By Joe Siracusa—Braintree, Massachusetts
The novel Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy A. Padula portrays the damaged relationships of many characters as a result of drug and alcohol abuse. When Taylor, the older brother of Marc and Jordan, begins to attempt recovering from addiction, he has to also deal with the drug epidemic he has caused in Montgomery’s middle school and high school scene. The novel also focuses on the characters Lisa, Chris, Jason, and Cathy whose relationships are struggling to stay together due to drug use among the group. What was once a dynamic bond between the four is now rapidly crumbling apart, and it is put upon them to fix this before it is too late.
Gripped Part 2 is an easy read for teens and young adults. While the novel is extremely enjoyable to read, the reader can also learn a lot from what the characters experience. Even though the novel is listed as “fiction,” problems like these can fall upon any teen or young adult which makes the book even more realistic. I rate this book a 5/5 and strongly recommend reading it. I look forward to continuing the series in Gripped Part 3.
About Joseph Siracusa
Joseph Siracusa is currently the president of the senior class at Xaverian Brother’s High School. In his free time, Joseph enjoys graphic designing, playing soccer, watching sports, and learning about many different topics. Joseph plans on studying finance in college, in hopes of pursuing a career in it.
Books by Stacy A. Padula 
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