A Timely Novel for Young Adults: When Darkness Tries to Hide

Posted byAuthor Stacy A. PadulaPosted inUncategorized

Written by Isabelle Semas

Isabelle Semas is in her junior year of high school, and has been homeschooled most of her life.  She looks forward to graduating next year and hopes to pursue a career in Early Childhood Education.  In her spare time, she sings in a christian band named NHB with her friends, is very involved in her church’s children’s ministry, and enjoys art.  She hopes to someday publish a book of her own.

“When Darkness Tries to Hide” by Stacy A. Padula was a touching novel.  The theme of light and darkness is relevant to everyone.  No matter how old or young you are, the struggles of Jason, Chantal, and Chris will be applicable to your life.

Jason Davids craves fulfillment.  He looks for it in drugs, his girlfriend, alcohol, and the highschool party scene.  Over the course of this book, he realizes that those around him who are truly fulfilled have something he doesn’t:  a relationship with Christ.  Chantal struggles with her boyfriend’s medical emergency but shows that it is possible to remain steadfast under trial.  She also reconciles with an old friend, realizing that she never stopped to hear her friend’s side of the conflict and that gossip is harmful to relationships.

This book was timely for me.  I was struggling with a few things in my personal life.  It gave me a good outlook on how a Christian should face trials through Chantal’s story.  It showed me where true fulfillment lies through Jason’s story.  Overall, “When Darkness Tries to Hide” is great read and definitely one that got me thinking.

Synopsis

Jason Davids has not slept in thirty-seven hours. He glances at his clock: 7:20 p.m. 
 
You can do this, Jason, he says to himself. Just get up and go. Go tell them the truth. Tell everyone at Alyssa’s party that you found Andy’s body. Tell them that he looked dead. Tell them about the horror in Chantal’s eyes when she came rushing up the stairs. Make sure you tell them that it is all your fault.
 
One day after a tornado strikes Montgomery, Massachusetts, Andy Rosetti is in a coma with life-threatening injuries. Jason Davids and Chris Dunkin devise a plan to help Andy and unite the students at Montgomery Lake High School. However, no one–not even Chris–knows Jason’s secret about the day of the storm.

Other Articles by Isabelle:
https://stacyapadula.com/2020/04/07/young-adult-novel-the-right-person-recommended-for-homeschooled-students/
https://stacyapadula.com/2020/04/21/honest-book-prepares-kids-for-social-issues-faced-in-high-school/

Published by Author Stacy A. Padula

Stacy Padula has spent the last 14 years working daily with teenagers as a college counselor, mentor, and life coach. She was named "Top Inspirational Author of the Year" for 2022 by the International Association of Top Professionals (New York, NY). In 2021, she was broadcast on the famous Reuters Building in Times Square as "Empowered Woman of the Year." Her Gripped book series is currently being adapted for TV by Emmy-winning producer Mark Blutman. She is the founder and CEO of Briley & Baxter Publications: a publishing company that donates a portion of its proceeds to animal rescues each month. She has edited and published a variety of titles, including Boston Bruins Anthem Singer Todd Angilly and Rachel Goguen's The Adventures of Owen & the Anthem Singer, LaTonya Pinkard of Netflix's Last Chance U's Nate & His Magic Lion, and former NHL player Norm Beaudin's memoir The Original: Living Life Through Hockey. Stacy resides in Plymouth, Massachusetts with her husband Tim and two miniature dachshunds, Briley and Baxter.