Stone Girl

Description

A heartbreaking novel of raw survival and hope, and the children society likes to forget. Stone Girl is the powerful and moving story of Sophie, who becomes a ward of the state. Winner of the 2019 Readings YA Book Prize. An unspeakable event changes everything for Sophie. No more Mum, school or bed of her own. She's made a ward of the state and grows up in a volatile world where kids make their own rules, adults don't count and the only constant is change. Until one day she meets Gwen, Matty and Spiral. Spiral is the most furious, beautiful boy Sophie has ever known. And as their bond tightens she finally begins to confront what happened in her past. I'm at the police station. There's blood splattered across my face and clothes. In this tiny room with walls the colour of winter sky I hug a black backpack full of treasures. Only one thing is certain . . . no one can ever forgive me for what I've done. Winner of the Readings YA Book Prize, 2019 Voted the Best Young Adult Book of the year by Readings customers Voted Favourite YA Read of the year by Kids' Book Review Voted in the top 100 great reads by Australian women Shortlisted for New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature, 2019 Contains mature content. Suitable for older readers.

Eleni Hale was a reporter at the Herald Sun, a communications strategist for the union movement and has written for many print and online news publications. Her short story fig was published as part of the ABC's In their branches project and she has received three Varuna awards. She lives in Melbourne, and is currently working on her second book. Stone Girl is her first novel.