Q&A with Nicole Kroon on “The Truth We Never Told”

An Interview with Nicole Kroon—North Andover, Massachusetts

1. Who would you recommend Gripped Part 1 to and why?

I would recommend Gripped Part 1 to people who like realistic fiction stories that tackle tough topics that aren’t as commonly talked about as they should be. Teenagers, preteens, and young adults especially should read this book because they’re at the age where they would be most susceptible to turning to drugs and alcohol. Not to mention, most of the characters in the book are in that age range so it makes it easier to connect with them and understand their development and actions throughout the story. This understanding is important in recognizing just how easy it can be to fall into the same downward spiral that happens so much in the novel and makes the message much more impactful and personal. 

2. How do you as a young adult relate to the story?

As a young adult, I can relate to this story as I share some of the stress and pressure felt by the characters. This includes not only the pressure from parents to do well in school but also the pressure from friends to fit in and avoid seeming boring or annoying. Plus, the stress that occurs when friends and family fight is one that I can relate to. 

3. What did you like best about the story?

The thing that I liked best about the story is how it realistically portrays the characters and how little fights and arguments can lead to more significant issues that can divide friends. This accurate portrayal makes it easier to understand how a whole friend group can get sucked into the messy life that comes with drinking and doing drugs at such a young age. It also allows me to see how, with only a few bad decisions, people I know could fall into the same trap as the characters. 

4. What message does this book send to readers?

The message this book sends to readers is that people have to be careful of the choices they make because it’s a slippery slope from just having fun and playing around to becoming addicted to and unable to stop doing drugs and alcohol. People need to understand that even if it’s hard, they need to take steps to make sure they’re not getting sucked into that sort of life because in the end it doesn’t just end up hurting them, but also lots of people around them. 

5. About the characters…
   • Who do you feel bad for and why?

I feel most bad for Alyssa because she got caught in the middle of a huge argument and never really even did anything wrong. Jon ended up using her to get back at Chantal and because of the huge misunderstanding, she ended up getting ignored by Cathy and Jason too because they took Chantal’s side. But Alyssa didn’t deserve what either group did to her so that’s why I feel bad for her the most. 

• Who frustrates you and why? 

Jon frustrates me the most for a couple of reasons. First, he used Alyssa unfairly to get back at Chantal. Second, he didn’t put in that much effort to trying to fix his relationship with Chantal once it started going downhill. He mostly just got unreasonably mad and drank more alcohol. Third, it also annoys me how he didn’t seem to try harder to not drink more. It was like once he started drinking he didn’t even attempt to stop, even when he knew it was hurting him and his friends. He had people, like Cathy or Chantal, or Jason, who he could have talked to and gotten support from if he needed it, but he didn’t. That’s why Jon annoyed me the most. 

• Who do you most relate to and why?

I relate the most to Lisa because I feel like she was a bit caught in the middle, friends with Chris, Jason, Cathy, Alyssa, and Jon, and she was one of the characters who I felt was trying the hardest to keep the friend group happy. She tried to help Chantal get over Jon when he was being a jerk by trying to encourage her to get with Andy, she tried to get Cathy and Jason to talk with Alyssa again after they ghosted her for doing nothing wrong, and she was still trying to maintain her friendship with Chris even when he was also caught between Jon and Jason. I feel like I’m usually the person in the middle, not getting mad at either side but trying to make sure everyone stays friends even when they’re really mad at each other. 

• Who do you like and why? 

Similarly to the last question, I like Lisa because I feel like she and I have similar personalities and roles at times. I also think that she’s interesting without being ridiculous or annoying and she sounds like she would be fun to hang out with. She also likes to get dressed up and hang out with friends, which is something I like to do too, and that’s why I like her. 

• Who do you hate and why?

I hate Jordan because I thought that he was extremely irresponsible and he didn’t even seem to notice what an impact he made. He also didn’t appear to see a problem with middle schoolers doing drugs or drinking despite being told that they weren’t allowed to. And not only did he not see a problem with it, but he encouraged it and provided the means for them to do so. 

6. 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? (For example: Taylor and the police, Cathy and Jason, Cathy and Chantal, etc.)

I find Taylor and the police the most interesting storyline because I love crime stories and think that they’re super entertaining. I’m excited to see what happens in the later books with this storyline the most because I feel like it could go a number of different ways so I want to know what happens and how it will impact the other characters in the story. I’m curious if Taylor will end up exposing all the characters and their drug habits or if the police never find out. 

7. 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?

I am most curious to know how the characters in the story react when (if) more real-world consequences finally happen due to their illegal actions. I want to know if any of them end up going to jail or getting clean or becoming friends again once they fully understand the bad decisions they made. I’m also curious how the police will react if they discover how so much of the town of Montgomery was involved in drugs and alcohol. 

About Nicole Kroon

Nicole is a sophomore at North Andover High School and will graduate in 2025.  Her favorite subjects in school are math and biology.  She loves reading and traveling with her family and enjoys going on challenging hikes.  Most recently she visited Iceland, where she hiked on several amazing trails.  Nicole is a varsity runner on the Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track teams at her school, and she also volunteers in the Youth Track and Field program.