Nicole’s Book Nook

Nicole is a senior 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. 

Book Reviews

The Right Person by Stacy A. Padula is a captivating story about the challenges and enjoyments of entering high school as well as experiencing the shifting and twisting of friend groups and the struggles of trying to fit in. It focuses on a group of freshmen who are facing conflicting desires and morals as they begin the next chapter of their lives, with key characters Chris and Courtney trying to navigate their new relationship while making new friends, keeping old friends, and staying true to their values. 

But when their goals seem to go in opposite directions, with Courtney focused on popularity and fun and Chris focused on cutting out bad influences and getting sober, it becomes hard for them and their friends to remain close. With peer pressures higher than ever and friends fighting left and right, it’s a battle for the Montgomery Lake High kids to figure out who they want to be in this new stage of their lives. 

This novel is a fantastic book for all teenagers, especially those in high school. It masterfully lays out a realistic experience that serves as a model for kids to read and learn from, teaching them important lessons and values about friendship and staying true to oneself. The relatable situations and captivating writing style make this book super fun to read and leave the audience scrambling to get the next book to find out more!

The novel When Darkness Tries to Hide by Stacy A. Padula is a story of many things; light and darkness, hope and despair, faith and sins. But most of all it is a tale of redemption, a concept that the students at Montgomery Lake High have often struggled to comprehend. As some kids turn to drugs and drinking, others turn to religion and friendship in hopes of bringing back the light into their lives that they lost when they first started doing drugs. Though many believe they are beyond help, others find their views start to shift and lives start to change. But when a terrible tragedy strikes the town, the students will need to band together and put aside their differences to support those they love most or risk losing them for good. 

Beautifully written and incredibly relatable, this novel is a must-read for all teens. It shows the pressure and turmoil in the social lives of a high school student caught up in a whirlwind of drugs, fights, and friendships, as well as how to navigate this complex world to find redemption, even when it seems impossible. It’s an inspiring story that motivates all who read it to become the best possible version of themselves and to continue to stay in the light instead of crossing over into the darkness.

The Aftermath by Stacy Padula is a fantastic novel about keeping hope through times of struggle. The kids of Montgomery Lake High are once again challenged to turn away from their dark path of drugs and alcohol and start walking the difficult path toward the light, and sobriety. Between heartache over Andy’s accident, new rumors speculating about relationships that may or may not exist, and a devastating breakup, this book is full of twists and turns that’ll keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page. 

The powerful message of hope provides inspiration to readers of all ages, showing them how looking for the silver lining in a bad situation can make anything better, and shows readers that staying strong helps others stay strong too. The friendships between the Montgomery Lake kids are beautiful examples of people who support each other in their times of need and really make a big difference in each other’s lives, demonstrating the types of healthy friendships everyone should strive to create. 

Stacy Padula’s skillful writing draws in readers and makes them think about the important things in their lives: friends, faith, and family. It makes readers stop and think about why people do the things they do, especially the things that aren’t always beneficial, allowing readers to gain valuable insight into human nature from which they can learn and grow.

I would recommend The Battle for Innocence by Stacy Padula for readers of all ages! This book is fantastic because it’s so realistic about the struggles that teenagers go through as they move into the next step of their lives, showing how the power of peer pressure, the desire to be popular, and the inability to communicate can tangle up people’s lives and cause trouble. But it also shows how good friends and strong morals can sometimes persevere and lead to lots of happiness in people who know who they want to be and are willing to work for it. 

In The Battle for Innocence, readers get a look back at the middle school years of the Montgomery Lake High kids. The novel provides valuable background information that explains how friendships were formed and broken, how love was found, lost, and found again, and how powerful religion can be in setting people on the right path in life. 

This beautifully crafted story is told from the point of view of many different characters, which gives a wide range of perspectives about situations and helps explain how easy it is to cause a misunderstanding when there’s a lack of communication. It shares powerful messages while still keeping the fun and excitement of making new friends and going to parties as a teenager, and this important factor is why everyone should read it!

The novel The Forces Within, by Stacy A. Padula, is a thrilling novel about looking inward and discovering what’s really important in life. It focuses on Montgomery Lake High student Andy Rosetti, who finally reemerges from being in a coma for a month. But little does he know, a lot has changed since the day of his accident and things are no longer what they once seemed to be. 

