Chase Fitzpatrick is a senior at Hanover High School in Massachusetts. He is ranked 3rd in the United States for the Taekwondo Junior (15-17) Heavy Weight Division and has competed globally. He recently won the Bronze Medal at the 2026 Nationals. He enjoys traveling around the country for competitions and passing his passion onto the younger kids he instructs at Xcel Taekwondo. At Hanover High School, he is the kicker for the Varsity football team and a member of DECA. His favorite subjects in school are history and math. He has a passion for business and also interns at a local law firm. He has been investing in the stock market since age 11 and hopes to pursue a career in business management.
5-Star Review by Chase Fitzpatrick
Gripped Part 3: The Fallout by Stacy Padula is an engaging book filled with powerful messages that focus on addiction, peer pressure, and the effects that substance use can have on friendships and relationships. The story follows characters who struggle with difficult choices, ranging from substance abuse to family drama, while trying to deal with the consequences of their actions.
One of the strongest reasons Gripped Part 3 is so powerful is because of how real the characters feel. I have been invested in this series the minute I read the first page of Gripped Part 1, and now I feel like I know the characters on a personal level. The struggles with addiction are shown through different characters and situations, making it clear that people can be affected in very different ways. The book also shows how quickly substance use can change relationships and cause people to act differently than they normally would.
Overall, Gripped Part 3 is an important read for teenagers because it deals with issues that can affect young people and their social lives. Author Stacy Padula does an incredible job of making the story entertaining while also showing the serious consequences of the choices the characters make. I would recommend this book to teens who enjoy realistic stories and drama, and can benefit from reading about the dangers of the drugs that get passed around our hallways, communities, and country.
Learn More: Q&A with Chase
- 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 tweens and teens can learn to stay away from the substances that are talked about in Gripped 3. Throughout Gripped 3, the characters are exposed to hard drugs such as acid, marijuana, and Xanax without a prescription. Gripped 3 does an excellent job of depicting the real life consequences of taking these drugs and how it can ruin someone’s life whether that is immediately through an overdose or slowly as the case of several characters in the story.
- Why could adults benefit from reading Gripped Part 3?
Adults can benefit from reading Gripped Part 3 because the message of the series is that drugs do not only affect teens and tweens they also can affect adults. This is shown in the story of Taylor Dunkin who started out drinking alcohol and using drugs when he was a teen and now as an adult he still faces the consequences of his choices, because he is a part of a drug dealing scheme putting not only his life at risk, but his family’s.
- What storylines were most intriguing in Gripped Part 3? What kept you wanting to turn the page?
Later into the story, my favorite storyline was the separation of Chris and Jason. I respect Chris for not wanting to hang around with Jason and his group of friends because of their history of substance abuse. And Chris wants to change. However, I do believe that Jason could have been kinder and more understanding of Chris’s explanation of why he doesn’t want to hang around with him after school for a little while, and not shame him.
- 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 learn that just because someone is addicted to substances like Chris once was, does not mean that they are just stuck in that position for the rest of their life. Chris wants to change and if being “hated” by his best friend means he won’t be tempted to fall back into the life he once lived then so be it.
- At this point in the series, what character intrigues you the most and why?
By the end of Gripped Part 3, Courtney intrigues me the most because of how badly she wants to fit into the group that Bryan kept her away from for so long. Courtney intrigues me because of how she tries to change her whole personality and looks just to be friends with Cathy and Lisa, and her ditching her best friend to try and fit into the more “popular group” said a lot about her character.
- What does this book teach readers about why people begin using drugs?
Gripped Part 3 teaches readers that people don’t start using drugs because one day they just want to, they do it as a gateway to try and calm their feelings when dealing with a lot. One example of this is Cathy, because of her fight with her twin sister Chantal she got really big panic attacks, and her boyfriend at the time, Jason offered her marijuana and Xanax as a way to cope.
- 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?
My honest thoughts on Jordan are mixed because I want to find out more about the date-rape incident throughout the series. But other than that I do not really have a strong opinion on Jordan as of yet in the series. I feel bad for him because of his drug use, but am excited to find out more about him and see what role he plays in the later parts of the series.
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