Stone Girl

Contains sensitive themes for mature young adult readers
Stone Girl
Written by Eleni Hale
Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, #LoveOZYA
368 Pages
Published April 30th 2018
Thank you to Penguin Books Australia
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★★★★★
An unspeakable event changes everything for twelve year old 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.
There are currently over forty five thousand children within the foster care system within Australia. These are children without a primary caregiver, children who are casualties of family violence, substance abuse or children without a nurturing environment. Her story is harrowing and confrontational and although Sophie Soukaris is a fictional character, her narrative is indicative of many adolescents placed within the system.

Sophie Soukaris has been placed within temporary care after her mother passed away, child protection authorities attempting to contact her estranged father in Greece. As a young woman with a child, her mother returned to Australia after a dissolution of marriage, raising Sophie as a single parent and substance abuser, known to child protection authorities.

The quivering in my chest feels like frantic butterflies under my skin. They want to get out but can't, their colourful wings trapped in darkness.

Awaiting a permanent position with a foster family and accommodated with adolescents, Sophie begins to assimilate to her environment, susceptible to substance abuse, addiction, manipulation, sexual assault and misdemeanours as a minor. As her environment becomes increasingly treacherous, Family Assistance Services provides Sophie with a sequence of temporary housing, a vulnerable and perceptive young girl a consequence of her environment. Sophie is coerced, abducted and imprisoned by a paedophile. Attempted suicide, narcotics abuse, alcoholism, gender violence and engaging in destructive although consensual relationships.

The narrative is confrontational and controversial. Adolescents abandoned by protection services, ostracised by society without a sense of belonging. Debut author Eleni Hale has created a remarkable, captivating and courageous narrative. Imperative reading. 

20 comments

  1. This sounds like a tough read. As real as it gets.

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    1. It was emotionally exhausting. I cried several times throughout the narrative. I can't emphasise enough how important these reads are though. It's uncomfortable because it challenges privileged and perceptions.

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  2. Sounds like this one will make me hate the world just that bit more. Angry, heartbroken and pissed off at the system.
    I think to read this one i'll need a weekend to myself, shit tonnes of chocolate and a warm and fuzzy Jenn Bennett to recover with.

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    1. I cried several times Sarah, for Sophie and children that are in similar situations. The system created to support them often abandons vulnerable children, it's confronting and overwhelming. Such an important read. I'd love to see what you think of it.

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  3. Oh my, Kelly. This sounds awful and confronting and sadly probably more reflective of reality these kids face than I would like to admit. It sounds like such a powerful story -- wonderful review.

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    1. It's based loosely on the experiences of the author and her experiences within the system. It's confronting and challenging. It's told from Sophie's narration but during her time in care, she meets various other adolescents in similar situations. They all leave such an incredible impact on the storyline, one I'm likely to remember for a long while to come.

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  4. it's fiction? if you said it was a real story i wouldn't even bat an eyelid, such is the terrible system we have here.. probably should have thrown in sexual assault to make it really Australian

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    1. Sophia is a fictional character but it's based on the authors own experiences and experiences of others within the foster care system. It's devastating how Australia treats our most vulnerable members of our society isn't it.

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  5. Sounds like a pretty challenging read Kelly, but I'm actually very interested to give it a try. Awesome review as always Kelly <3

    xx
    Vanessa
    www.blushinggeek.com

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    1. Thanks Vanessa. It certainly is but an important read nonetheless. In terms of diverse reads, the community tends to forget those narratives about displacement and socioeconomic status so I hope other readers will recommend Stone Girl far and wide. We need these stories in our community. These stories deserve to be told.

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  6. Whew, this sounds like an emotionally exhausting read. Granted, those are some of my favorites because I think it's important for books to be released that focus on the really tough aspects of the world. I know in the U.S. that there are a lot of children in the system as well and it's just heartbreaking the things that often happen to them. It's a system that very much needs to be fixed.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. It needs to be overhauled and the emphasis placed on the protection of vulnerable children. Often the most difficult reads are those responsible for invoking discussion and hopefully one day, bring about change.

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  7. This is sort of a side rant and I don't know how things are in Australia but I'm so tired of these right to life people who then abandon children once they're born.

    My county has pro life license plates you can buy and they're the most popular plate. But then we have all these kids in foster care.

    Like...where are you once the kids are born and need help??

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. They only care about controlling a woman's right to decide. They're super involved when it's someone considering abortion, but then they wash their hands as soon as the child is born. A girl could have no support system, no income, and no way to take care of child, but they want to force her to have it. Once she does, they don't provide support, money, or anything else the mother and child will need. Sometimes they can't even afford the hospital care to nurture an unborn child or the delivery and hospital stay.

      It's a ridiculous system that I get really pissed about. Yes, it sucks when someone is forced to make a decision like that. However, you don't know that person's circumstances. Maybe bringing a child into the world would be worse for it in the end. There are so many children in foster care that are being neglected and abused. They didn't ask for that life.

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    2. I've noticed a lot of those who protest against women's rights are also gun enthusiasts, sending the message that a fertilised egg is worth more than a human life. It's a very fine line they tread. As you've said above, it really is about controlling women's bodies. You can't claim to support life and pick and choose who is worthy. We've seen that by American denying access to refugees and those seeking asylum. I'd like to see the correlation between how difficult it for child adoption verses the foster care system. So many childless couples would love the opportunity but it seems virtually impossible unless you have wealth and privilege.

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  8. This is a book I've wanted to read, but I'm still getting over some of the others just like it. The Last Wish of Sasha Cade (very small references, but they were important), The Problem with Forever (abusive foster homes), Forever or a Long, Long Time (how being in the foster care system can have a lasting, traumatic impact). These are books that need to be read, because I honestly think people are ignorant when it comes to foster care and what innocent children are being forced to live with. They assume they're being taken care of, but that's not always true. Even some great homes have neglected children, because they're too full for one-on-one time. I wish the government did more to help these kids, but I also wish that people who are unable to have children would consider adopting them. Instead, people spend thousands and thousands of dollars to medically force a pregnancy, when there are already children that need love and a family. I understand that some people want to have children from their blood, but really... all children deserve to be loved. My husband and I are planning on adopting from the foster care system in the next year or two. We've been through the classes, house inspections, etc., but it's an insanely long process. We have friends that wanted to adopt a child that was six-months old and they didn't get everything finalized until he was three.

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?

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    1. I think it really goes hand in hand. So many couples would love to look at the option of adoption but it seems to favour the wealthy and the process as you mentioned, it's incredibly long. If it was easier to access, we would probably see more children in loving homes and not just wealthy, male female married couples who own their own homes.

      The realism that comes from Stone Girl is that the author herself is a survivor of the system and the narrative inspired by her experiences and those around her. Stone Girl gives a voice to those children in care not being heard and those being drowned out by an overwhelmed system. It's a book I would urge everyone to read.

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  9. Oh gosh, this books sounds brutal and harrowing. I'm not so sure I could read it as a lot of those themes are ones that I am not inclined to voluntarily read about, but I can understand the importance of a book like this shining light on real, topical issues in Australia right now.

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  10. Wow, honestly hearing about this makes me sad and frustrated because we have a LONG way to go as a global community to make everyone's lives better. This makes the book so much more important as Stone Girl pulls those issues to the light, including all the ugly sides.

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  11. This book sounds absolutely brutal and one which obviously sounds like it's needed. This is not a book which should be lightly overlooked so I'm glad an author has taken the opportunity to highlight the struggles of so many because foster care is often overlooked and ignored.

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