This captivating and mysterious story does a deep dive into the darkness inside of Andy and his friends, starting many of them down a path of self-discovery and faith. Through betrayals and new relationships, the kids must persevere to make it to the light so they can finally be happy and able to live their lives to the fullest. 

The intensely realistic characters draw the reader in and make them feel as though they’re running right alongside the kids as they dash through the haunted mansion they find themselves trapped in or crying from desperation as they frantically try to save their relationships that are starting to slip away due to rumors and lies. This, combined with engaging and talented writing, makes this book a must-read for everyone who finds themself in a moral, religious, or emotional conflict in which they need guidance.

Interviews with Nicole

December 2023: MLH #1

1. Who do you recommend this book to? 

I would recommend this book to incoming high school freshmen. While the lessons learned in this book apply to people of all ages, they’re especially significant to teenagers going into high school for the first time, as much of the book is centered around the peer pressures and difficulties of entering high school. Having this book to read as a guide for navigating the new situation would be a huge help for freshmen all over the country, showing them what to do and how to handle the new environment. That is why I would recommend this book to incoming high school freshmen. 

2. What can be learned from Chris and Courtney’s story? 

The main lesson that can be learned from Chris and Courtney’s story is that it’s important not to rush into things and make hasty decisions. When Courtney met Chris, she broke up with Bryan almost right away without thinking through her choice. She didn’t take her time and consider all her options before hurrying into a new relationship with Chris, even though she barely knew him. Chris didn’t take the time to get to know Courtney before dating her either, and this lack of thinking and quick decision-making led to their romantic relationship falling apart soon after it began. While they were able to stay friends after their breakup, the whole messy situation could have been easily avoided if they had taken the time to really get to know each other and learn what the other person was looking for in a partner before they started dating. Additionally, Courtney’s hasty breakup with Bryan damaged their relationship as well, hurting Bryan’s feelings and making his relationship with Chris awkward after Courtney began dating him. But after only a short while Courtney and Chris broke up in part because Courtney realized she had made a mistake and still liked Bryan. Had she taken the time to consider her choices more she might have remained with Bryan the whole time and still been good friends with Chris. 

3. What did you enjoy most about The Right Person?

I most enjoyed hearing about how Courtney changed so much when she entered high school because I feel like this is a super relatable and realistic situation. Many people try to change parts of their personality or appearance when they enter high school, often thinking of the new school as being a new start, but sometimes they forget about the people they’re leaving behind in their old lives. When Courtney changed her whole personality and friend group when she entered high school, she abandoned and alienated her best friends Julianna and Marielle even though they’d done nothing wrong. While it can sometimes be alright to want to make a change in your lifestyle, it’s not alright to be harsh and unkind to those close to you. It’s also important to remember to stay true to your own beliefs and morals, and not change them just to fit into someone’s perception of you. This is the part that Courtney forgot at first, but when she eventually realized her mistake, she actively tried to fix it and this made me enjoy her character development throughout the novel so much. 

4. What is one major theme you noticed running through the story?

One major theme that I noticed running through the story is the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have similar values and morals as yourself. This is something that can be hard to do if you’re close to someone who has different values than yourself and might be negatively impacting your life. However, it’s important to remember that taking care of yourself has to come first, even if it means parting ways with a close friend who’s causing more harm than good. You can’t be a good friend or a good person if you’re not surrounding yourself with people who also want to be good people and good friends as well. This can be seen in the novel through Chris and Courtney’s relationship, Jon and Alyssa’s relationship, and Chris and Marielle’s relationship. In each circumstance, the characters were trying to either remove a negative influence or add a positive one into their life because they realized the importance of surrounding themselves with people who have similar morals as themselves. 

5. How do you, as a teenager, personally relate to this story?

As a teenager, I can relate to the pressures that many of the characters are under to fit in and become a part of a certain clique. Entering high school can be a stressful time when friend groups are constantly shifting, and it can be difficult to stay close to the people you were once best friends with. I’ve seen how easy it is for someone to be pressured into acting a certain way to become part of a friend group, and how sad it can be when you realize you don’t really know your friend as well as you once did. But, I can also relate to how exciting it can be to make a new good friend or join a new group of people who have similar interests to me. 

