Jenna has no idea how she is going to handle life with her father being gone. Michael will struggle for the next two months of his summer vacation and going to his job (a lifeguard at the community pool) everyday. Mike feels guilty about what he has done so every night he goes to the church steps across the street from Jenna’s house and sits there ‘watching over’ her. Jenna has a boyfriend, Jason, and ever since her dad died she has been having these strange panic attacks when she is around him. Jenna has a friend Andrea and she is very fond of Michael Makenzie when she sees him at the community pool or around town. Another interesting character in this story is Amy Ruggerio, an easy girl that most guys take advantage of. Michael and her grow pretty close in the story but something happens and it all goes downhill. Amy develops a relationship with Jenna as well and Jenna finds out Amy is really a nice person. All throughout the story the cops question a lot of people and finally narrow down the bullet’s range to a four block radius (which includes Michael’s house). Will Michael and Joe confess to the police that they lied and tell them Mike shot the fatal bullet? Will Jenna ever be able to live the same? And will Mike and Amy’s relationship ever been the same? Read this amazing and shocking book to find out all the details.