An Interview Grace Gerety on “The Right Person” by Stacy Padula

An Interview with Grace Gerety—Duxbury, Massachusetts

1. Who do you recommend The Right Person to and why?
   I would recommend this book to young students who are struggling to find who they should spend their time with. In this book, Chris comes to the realization that many of the bad choices he has made in his life are direct results of the people he surrounds himself with. This book would help students see the impact of choosing people who will help them and be a good influence on their lives. 
2. What can be learned from Chris and Courtney’s story?
   From reading Chris and Courtney’s story a reader can learn many valuable things. The most prominent thing to learn would be that it is always better to talk things out first before just assuming what the other person is thinking. Most of the time if people talk things out, just as Chris and Courtney did, a situation can be handled much smoother, and fewer people will be hurt. From Chris and Courtney, you are also able to see the importance of not rushing into things. As they both admitted they rushed into their relationship when they were not ready causing them to not know the other as well as they should have.  
3. What did you enjoy most about The Right Person?
   I enjoyed seeing how the characters chose to talk things out before just jumping into other relationships or situations. Many characters had the opportunity to cheat on their own respective partners at the time and each time the characters turned it down. I was pleased to see the level of maturity these young characters brought to the book which helped the story lines. 
4. What is one major theme you noticed running through the story?
   Throughout the book, I noticed the important theme of trying to better yourself. This was very clear with Chris and the choices he made in the book. Early on in the story, he knew it would be better for himself if he stopped partying and put work into bettering himself. 
5. How do you, as a teenager, personally relate to this story?
   I have struggled with what friends I should spend my time with because of the activities each group was involved in. When you begin high school the idea of who your friends are going to be is a very scary thought. Similar to Marielle I also had friends who found themself going down a bad path for a brief period of time. This aided in me developing a very strong connection to this character and storyline.

Synopsis

Growing up in the shadow of two NFL-destined cousins, Chris Dunkin has high hopes for his own future in football. However, a drug addiction threatens to destroy everything he has worked hard to attain. When Chris meets Courtney Angeletti–the mayor’s straightedge Christian daughter–he believes she could be the source of inspiration he needs to overcome his destructive lifestyle. Courtney, however, has other ideas. 

The desire to rebel has been tugging on Courtney’s heartstrings for some time, and Chris’s “bad-boy” reputation draws her to him like a moth to a flame. After all, he is a central part of the most popular clique in her high school. Will Chris pull Courtney away from her faith or will Courtney inspire him to overcome his addiction?

About Grace Gerety

Grace is a senior at Duxbury High School, where she is a member of the Varsity Rowing Team. In school, she is a part of the yearbook club and the Humanitarian Project. Her favorite subjects are science and history, and she plans to major in nursing in college. Grace also enjoys volunteering. Last summer she traveled to West Virginia and worked with the ASP organization, helping with home construction for less fortunate families. Grace works at a local retail shop year-round and has a summer job at a local beach restaurant.