| 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.
Gripped Part 3: The Fallout by Stacy Padula teaches readers that people begin using drugs for a variety of reasons. Some people are following the choices of an older sibling they trust who leads them in the wrong direction; others are trying to feel popular or to avoid their own emotions; one even struggles with the effects of a prescribed drug that leads to further drug use.
As a junior in high school, I think that tweens and teens would benefit from reading Gripped Part 3 because they could see how teens start off using one drug, thinking it is no big deal, and it spirals into using something even more dangerous. The characters in the story draw these imaginary lines, deciding well I’ll use one drug, but not another, and it never works. They always wind up making horrible decisions once they start using at all. It is also important for readers to see how risky it is to start mixing different substances together, such as combining Xanax and alcohol.
I think that adults could benefit from reading Gripped Part 3 because they could see how some teen characters are using drugs daily and the adults in their lives don’t even notice. Parents need to know how to look for signs and to understand that many teens don’t want to make bad decisions but eventually give in to peer pressure. I also thought it was interesting that one character, Jason, was actually forced into taking Adderall by his own parents even though he did not like the way it made him feel.
More specifically, I believe readers can benefit from reading about Chris Dunkin’s journey from the beginning of the Gripped series until now because they can see what it is like for a character to hit rock bottom.
They can also see that he has experienced setbacks, and he must be willing to give things up in order to hopefully get better. This is why Chris is forced to abandon some of his friendships and relationships that tempt him to keep making bad choices. He realizes that he cannot keep putting himself in certain situations if he wants to stay clean and sober.
Synopsis
Now being adapted for TV by Emmy-winning producer Mark Blutman!
After a near-death experience, Chris Dunkin begins surrounding himself with positive influences and putting his efforts towards living a clean lifestyle. However, the night before school starts, his best friend Jason convinces him to host a party that shows Chris more about himself than he actually wants to know.
Meanwhile, Marc Dunkin has received word from a detective that his oldest brother Taylor is a person of interest in a highly confidential case headed by the Boston Police Department. They know Taylor’s clean; they know he wants out of the game; and they want to help make that happen. However, their “help” will come at a cost-one that may put Taylor and his entire family in grave danger. Taylor is trying to get his life back in order after an opiate addiction wreaked havoc on his once promising athletic future. Getting clean was a difficult feat, but breaking free from the Bilotti crime ring will present an even greater challenge.
Books by Stacy A. Padula 
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