Laurie O’Sullivan Reviews “Gripped 4: Smoke & Mirrors” by Stacy Padula

Review by Laurie O’Sullivan—Dover, Massachusetts

“Gripped Part 4”, by Stacy Padula is an excellent book that everyone must read. It opens your eyes to the harsh reality that is the party scene in high school and college. Even kids who are athletes, do well in school, or seem to have great friends can all end up making a bad choice that changes their lives forever. Addiction is such a prevalent issue among teens and the series, especially part 4, continues to show how one bad decision affects the entire course of your life and follows you for years to come as well as the toll it takes on relationships. The characters are getting older and what started as a few mistakes are following them for years to come. 

I strongly recommend this book to anyone from early teens in middle school, all the way up until older adults. The book is amazing for all different ages in different ways. For younger readers it can prepare them for things they might be exposed to or help make their struggles and emotions feel validated by relating to a certain character. As for adults or parent readers, this book helps give them insight into situations that their kids may be going through and help them know what signs to look out for.

About Laurie O’Sullivan

Laurie O’Sullivan is a recent graduate of Dover Sherborn High School where she liked to be involved with sports and extracurriculars. She was part of the National Honor Society and tutored high schoolers who want extra help in biology. She ran on the track team, led a service club, was part of a women’s group, and was involved with an environmental club. In her free time, she likes to read, listen to music, and play the piano. Her love for spending time with kids is shown through her summer job as a camp counselor and her regular babysitting hours. She plans to study communications in college and travel a lot in the future!xxxx