Nick Hallal is a rising senior at Boston College High School who’s interested in sports and fitness. He’s been on the varsity wrestling team for 3 years. At school, he is the president and founder of the Bible Club, and he is the captain of Bowman House, participating in leadership activities in and out of school. Over the summer, Nick works at SNAP camp, a special needs camp, enjoying being able to help out others. In his free time, he likes watching sports and hanging out with friends and family. He plans to major in Health Sciences in college with dreams of pursuing a career in medicine.
Q&A with Nick
- 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?
I think it would actually have a really good impact to read about these topics. Although it may seem scary to read about these drugs, Gripped Part 3 shows the true dangers of getting involved with drugs such as Adderall, acid, and Xanax. Seeing the dangers will push tweens and teens to stay away from these drugs making Gripped Part 3 a very beneficial read for them.
- Why could adults benefit from reading Gripped Part 3?
Adults can benefit from reading Gripped Part 3 in multiple ways such as getting a perspective on how teenagers grow up and the struggles that come with that. For parents or anybody who works around teenagers, the book can help them understand where teenagers are coming from and why they might act a certain way in a difficult situation. The book also encourages adults to approach teenagers with more empathy, patience, and understanding.
- What storylines were most intriguing in Gripped Part 3? What kept you wanting to turn the page?
The storylines I found most intriguing were Cathy and Jason’s because I found it interesting to watch them grow together whether it was for good or not, as drugs started to take over their lives. I also found Chris and Courtney’s relationship very intriguing seeing how it affected everyone around them. The relationship never felt like a true connection, especially since Chris still had feelings for Lisa. These storylines kept me wondering what would happen next and how it would affect their whole friendgroup.
- 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?
I think readers can deeply benefit from reading about Chris’s journey with drugs due to his experience with everything. At the start of the first book, he is very opposed to drugs and alcohol like most people at the start but he eventually starts using. You get to see how easily Chris gets hooked on substances and the affects it has on everyone around him. When he eventually tries to quit you see the toll it plays on him, giving readers very meaningful insight on drug and alcohol abuse.
- At this point in the series, what character intrigues you the most and why?
I am very intrigued by Jason’s character due to everything happening around him with his brothers and Cathy. I know there is going to be a big falling out between him and Cathy that causes her a lot of harm, but I’m not entirely sure what it is yet, leaving me very interested. He is going down a dark path with drugs, even using acid at one point, and I want to see what motivates him to quit.
- What does this book teach readers about why people begin using drugs?
This book shows many of the ways people begin using drugs. For a lot of people they fall into peer pressure as we see with a lot of characters during parties getting pressured into trying new things, like alcohol or marijuana, to the point where they are doing it frequently. We also see through characters like Lisa who lost her dad and Taylor who suffered a bad injury that trauma can lead to drug addictions. Lastly, we see characters like Cathy use it to cope with things like her bad anxiety, doing more harm than good.
- 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?
At the start of the series, I did not like Jordan very much, as it seemed like he was careless and encouraged Chris and his friends to use drugs and alcohol at parties. I also didn’t like him too much because I didn’t know the full story between him and Michelle. As more got revealed, such as the full Michelle story and how he doesn’t really do drugs and alcohol, I have come to realize I misunderstood him and have mixed thoughts right now—not negative but not overwhelmingly positive.
Book Review
Gripped 3, like Gripped 1 and Gripped 2, continues the very realistic, engaging, and meaningful storytelling that makes the series so powerful. One of the biggest strengths of Gripped 3 is how it portrays very relevant and serious issues without making them feel exaggerated or unrealistic. The book truly shows how addiction can take over people’s lives and how it affects not only them but everyone around them. Through characters such as Chris and Taylor, readers get a deep understanding of the challenges of addiction and how difficult it can be to overcome it.
What stood out to me the most about part 3 was how authentic the reality of addiction felt. Throughout the whole book, I felt a deep understanding of the characters’ situations and seeing how their choices influenced the challenges they faced. The continued character development of characters like Chris and Cathy made the story so engaging because their journeys felt so realistic and showed the hard truth about facing and overcoming addiction. The ending left me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next and how characters like Taylor, Cathy, and Chris will face their upcoming challenges. I would highly recommend Gripped 3 to readers of all ages but especially middle school and high school students because it is a very entertaining story while also teaching valuable lessons about addiction, peer pressure, and the weight of the choices you make.
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