January 2024: MLH #2

1. Who could benefit from reading this book?

I think that people in toxic relationships could benefit from reading this book. There have been several examples of toxic relationships throughout the series, as well as messages about how to recognize and get out of those damaging relationships. One of the main relationships is the one between Cathy and Jason, which gets increasingly toxic as the series goes on. However, although it’s obvious to readers that it’s hurting both kids, it takes far longer than expected for them to end it. This is a highly realistic example and can provide the strength and fortitude necessary for people who are also in toxic relationships to end them. 

2. What positive messages does this book convey to readers?

This book conveys messages of hope and strength to readers. One of the biggest people who demonstrates these qualities is Chris, who continues to pray for his friend Jason even when Jason turns against him. He never gives up hope that Jason will realize his mistakes and take steps to fix them, even when it seems highly unlikely that he will ever do so. 

3. Why should teens read this book? 

Teens should read this book because many of them are going through some of the same types of situations and could really benefit from seeing how the characters solve their problems. Reading about issues like drugs and alcohol also provides teens with an awareness that they might not have previously had. This allows them to make more educated choices and be more successful in life and high school. 

4. How has your opinion of Jason changed since reading the first MLH book?

Since reading the first MLH book, I feel like Jason has started to make some progress toward fixing his many drug, alcohol, and attitude problems that have haunted him and ruined his relationships with Cathy and Chris. When he helped out at Andy’s service and talked with Pastor Mark, it showed that he was finally starting to make some lifestyle changes that I think will suit him better. I’m starting to like him a little more because he’s starting to take back some control of his life, whereas, at the beginning of the series, he was completely ruled by his addictions. 

5. A main theme of this story is the battle between the dark and the light. When one is in darkness, he or she cannot see anything clearly. How does the last chapter relate to the events of the story and the theme of light vs. darkness?

In the last chapter when Jason is struggling to accept what his life has become and how he needs to fix it, he thinks about his talk with Pastor Mark and about how he’s been blinded by his drug use. So much so, in fact, that he couldn’t see that he and his girlfriend had a serious problem. Throughout the novel, there’s this contrast between church and drugs, popularity and happiness, and hope and despair that reflects the overarching theme of light vs. darkness. The kids are constantly challenged throughout their high school lives as they’re presented with choices between the “right” and “wrong” things to do, and their struggle to make the right decisions shows how they’ve been blinded by their corrupted morals. 

February 2024: MLH #3

1. Who do you think could benefit from reading this book and why? 

I think that this book would be especially powerful to someone who is struggling with a choice between good and evil, whether it be related to drugs, alcohol, or even skipping school. This book is all about how hard it can be to finally make a change for the better in your life, especially when temptation surrounds you from all sides, and strength can be drawn from reading about people going through the same trials and tribulations and pushing through to make a real difference in their lives. The characters really connect with readers and allow people to learn through their struggles. 

2. What did you most enjoy about this story?

The character development for Jason in this book was spectacular and super enjoyable to read. He finally starts to understand that he’s made some mistakes and actively tries to fix them, even if it means doing things he’d rather not do, like breaking up with Cathy. It was super fun to read about him and Jessie and I hope he continues down this path. 

3. What message does this book send to readers?

This book sends a message of hope in times of desperation. Whether it be an illness, like in Andy’s case, or drugs, like in Jason’s, or friendship, like in Katherine’s, there are lots of times when life gets hard and you have to persevere. This story shows how you should never lose hope that things will get better, and never stop trying to make things better by being kind and supporting others in their times of need. It was inspirational to see Chris help out Jason so much, and it shows how a strong friendship is important when things get hard. 

4. What do you hope happens between Jason and Cathy in the future?

I hope that they stay separate until they can both sober up and get back to their normal selves. I think that if they stay together as they are now, they’ll only lead each other down another dark path. But if they each take the time to sort out their problems and get the help they need, I think that they could totally get back together and go back to the way they were before all the drugs and alcohol. 

March 2024: MLH #4

1. Who would you recommend this book to and why? 

I would recommend this book to people who are struggling with a relationship and their conflicting emotions. This book focuses on how sometimes a person’s head and heart don’t always align and deals with how to sort out the problems that come up when such a situation arises. It teaches valuable lessons on communication and transparency with those close to you, and how important it is to give people the space they need to make a decision, something that not everyone is taught but everyone should learn. 

2. Why is this book a helpful resource for teens?

Teens especially could be helped by this book because they’re in so many situations where they have to deal with conflicting feelings and people who don’t know how to properly express them. Understanding how to handle their own emotions while keeping a level head when around those who don’t is a valuable skill for teens to have, and one that’s taught in this book. 

