| Written by Sarah Parrish, Dover, Massachusetts |
Meet Sarah Parrish
Sarah is a senior at Dover-Sherborn High School where she is captain of the Alpine Ski Team and the Track and Field Team. She is also a member of her school’s Peer Helping Club and Community Service club. Throughout the summer, Sarah works as a counselor at a local summer camp and also as a server at the Chatham Filling station. With a passion for leadership and athletics, she enjoys ski instructing at Burke Mountain and coaching field hockey for Dover-Sherborn Youth Field Hockey. She also enjoys her participation in the Senior High Youth Group at Pilgrim Church where she volunteers around her community. In her freetime, she enjoys boating, skiing, running and traveling.
After reading all 5 books in the Gripped series by Stacy A. Padula, I have realized that I mostly enjoy the fast-paced and suspenseful plot. Each book has a very action-packed plot that keeps the readers engaged and on the edge of their seats. I especially enjoy that each book has several different storylines that eventually all connect at the end of the series. This especially makes it an enjoyable read because it builds suspense about what will happen next.
Furthermore, I enjoy that Gripped has very diverse and well-developed characters. Throughout the series, we get to know each character very well and either admire or despise them for different reasons. The book features many complex and well-rounded characters with their own motivations and challenges. These aspects make the characters very relatable and interesting to the readers.
Stacy Padula’s writing style also makes Gripped an enjoyable read. Her style is quick and easy to follow. Rarely, do we get caught up in little details but instead, get right to the point. This writing style never bores the readers and especially keeps us engaged throughout all 5 books.
Lastly, I especially enjoyed the Gripped book series because it focuses on very relevant themes that are both interesting and relatable to the readers. These themes include drug abuse, friendship, loyalty, and overcoming adversity. These themes are engaging because they are relevant to many readers’ lives. This makes middle schoolers, teenagers, and parents more inclined to read in order to better understand the realities of middle school and high school.
Synopsis
The Gold Winner for “Best Teen Book” in the 2022 Readers’ Choice Book Awards
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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