Who would you recommend Gripped Part 1 to and why?
I would recommend Gripped Part 1 to Highschool students looking for a read with a realistic take on the temptations which face kids as early as middle school. This book addresses subjects such as underage drinking, drug addiction, and gossip. These things can’t be ignored, and it’s important for teens to learn about the consequences of partaking in them.
How do you as a young adult relate to the story?
As a highschool student I can relate to the peer pressure felt by the characters in Gripped Part 1. One example of this is when Luke tries to pressure Cathy to take a pill which she doesn’t want to. Teens often look to impress other teens in the way they dress, the relationships they have, the things they do, even the way they speak. While I have never been pressured to take drugs, I feel as though I can relate to the fear of disappointing other kids my age.
What did you like best about the story?
I like how Gripped Part 1 fills in a few of the storylines which the Montgomery Lake High series leaves open. Through this book I gained a new perspective on a few characters. It was interesting to read about Cathy and Jason’s early relationship, and Cathy and Chantal’s falling out.
What message does this book send to readers?
Gripped Part 1 unveils what happens when one becomes consumed in sinful living. Taylor Dunkin, former record-breaking football star, lives a life controlled by his drug addiction and guilt. Addiction can turn even the most successful people into broken people, and it often starts young.
There are a few different storylines running through Gripped Part 1 because it is setting up the rest of the series. What storyline do you find the most interesting and why?
I find Cathy and Chantal’s storyline most interesting. The Montgomery Lake High series tells of their fight from Chantal’s point of view, and Gripped Part 1 tells of it from Cathy’s point of view. It was fascinating to read of the same incident from both perspectives.
Gripped Part 1 sets up the rest of the series but leaves a lot of things “hanging.” What are you most curious to uncover by reading Gripped Part 2?
In chapter 31 Jason states, “…and you’ll finally understand why I am to blame for the shattered person Cathy is today.” While reading the flashbacks of Cathy in middle school, I often wonder how she is the same character as the wild partier she has become in high school. She is an extremely complex and troubled character. I am curious as to how Jason could possibly be responsible for her change.
One year later, Taylor is a person of interest in a highly confidential investigation headed by the Boston Police Department. He has entangled himself in a crime ring notorious for pushing opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines on local college campuses.
When Taylor’s younger brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious drug supply circulating around Montgomery Lake High School, he sets off to not only reverse the damage Taylor has caused, but also save his lifelong role model from becoming a casualty of America’s deadly opioid epidemic.
OTHER ARTICLES BY ISABELLE
Young Adult Novel “The Right Person” Recommended for Homeschooled Students
Honest Book Prepares Kids for Social Issues Faced in High School
This Y.A. Book is Full of Useful Messages for Teens
A Timely Novel for Young Adults: When Darkness Tries to Hide
Books by Stacy A. Padula 
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