When Ben Brickman and Dave McConnell learn of each other's hidden sexual abuse trauma, they decide to confront their demons by abducting a dangerous high school bully. After their plan for revenge takes a shocking turn, the boys must grapple with good and evil and what it means to be a man.
Drawn in part from the author's personal experience as a sexual abuse survivor, The Stone Boys is a both a dramatic page-turner and a profoundly emotional read. Arriving as our society contends with a crisis of childhood sexual abuse, The Stone Boys is not only timely and courageous -- but the first of its kind.
Praise for THE STONE BOYS:
"Gripping . . . An example of gritty realism. Recommended for mature students."
--School Library Journal
"Gurian incorporates autobiographical elements into a story built not around easy answers but anguished inner arguments . . . of use for discussing the cycle of abuse."
--Kirkus Reviews
"The Stone Boys is a uniquely powerful novel by one of America's leading experts on the subject of boys. Protagonist Ben Brickman's journey to deal with his deepest emotions is relentlessly and authentically written . . . unforgettable."
--Terry Trueman, Printz Honor Author of Stuck in Neutral
"The Stone Boys makes it safe for boys to deal with experiences and topics not usually verbalized. This book will be part of their shaping journey to becoming good men."
--Gregory Jantz, Ph.D., founder of The Center, A Place of Hope, and author of Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse
"The Stone Boys is unlike any other YA novel . . . a page turner . . . it can lead to discussions about any trauma one is dealing with."
--Tina Reed, medium.com
"The Stone Boys dives deep into the trauma of bullying and abuse and comes out just as our culture is taking the lid off the pain too many have buried for too long. Compelling and profound."
--Pastor Tim Wright, Community of Grace Lutheran Church
"Michael Gurian masterfully tackles this difficult subject as he portrays the awkwardness, confusion, and shame the two boys endure . . . This is an important book that should be read and discussed by boys and men, and by anyone who loves a boy or a man."
--Barbara Mulvey Little, Author of The Secrets Underneath