Swallowing Stones Author of the book: Joyce McDonald
Main Characters: Michael, Joe, Amy, Jenna and Meredith
Exposition
Swallowing stones takes place in Briarwood NJ on the 4th of July. It is Michael's 18th birthday and he just got a new rifle from his grandpa. In an effort to show off his new Winchester to his friends he shot a bullet straight up into the air. When Michael got up in the morning to get his drivers license, he heard the news on the car radio, it said that a man by the name of Charlie Ward had been shot by a random bullet from the sky.
Rising action
Michael was sure it had to been his bullet that had killed him and he began to get very nervous and panicked. He was still going to try for his license though. So he drove to the DMV and took his test. He failed. He was so nervous that he broke down half way through and got out of the car and left. He then goes home to bury his gun in the back yard under a woodpile. While this goes on Jenna Ward and Meredith Ward are talking with the police about their husband/fathers death. Michael sees the newspaper the next day with a picture of Jenna Ward on it and it makes him feel even more guilty. Michael has a job at the pool over the summer as a lifeguard so he begins to see Jenna at the pool with her friends. With all of this going on and everyone talking about the case he avoids going home so instead he watches Jenna's house from the church steps and spending time at Amy's house. Jenna has now developed a panic attack problem whenever she is around her boyfriend Jason and she cannot explain what makes her feel this way around him. So she just started to avoid him altogether to stop the panic attacks. As soon as Darcy finds out that Michael has been spending so much time at Amy's house she breaks up with him.
Climax
The climax of Swallowing Stones is when the police narrow the search area to four blocks and start questioning everyone that lives with those four blocks. The police also know what gun shot the bullet and what type of gun most likely shot it. The police come to the conclusion that the bullet came from Michael's gun but they don't accuse Michael of shooting the rifle. Michael crashes Amy's Windshield. Then Jenna finds out why she having panic attacks around Jason.
Falling action
Jenna finds out that Michael is the most likely person to be her dads murder. Jenna goes over to Joe's house and sees that Michael is there and Jenna starts to wonder if Michael is a potential killer of her father.
Resolution
Michael decided to turn himself in to the police. He unburied the gun from under the wood pile and goes and sits on the church steps and waits for Jenna. Jenna decided that it was time to move on from her fathers death and she goes to the ghost tree to heal. Michael suddenly decided that he wanted to go to the ghost tree and when he gets there he sees Jenna sleeping under the ghost tree. His plan is too explain everything to Jenna then turn hims in.
