Two tragic deaths are handled very differently by school administrators. A drunk driving accident paralyzes Adrian Vanderlaar and kills his girlfriend. The outpouring of grief is starkly contrasted with the muted response to a gay-bashing murder, causing Paul Carter to speak out. Paul's growing awareness of his sexuality and Adrian's return to school play out artfully in a book brimming with emotion, humor, and humanity, and bravely unsentimental unsentimental in its treatment of both young men, Pebble in a Pool is a complex yet sparely written account of actions, reactions, and consequences.

William Taylor is the author of Jerome and The Blue Lawn which was selected for the prestigious New York Public Library's Books for the Teenage List and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. He lives and writes in New Zealand.