2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Throwing Stones by Robin Reardon (83-04-16-2016)

[reviews_and_ramblings]

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.

Throwing Stones by Robin Reardon
Gay Young Adult
Paperback: 406 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 7, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1517253101
ISBN-13: 978-1517253103
Amazon: Throwing Stones
Amazon Kindle: Throwing Stones

What if you fell in love with a Pagan?
And what if you were both gay? What would happen next?

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.

Find out what happens. Scroll up and order your copy today.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html