3. Who is your favorite character in this story and why?

My favorite character in this story is Chantal because she’s kind and friendly, while not being too much of a suck-up or a people-pleaser. She’s open to giving people a chance and makes friends easily because she’s warm and not super shy. I also liked that she didn’t completely cut off Andy after the jungle punch incident, as it was a mistake that it’s clear he feels bad about, though I am glad that she took a stand for what she believed in and didn’t continue to date him right away. I don’t think I would’ve been as forgiving as she was so I’m impressed that she didn’t stay super mad at him for the rest of the year, and it makes me like her a lot. 

4. What was the most surprising thing about seeing the main characters’ lives in 7th grade?

All the causal access they have to drugs, alcohol, and partying. When I was in 7th grade, my parents definitely wouldn’t have let me go to all these high-schooler parties. It’s surprising that characters like Chris, Lisa, and Jason are so used to drinking that they’re mixing up drinks and doing keg stands. What’s also unexpected is the lack of parental involvement that seems to be going on in the main characters’ lives. Chris’s parents are always away for work, but I would still expect them to check in every day or at least send a text. Instead, they just leave him with his high school and college-aged cousins without any thought for what might happen. I definitely think that more parental involvement would have made a huge difference in the kids’ lifestyles and probably would’ve stopped a lot of the drinking and drug use, so it was so surprising to me that they never intervened and tried to help their kids. Even though it might’ve been hard to notice that there was a problem at times, I think any parent who pays attention to their kid regularly should’ve been able to notice something was wrong. 

5. Why is it important for readers to know the backstory shared in this novel?

This backstory explains the context for the relationships between Chantal, Andy, and Jon, and gives readers some insight as to why they might act the way they do in high school. Especially with Andy in the hospital after his accident, it’s very interesting to hear more about how he and Chantal first got together, even if it didn’t last long. Additionally, it’s also important for readers to know how to act in a situation like the one Chantal and Andy were in, and I think this novel does a great job of demonstrating a good way to respond so as not to be mean, but still stand up for oneself and one’s morals. 

April 2024: MLH #5

1. Who should read this book? 

This book is perfect for people struggling to decide who they want to be, whether that’s evaluating friendships or finding religion. Sometimes people get lost and have trouble seeing the bigger picture, focusing only on how they feel in a particular moment. Other times they think of only what’s best for others and forget that they need to think about themselves sometimes too, because while something might be good for one person, it’s not always the best fit for everyone. Conflicts such as these are explored in this novel, which is why it’s such a good fit for those in moral conflicts. 

2. What was your favorite part of the book and why? 

My favorite part of the book was when all the kids were searching the mansion trying to find Chantal. I loved the drama and suspense that dominated this part of the story and kept me turning the pages faster than ever! I was so curious to figure out what happened to Chantal (and all the while wondering what role Leslie had in her disappearance), that it became my favorite scene in the whole book. 

3. There is a hidden message (or many) woven throughout this book – what do you think one is and why? 

I think that one of the most important hidden messages woven throughout this book is that sometimes things are out of your control and you have to trust that they’re happening for a reason. This theme can be seen in relationships like Chantal and Andy’s or in emotions like Katherine and her decision to change friend groups. In both cases, the kids had to accept that they weren’t going to be taking the path they thought they were going to and accept that that’s ok to do, even if it’s hard. Sometimes things or people will change and there’s nothing you can do to stop them, so you just have to move on and trust that it’ll all work out in the end. 

4. After reading all five MLH books – who are your two favorite characters and why? 

My two favorite characters after reading all five MLH books are Lisa and Chris. I was very impressed with Chris’s transformation and growth throughout his time in school, and I respected his ability to recognize his problems and make an effort to fix them, even if it meant withdrawing from toxic friendships and even breaking up with his girlfriend to protect them both from his bad drug habits. By the end of the series, he became a sober, friendly, hard working person I loved reading about. I also loved to read about Lisa, because I felt like I really connected with her. She went through so many hardships from middle school to high school and though she still has some personal growth left to do, I admire her ability to keep going in times of stress and sadness. Between losing her dad, having her best friend in a coma, and being dumped by her boyfriend, she managed to continue to be present and social, things I would likely have a hard time doing. I also like how she stayed friends with Cathy even through rough times when Jason broke up with her and even her own sister turned on her. That’s why Lisa and Chris are my two favorite characters.