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 ofContinueContinue reading “BC High’s Nick Hallal Reviews ‘Gripped Part 3: The Fallout’”
Author Archives: Author Stacy A. Padula
Character Development in the Gripped and Montgomery Lake High Series: Depth, Complexity, and Earned Empathy
One of the defining strengths of Stacy A. Padula’s Gripped and Montgomery Lake High series lies in their approach to character development. Rather than presenting clear heroes and villains, the books build a cast of young people whose choices, motivations, and growth feel layered, contradictory, and deeply human. The result is a style of storytellingContinueContinue reading “Character Development in the Gripped and Montgomery Lake High Series: Depth, Complexity, and Earned Empathy”
Luke Davids: The Character Readers Often Judge First—and Understand Later
Luke Davids is one of the easiest characters to misunderstand at the beginning of the series. On the surface, he is the middleman. The guy who helps move the drugs from Taylor into the high school. The one who makes the substances available to kids who are already struggling. For many readers, that role createsContinueContinue reading “Luke Davids: The Character Readers Often Judge First—and Understand Later”
Hanover High School Athlete Recommends ‘Blindsided’ to Teen Readers
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 theContinueContinue reading “Hanover High School Athlete Recommends ‘Blindsided’ to Teen Readers”
Chris Dunkin: The Character Readers Love from the Start and Root for Even Harder Later
Chris Dunkin is one of the rare characters who wins people over almost immediately. He’s the life of the party. The charismatic friend everyone wants around. The guy who can light up a room and make people feel like they belong. In the early books, a lot of readers simply like him. He’s fun, loyal,ContinueContinue reading “Chris Dunkin: The Character Readers Love from the Start and Root for Even Harder Later”
Jordan Dunkin: The Character Readers Often Overlook—Until They Can’t
Jordan Dunkin doesn’t usually announce himself the way some of the other characters do. He isn’t the most dramatic presence in the early books. He isn’t the one readers immediately love or immediately hate. For a lot of people, he starts as background noise—the middle Dunkin brother, the fun-loving one, the guy who sometimes seemsContinueContinue reading “Jordan Dunkin: The Character Readers Often Overlook—Until They Can’t”
Taylor Dunkin: The Character Readers Start Out Angry With—and End Up Rooting For Hardest
One of the most consistent things I hear from readers is that Taylor Dunkin becomes their favorite character. That reaction almost never starts in Book 1. The Early Reaction: Anger In the beginning of the series, many readers are simply angry at him. They see a guy supplying drugs to younger kids in Montgomery. TheyContinueContinue reading “Taylor Dunkin: The Character Readers Start Out Angry With—and End Up Rooting For Hardest”
Gripped Series New Illustrated Covers on Kindle
We are excited to share that the Gripped series has new illustrated covers, and they are now live on Amazon Kindle! These updated editions feature a consistent hand-drawn style across all six books while keeping the core imagery that reflects each story. The goal was to create a cohesive look for the series that stillContinueContinue reading “Gripped Series New Illustrated Covers on Kindle”
Free Companion Guides for Educators, Youth Groups, & Parents — Now Available
The Gripped and Montgomery Lake High series deal with the real pressures teenagers face—peer pressure, substance use, family tension, identity, and the long work of coming back from damage. These free companion guides are designed to help adults use the books for meaningful discussion and learning. Each guide provides structure, discussion questions, and practical waysContinueContinue reading “Free Companion Guides for Educators, Youth Groups, & Parents — Now Available”
Gripped Part 6 — Free on NetGalley This Month!
Attention book reviewers! Gripped Part 6: The Dunkin Legacy is now available on NetGalley through the end of August. Request a free copy today! Gold Winner for “Best Teen Book” in the 2026 Readers’ Choice Book Awards • 5-Star Review from Readers’ Favorite • Now being adapted for television by Emmy Award-winning producer, Mark Blutman!ContinueContinue reading “Gripped Part 6 — Free on NetGalley This Month!”
