“Gripped 3: The Fallout” Explores Teenage Life with Urgency & Honesty

An Interview with Ava Khouri of Hanover, Massachusetts

Ava Khouri is a senior at Hanover High School and serves as Class President, where she works to strengthen school spirit and foster a positive experience for her classmates. She is also Vice President of the Outreach Club, Treasurer of the Debate Team, and a member of the National Honor Society. A dedicated student-athlete, Ava is Captain of the Varsity Cheerleading Team, plays Varsity Tennis, and has been a dancer for over ten years. Beyond school, she has served as a Project 351 Ambassador and Lead Trainer for the Playbook Initiative, experiences that strengthened her passion for service and leadership. In her free time, Ava enjoys spending time with friends and family and working summers at JC’s Ice Cream.

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Ava’s Book Review

Stacy Padula’s “Gripped Part 3: The Fallout” is a gripping continuation that deepens the emotional and thematic weight of the series. While more concise than earlier books, it feels anything but limited, weaving together multiple storylines that explore the realities of teenage life with honesty and urgency. The novel shows how characters from unique backgrounds can all be pulled into substance abuse through very different choices, but led to similar consequences. What stands out most is how real the characters feel; their struggles with friendship, relationships, and identity are portrayed in a way that makes their experiences resonate long after you’ve turned the page.

What truly sets this book apart is its ability to educate without preaching. Unlike many other reads, Padula does not soften the realities of addiction, peer pressure, or mental health challenges, and instead presents them as they often appear in real life—messy, painful, and deeply impactful. I truly recommend this book to any teens, tweens, and adults because it has lessons that people of all ages can learn from.

An Interview with Ava on The Fallout

1. This book touches upon the use of Adderall, acid, marijuana, alcohol, and Xanax. For that reason, parents may not want their children to read the novel. However, the author feels there is much to be learned. What do you think tweens and teens could learn from reading Gripped Part 3 that would be beneficial for them?

Despite touching on the use of drugs like Adderall, acid, marijuana, alcohol, and Xanax, I think that Gripped Part 3 undeniably teaches tweens and teens much more valuable lessons than it influences them or exposes them to using these drugs. It provides a strong and effective warning about the dangers of using these substances, whether that be addiction or the waterfall effect of ruining opportunities and destroying relationships and trust. Learning these effects early will allow them to make a more informed decision later on to avoid these drugs when they are faced with them in a real social situation.

2. Why could adults benefit from reading Gripped Part 3?

Gripped Part 3 is meant for readers of all ages, and I believe that adults could benefit from reading Gripped Part 3 just as much as teens. While it might not serve as a warning or early exposure due to their life experiences, substance abuse is just as large of a problem among adults. By reading the experiences of the characters, they might gain greater insight into what these substances are doing to them and how they are also affecting others around them. Beyond possibly educating adults on the consequences of drugs they may be using, the story also highlights common issues that teens and tweens deal with. By better understanding what young people are experiencing through many different perspectives, adults will be much more prepared to provide support to those who need it.

3. What storylines were most intriguing in Gripped Part 3? What kept you wanting to turn the page?

The most intriguing storyline in Gripped Part 3 was definitely that of Chantal and Cathy’s relationship because I was eager to learn how their relationship progressed. After learning so much detail about their background in the prior Gripped books, I felt very invested in this storyline, and I also felt a personal connection to it, as I have a sister of my own that I am very close with. I also found that the added dimensions to Taylor’s story contributed to my inability to put this book down. I kept turning the pages with excitement as I learned more about each character’s story and background, creating a complexity that was enthralling.

4. As drug use abounds in the series, some characters are trying their best to sober up, while others are getting deeper and deeper into substance abuse. How do you think readers can benefit from reading about Chris’s journey from the beginning of the series until now?

It is interesting to see how some characters attempt to sober up while others continue down the path of substance abuse, and it is undeniable that Chris’s journey up until now can teach the reader some very valuable lessons. It is arguably one of the most important storylines in the book because it serves as an example to the reader that change is possible, and he also serves as a role model for how to handle friendships like his. He avoids peer pressure under all circumstances in the pursuit of sobriety, encouraging the reader to stick by and support their friends, especially when they are putting effort into recovery from addiction.

5. At this point in the series, what character intrigues you the most and why?

The character that most intrigues me at this point in the series is Cathy because of how much my opinion of her has shifted over the course of the books. I truly believe that she is a good person who fell down the wrong path, but I also believe that she can change her ways for the better and turn her character around. Cathy is just one of the many complex characters in the story that keeps me turning the pages.

6. What does this book teach readers about why people begin using drugs?

Gripped Part 3 teaches readers that people can begin using drugs for many reasons, and that it is not always due to external pressures or depression. Oftentimes, people begin using drugs despite their perfect-looking life, and there can be more internalized pressure causing them to start using. Drug abuse and addiction can happen to anyone, and the reasons for beginning use are endless.

7. Chris loves Jordan, but Marc hates Jordan. He has slowly been introduced to the reader in the first three books and will play a more significant role later in the series. At this point in the series what are your honest thoughts on Jordan?

Despite the varying opinions from others about Jordan, I feel a sense of respect for him and his growth throughout the stories that we have heard thus far. Despite his questionable past with drugs and peer pressure, he has obviously made a change for the better and is excelling at Notre Dame in both sports and academics.