A Stone Gone Mad

Well this has to be one of my favorite books ever. Some may say it was dissapointing at the end but I don't think those are the right words. Yes it would have been nice to know what became of Emily and her lover but the book did end nicely. Emily's best friend was an important part of the book and in my opinion the ending was appropriate. This book was quite realistic compared to some books I've read about youth coming to terms with their homosexuality. It wasn't sugarcoated. Emily took a lot of heat for being a lesbian, and was very confused throughout the book. Her family did not accept her and every thing WASN'T okay. Emily went through A LOT. I shared her emotions while reading, Emily goes through so many ups & downs in this book and it all seems so real. I wish Emily was a real person so I could meet her.The only thing that kinda threw me off was how fast the time set passed in this book. Years were skipped a lot & the second half of Emily's life seemed to speed right on by. But overall I have to give it the 5 stars it deserves.

This is just a great story. It caught my attention from beginning to end. It was poignant, heart warming and real. Anyone, gay or straight, can relate to this novel because it's all about being honest with oneself. Very few people can communicate this aspect of human nature as eloquently as the author of this novel.

I read this book when it first came out and about 5 times since. I am a heterosexual female but it gave me a great understanding for what homosexuals experience. I was privileged enough to have Ms. Park as an Advanced Fiction professor at WCSU in CT. She is extremely talented both as a writer and instructor and she taught me a great deal about writing.

I cried and wept for Emily Stolle as we travelled through the novel together. She was me, she is me, she helped me define myself. I could relate to her and it was fascinating. I've never read a book like "A Stone Gone Mad." and I doubt I'll ever see one like it again. An absolute must read for all of those dealing with coming out.

This is the best description I've found of the realities of teen same-sex first love, and my recommendations don't come lightly (I've read 100+ books/year for the last 12 years). The story is complete with family overreaction, trying to "cure" oneself by sex with men, covering up by making fun of "dykes", psychiatric old-wives' tales re. lesbianism, wondering if one is gay/sick/queer, girlfriends' denials and homophobia, finally trying to "cure" oneself by sex with women, and all the rest of the tangled mess of finding and defining oneself according to one's understanding of society's rules. In many ways, I could identify with the heroine. She writes and quotes poetry; to impress girls she "acts intense"; when she's in love with her best friend she feels "finger-tip alive". Somewhere during the final chapter, I experienced something entirely new to me: sobbing over a book. _A_Stone_Gone_Mad_ contains some remarkable, beautiful writing, and the infrequent love scenes are so true-to-life that you just might get all flushed...and wish that the love of your life would hurry home.