Article by Joanna Dakoyannis, Dover, MA
Although Chantal Kagelli has been a favorite character of mine throughout Stacy A. Padula’s Montgomery Lake High book series, I found her somewhat frustrating in Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told. I feel that she passes judgement quickly and fails to communicate with the people who care about her. Had she spoken to Jon, Cathy, or Alyssa, she might have discovered that her breakup with Jon was a misunderstanding. Instead, it appears that she chose to shut everyone out because she failed to see beyond her own perspective. I specifically feel bad for Alyssa. She is misunderstood by many people when she is only trying to be a good friend to her childhood best friend, Jon. Eventually she ends up dating Jon but only because Chantal moved on and cut both Alyssa and Jon out of her life. I feel like Alyssa gets misjudged by many of the people around her because they do not know her whole story. Alyssa seems to be a good friend, who tries to be there for everyone in her life. She also seems to navigate the party scene well, keeping her values intact even though she is around many social pressures.
After nearly detesting Chantal’s identical twin sister, Cathy, in the Montgomery Lake High book series, it is ironic that she is my favorite character in Gripped Part 1. Unlike in the other books, Cathy’s character here is very genuine. She is straightforward and true to herself most of the time. I am very curious to see what circumstances, influences, and possible heartaches caused her to change so drastically. In the Montgomery Lake High book series, Cathy is portrayed as a party girl who is up for anything and is very distant from her sister. In Gripped Part 1, we see the beginning of the deterioration of her relationship with Chantal, which left me anxious to uncover why Cathy became so involved with the party scene (and all that it entails) after once being so levelheaded and mature.
The storyline I find most interesting in Gripped Part 1 is the one between Taylor Dunkin and the Boston police. It is unlike anything that we’ve seen in the Montgomery Lake High series, and it takes the situation beyond the high school world. It is very eye-opening to see how becoming involved with drugs can escalate into such a serious and dangerous situation.
About Joanna Dakoyannis
Joanna Dakoyannis is a senior at Dover-Sherborn High School. She enjoys creative writing, traveling, going to the gym, running track for her high school team and loves cheering on the team at school sporting events. She plans to be a science major in college and hopes to eventually attend dental school.
Other Articles by Joanna:
An Exceptional Book I Recommend to Teens & Preteens
Q&A with Joanna Dakoyannis on “The Right Person” by Stacy Padula
May’s Q&A with Joanna Dakoyannis of Dover Sherborn High School
Joanna Dakoyannis Reviews “When Darkness Tries to Hide” by Stacy Padula
July’s Q&A with Joanna Dakoyannis on The Aftermath by Stacy Padula
“The Aftermath” is an Encouraging Book for Teens
Joanna Dakoyannis on The Battle for Innocence
The Battle for Innocence is An Eye-opening Book for Teens
Books by Stacy A. Padula 
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