Q&A with Nicole Kroon on “Gripped Part 2: Blindsided”

An Interview with Nicole Kroon—North Andover, Massachusetts

1. The drug use and sexual content in this book will surely get it banned from schools, but the topics are too relevant in teenage culture to be ignored. Why do you think this book should be read by kids in middle school and high school?

I think that this book should be read by kids in middle school and high school because it’s so uncommonly talked about. Kids need more exposure to these types of topics and they aren’t always getting it from school or teachers. Books provide a safe and informative way of learning about difficult topics for kids of all ages, but especially kids in middle and high school who are at a greater risk of encountering the types of problems that are found in the Gripped Series. 

2. What can kids learn from reading this book?

One of the most important things that kids can learn from reading these books is that everyone should try to surround themselves with people who will bring out the best in them. A huge part of both people’s physical and emotional health is being in a safe environment and the people that make up that environment are especially important. Even if it may be hard, people have to cut out others who are negatively impacting their lives so they can focus on bettering themselves. 

3. How has your opinion of Taylor changed from the beginning of the series until the end of book 2?

At first, my opinion of Taylor was that he was a selfish drug addict who didn’t care for either taking care of himself or his friends and family. However, that’s developed more as the story goes on and now I have a greater understanding of Taylor’s motivations and the struggle that he was going through. He felt that he was helping people out when he sold them drugs at a lower price, and while I may not agree with his methods of helping, I do agree with his desire to help people out. I also grew to understand that Taylor didn’t want to be a drug dealer, and he didn’t realize how deep in he was until it was too late for him to get out. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he didn’t know how to stop or ask for help, so I can sympathize with his feelings of being overwhelmed and embarrassed. 

4. How has your opinion of Chris changed since the beginning of the series? 

Chris at the start of the story was just a young boy who wanted to be cool like his older cousins and party all the time. He didn’t seem to mind pressuring his friends into drinking or doing drugs and so I didn’t think that much of him. But in Gripped Part 2, I got to see another side of Chris. This Chris was more concerned about how his actions were affecting his friends and wanted to stop taking drugs, showing how he matured as the series went on. 

5. After reading books 1 & 2, are you rooting for Cathy to end up with Jason or Marc?

I think after reading books 1 & 2 I’m rooting for Cathy to end up with Jason instead of Marc because I don’t think that it’s fair to Marc for Cathy to be with him when she’s clearly still hung up on Jason. Also, Jason seemed to put in the effort to try and make a change in the past because he knew that his actions were negatively affecting Cathy, so I think that he’ll continue to put in that effort especially because he still seemed to be interested in being in a relationship with Cathy. 

6. What are your honest thoughts on Chris and Lisa’s relationship?

I think that it was a good decision for them to take a break. Chris had seemed like a bad influence on both Lisa and their whole friend group, so by putting some space between them (especially when Lisa didn’t seem fully committed to their relationship) they might all be better off. Maybe if they both get their acts together and stop doing drugs and drinking then they could get back together. 

7. Who are your two favorite characters so far in the series and why?

I think that my two favorite characters are Lisa and Marc. I like Lisa because I think that she wasn’t super whiny or mean to anyone, but she liked to have fun and hang out with friends like I do. I also felt really bad for her after her father’s death and I think she was very mature in deciding to take a step back from her relationship with Chris to focus on her health and emotional well-being. I liked Marc because I thought it was good how he saw Cathy struggling and wanted to help her out. He’s a good influence on her, which is especially important because she was so caught up in lots of drama and drugs that she needed someone who was clean and against drama to help straighten her out.

About Nicole Kroon

Nicole is a junior 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.