Jason Davids: The Character Readers Root For, Get Frustrated By, and Can’t Quit Watching
If Cathy Kagelli is the most misunderstood character in the Gripped world, Jason Davids might be the most complicated. Readers rarely land in the middle with him. Some fall for his charm immediately. Others want to throttle him by the second book. And a large number do both—sometimes in the same sitting—depending on which chapterContinueContinue reading “Jason Davids: The Character Readers Root For, Get Frustrated By, and Can’t Quit Watching”
Rising Taekwondo Star Chase Fitzpatrick Recommends YA Novel ‘Gripped’
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 theContinueContinue reading “Rising Taekwondo Star Chase Fitzpatrick Recommends YA Novel ‘Gripped’”
BC High Student Leader Reviews ‘Gripped Part 2: Blindsided’
Nick 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.ContinueContinue reading “BC High Student Leader Reviews ‘Gripped Part 2: Blindsided’”
Cathy Kagelli: The Character Readers Love, Struggle With, & Ultimately Can’t Forget
If you’ve spent any time talking with readers of the Gripped series (or the Montgomery Lake High books), you’ve probably noticed something interesting about Cathy Kagelli. People rarely feel neutral about her. Some readers call her their favorite. Others admit they wanted to shake her. A surprising number say both—depending on which book they wereContinueContinue reading “Cathy Kagelli: The Character Readers Love, Struggle With, & Ultimately Can’t Forget”
Class of 2027 Gripped Book Series Interns
Sending out a special welcome to our newest interns: Chase, Clare, Julia, Ksenia, and Nick! They will be reviewing and vetting our Gripped series to ensure the books are authentic and relatable to modern teen life. Chase Fitzpatrick is a rising senior at Hanover High School in Massachusetts. He is ranked 3rd in the countryContinueContinue reading “Class of 2027 Gripped Book Series Interns”
Free Curriculum Now Available for The Aftermath (Montgomery Lake High #3)
I’m excited to share that a free companion study guide is now available for The Aftermath, the third book in the Montgomery Lake High series. Designed specifically for youth groups, small groups, and middle/high school classrooms, this downloadable curriculum helps leaders and teachers walk teens through the story in a meaningful, discussion-based way. About theContinueContinue reading “Free Curriculum Now Available for The Aftermath (Montgomery Lake High #3)”
BC High’s Nick Hallal Reviews ‘Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told’
Nick 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.ContinueContinue reading “BC High’s Nick Hallal Reviews ‘Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told’”
Best Books for Youth Groups: Why When Darkness Tries to Hide Is a Must-Read for Teens
In a world full of distractions and pressures, finding stories that speak directly to teens’ hearts—while pointing them toward faith, hope, and real-life wisdom—is invaluable for youth pastors, leaders, and parents. If you’re searching for the best books for youth groups this year, When Darkness Tries to Hide by Stacy A. Padula stands out asContinueContinue reading “Best Books for Youth Groups: Why When Darkness Tries to Hide Is a Must-Read for Teens”
From College Gridiron Glory to a Town Gripped by Secrets
Friday night lights in small-town Massachusetts. Star quarterback Taylor Dunkin was the hometown legend — a high school record-breaker who became a college football phenom, ranked by ESPN as one of the NFL’s top prospects. One knee injury later, everything crashes. Pain pills turn into secrets, secrets turn into dealing, and suddenly the whole town’sContinueContinue reading “From College Gridiron Glory to a Town Gripped by Secrets”
Gripped Character Spotlights: Meet the Hearts of Montgomery
The Gripped series by Stacy A. Padula dives deep into the lives of interconnected teens and young adults in Montgomery, Massachusetts, as they navigate friendship, family, romance, peer pressure, faith, and the devastating grip of substance abuse. At the center are complex, flawed, and deeply relatable characters whose journeys of struggle, growth, and redemption resonateContinueContinue reading “Gripped Character Spotlights: Meet the Hearts of Montgomery”
