Kelly Mitchell, Newton Country Day Class of 2018
After reading and reviewing Montgomery Lake High #2: When Darkness Tries to Hide, Kelly was asked to share her honest opinions about the story and characters in the below Q&A:
How did your opinion of Jason change as you read the story?
In the first book, the reader gets only a surface level view of Jason. I saw him as a classic popular boy whose only priority was partying. After reading “When Darkness Tries to Hide” I have a new understanding of the character and have grown to deeply sympathize with him. The grief Jason displays following the accident and the determination he had to go outside his comfort zone and help arrange the prayer service for Andy revealed that deep down Jason is a good kid. Despite his flaws of partying and his poor judgement in girlfriends, by the end of this book, I saw Jason as a smart, caring, and loyal friend
What can be learned by the way Chris treats Jason in this book?
One thing I learned is that we should stay loyal to our friends. Chris doesn’t realize it, but by focusing himself and distancing himself from Jason, he has greatly hurt his friend. Once Chris finally begins to encourage Jason to make the same positive changes he did in his life, the power of friendship truly reveals itself. Chris supports his friend and is able to forgive the cruelty Jason has inflicted during the past two months. Their relationship teaches me the importance of never giving up on people we care about.
A main theme of this story is the battle between the dark and the light. When one is in darkness, he or she cannot see anything clearly. How does the last chapter relate to the events of the story and the theme of light vs. darkness?
For the past few years, Jason has surrounded himself in darkness: drugs, alcohol, and people who take part in even more immoral activities than he does. Encompassing himself in this darkness only gets him further into it. The day he spent with Chris planning Andy’s service was the first time in a while any light had been brought into his life. Jason witnessed his friend’s newfound strength and was moved by the kind words he received from Mr. Kagelli, Rachel, and the Pastor. In the end, with new hope and positive surroundings, Jason takes his first step down the righteous path by reading the bible. By being productive and working to do something kind for Andy, Jason and his friends are able to start to bringing some light into a dark and scary situation.
What positive message does this book convey to readers?
I think an important message in “When Darkness Tries to Hide” is that it is never too late to make a change. Jason not only experiences forgivness from his friend Chris, but also learns about the never ending forgiveness of God from Pastor Mark. The Pastor shares his story of straying from a moral path at times and explains the healing power of God. Jason is inspired by this and his new hope causes him to confess his sins to the Pastor. Despite being so deep into the party scene, Jason—like Chris—realizes he still has the opportunity to try and be a better person. I hope that you enjoy it, because I worked really hard on it. I spent quite some time in front of my computer to complete this. It made me worry at times, because I know how bad for your health sitting down for long stretches of time is. I try to let it not bother me too much though. I mean I even take a health supplement that I order from https://kratommasters.com that works great. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good one by the way.
Chris Dunkin believes that his former best friend, Jason Davids, is blazing a trail of destruction. After a tornado wreaks havoc on Montgomery, a twist of fate brings Chris and Jason back together as they try to save a classmate who is gravely injured from the storm. The tempest, however, brings more than wind and rain to Montgomery.
Books by Stacy A. Padula 
You must be logged in to post a comment.