“Hale has written a novel that is so much more than just a fantastic book. This is a book that gives a voice to the forgotten ones, the kind of book a child stuck in the system might pick up and feel some hope after reading it. And maybe, just maybe some real change will occur. (Five stars)”

Books+Publishing

“Gripping, eloquent, and realer than real, Stone Girl will break your heart into a million tiny pieces, then quietly put it back together again.”

Nicole Hayes

“Sophie’s raw, honest voice will capture your heart. Ages 15+. (Voted in the Top Ten Best YA Books of 2018.)”

Readings

“A heartbreaking, powerful and empowering read. I would recommend it for those 14 and over who are fans of Melina Marchetta, Jennifer Niven or Angie Thomas, or who are interested in social justice issues. (The Younger Sun bookshop’s Book of the Month, July 2018; Shortlisted for the Younger Sun’s 2018 Book of the year.)”

The Younger Sun bookshop

“Stone Girl blew me away! It’s the best YA debut I’ve read in a long time. Utterly unforgettable. Hale spills the blood of raw experience across the pages . . . Eleni Hale’s prose is stunning, her analogies fresh, her writing raw and uncensored. . . This is an important book. It exposes a world few of us understand and teaches us about humanity along the way.”

Hayley Lawrence, acclaimed author of Inside the Tiger, Good Reads

“One hell of a ride . . . Dark, raw, confronting, but oh so important . . . heartbreaking and like nothing else I have ever read before . . . incredibly compelling. . . I found myself unable to put it down because of Hale’s raw but stunning prose. . . a confronting #LoveOzYA debut you won’t want to miss.”

Tanaya Lowden, Booktopia blog

“A heartbreaking, authentic and exceptionally written story.”

Fleur Ferris

“Debut author Eleni Hale has created a remarkable, captivating and courageous narrative.”

Diva Book Nerd

“This brutal story of drug addiction and life inside these (foster) homes can be hard to read, frustrating and downright scary, but you never stop hoping the troubled Sophie can dig herself out.”

Paul Hunter, Herald Sun, Melbourne

“A compassionate exploration of young people who fall through the cracks, who feel worthless and act out in an attempt to feel powerful in the face of helplessness and apathy. It is harrowing and gritty but with so much heart. Highly recommended.”

Kate Murdoch

“It gripped me from the very first page and I couldn’t put it down. (Connie’s YA Book of the Month)”

www.kids-bookreview.com/2018/11/review-stone-girl-connies-ya-book-of.html