Written by Bella Gill, Pembroke, Massachusetts
Bella is a junior at Pembroke High School in Pembroke, Massachusetts. She is a midfielder for the South Shore Select 2006 Girls Academy Soccer Team and is headed to the National Finals in St. Louis this summer. She is also a midfielder for the Pembroke High School Girls Varsity soccer team. Additionally, Bella is the vice-president of her class, a member of the Pembroke High School Yearbook staff and assistant coaches a U10 girls soccer team.
Bella enjoys traveling with her family and friends, skiing, reading, babysitting, and working in the local office of a gastroenterologist.
Bella’s favorite subjects include English, History, and Model UN. She hopes to study abroad in Europe in college.
The novel Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy Padula is the first in a series. It is an intriguing story that can universally inform teenagers and young adults about the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse. The story places various characters in challenging social situations and touches upon how each teen feels internally and then how they act around their peers. Gripped also contains numerous relationships where the reader can see how the characters interact with other teens and family members.
An example of this is the relationship between the twins, Chantal and Cathy. Cathy never fails to lookout for her sister and is constantly supporting her when she faces problems with her boyfriend, Jon. Throughout the novel, all of the characters seem to find their own path and begin to shape the person they are going to be, entering their teenage years. The story perfectly provides readers with relatable characters and explores realistic situations that many modern teenagers are faced with today. It is a great read for both teens and young adults, and personally I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars. I would definitely recommend reading Gripped because of the suspense and continuous drama between the friends.
Synopsis
Now being adapted for TV by Emmy-winning producer Mark Blutman!
In high school, Taylor Dunkin broke more records than any other athlete to step foot in Montgomery, Massachusetts. As a sophomore in college, he was ranked by ESPN as one of the NFL’s top 100 prospects. However, his aspirations came to a jarring halt when a season-ending injury sent him spiraling into a dark world of pain, depression, and addiction.
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 drugs on local college campuses. Montgomery’s hometown hero has fallen hard, and he’s taking a lot of people down with him.
Luke Davids has become the middleman between Taylor and teens in Montgomery who want to buy drugs. Freshmen Cathy Kagelli, Chris Dunkin, and Jason Davids are just a few of the students at Montgomery Lake High who have fallen victim to the benzos and opiates supplied by Taylor and Luke.
When Taylor’s youngest brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious amount of pills circulating around his 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.
Books by Stacy A. Padula 
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