Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Most Surprising Thing About “The Battle for Innocence”

In June, Jennifer O’Sullivan of Dover-Sherborn High School read The Battle for Innocence by Stacy Padula. Below, she shares her opinion on what took her by surprise in the novel, which flashes back to two years prior to the other Montgomery Lake High books. The Battle for Innocence is the 4th book in the MLHContinueContinue reading “The Most Surprising Thing About “The Battle for Innocence””

Rebecca Ronning Reviews Gripped Part 2: Blindsided

Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy Padula is an absolutely captivating young adult story that follows the lives of a group of Massachusetts teens throughout their middle and high school experience. Dealing with issues of relationships, friendships, drug abuse, and much more, this book is particularly beneficial to those who are entering high school and are looking to learn from a relatively accurate description of some issues they may encounter, as well as how to deal with them. Not only does this book reflect excellent and important morals, it is extremely interesting, and I honestly could not put it down. I would rate this book a 5/5 and strongly recommend it to any young adult.

July’s Q&A with Joanna Dakoyannis on The Aftermath by Stacy Padula

Who could benefit from reading this book and why? This book is mainly directed toward teens and the challenges that they encounter in high school, socially and spiritually, but it could certainly be beneficial to any young adult. While teens face these issues in high school, young adults might face the same difficulties as theyContinueContinue reading “July’s Q&A with Joanna Dakoyannis on The Aftermath by Stacy Padula”

Rebecca Ronning on the Compelling Characters in “Gripped Part 2: Blindsided”

How has your opinion of Taylor changed from the beginning of the series until the end of book 2? In the beginning of the series, it was much easier to see Taylor as somewhat of a failure. We lacked an in depth perspective from him in the beginning, and really only heard of him throughContinueContinue reading “Rebecca Ronning on the Compelling Characters in “Gripped Part 2: Blindsided””

A YA Book for Teens in Need of Inspiration

Written by Jennifer O’Sullivan of Dover-Sherborn Regional High School The Aftermath by Stacy Padula is a book that I would recommend to anyone who is lost or struggling and needs some inspiration. This book follows the journey of high school freshman Jason Davids, who is struggling to overcome his drug dependency and steer his lifeContinueContinue reading “A YA Book for Teens in Need of Inspiration”

An Editorial Review of Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy A. Padula

Written by Elizabeth Harvey of Emerson College Gripped Part 2 is the second book in the Gripped series and continues to expand on the themes of teenage drug and alcohol use in the context of the various character’s personal lives and relationships with one another. Taylor Dunkin has gotten himself involved in not just takingContinueContinue reading “An Editorial Review of Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy A. Padula”

“The Aftermath” is an Encouraging Book for Teens

Written by Joanna Dakoyannis of Dover-Sherborn High School The Aftermath, by Stacy Padula, is an exceptional book that continues to follow the lives and challenges of a group of teens at Montgomery Lake High.  The teens embody many different lifestyles, challenging each other to find their voice against the many vices that high school socialContinueContinue reading ““The Aftermath” is an Encouraging Book for Teens”

Rebecca Ronning on the Controversial Content in “Gripped Part 2” by Stacy Padula

The drug use and sexual content in this book will surely get it banned from schools, but the topics are too relevant in teenage culture to be ignored. Why do you think this book should be read by kids in middle school and high school?

Order a Book, Help Save a Dog’s Life!

Purchase Gripped Part 2: Blindsided this month, and 50% of the proceeds will go to saving dogs from kill shelters, restoring them to health, and placing them in loving homes through the remarkable efforts of Last Hope K9 Rescue—a Boston-based non-profit that saves dogs from high-kill shelters throughout the Unites States. To date, Last Hope K9 Rescue hasContinueContinue reading “Order a Book, Help Save a Dog’s Life!”

Order a Book, Help Save a Dog’s Life!

We will be donating 50% of July’s proceeds from Gripped Part 2: Blindsided to a Boston-based rescue that saves dogs from high-kill shelters throughout the Unites States. The cause is near and dear to our hearts because Baxter is a rescue, after all! To date, Last Hope K9 Rescue has saved the lives of over 7,600 dogs!

Help Save a Premature Baby’s Right to Medical Attention – Contact Your Massachusetts State Rep Before They Vote!

June 18, 2019—Written by Deb Fredette, Cohasset, MA Roe Act bill 1209 and 3320 will be voted on sometime over the next week. I attended the hearing at the MA State House yesterday regarding the above bills. These bills are an amendment to Roe v. Wade. If these bills do not pass, Roe v. Wade will remain as itContinueContinue reading “Help Save a Premature Baby’s Right to Medical Attention – Contact Your Massachusetts State Rep Before They Vote!”

Kyle Banker Reviews “The Right Person” by Stacy A. Padula – A Young Adult Novel

High school consists of the four most transformative years of your life, both academically and socially. The introductions of parties, substances, peer pressure, and popularity can completely change one’s personality and mindset. In “The Right Person,” Stacy Padula tells the story of a group of freshmen at Montgomery Lake High as they encounter and face countless social scenarios that change their lifestyles for the long run.

Jennifer O’Sullivan: There’s an Important Message for Teens in “When Darkness Tries to Hide”

When Darkness Tries to Hide by Stacy A. Padula not only shows the positive message that its protagonist, Jason Davids, was able to learn through faith and friendship, but also shows that even in tragedies, we must search for the positive things.

Looking Ahead to Gripped Part 2 with Michael Farinacci

Last month, Michael Farinacci of Medfield, Massachusetts—a junior at St. Sebastian’s School—read and reviewed Gripped Part 1 by Stacy Padula: the first installment in a young adult book series that highlights the perils of prescription drug abuse. Before beginning to read Gripped Part 2, Michael answered a couple questions about what he was most looking forward to uncovering in the next installment.

Rebecca Ronning of Brooklyn Tech Reviews Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told

Gripped Part 1 by Stacy Padula tells the gripping story of a star student athlete who let a mere setback turn into a major addiction. It exemplifies the importance of understanding that nobody is safe from drug abuse, not even the classic golden child, and expresses the unfortunately realistic young ages at which this abuse starts.

Joanna Dakoyannis Reviews “When Darkness Tries to Hide” by Stacy Padula

The second book in the MLH series, When Darkness Tries to Hide, is a riveting story that continues to follow a group of high school teens through their lives. When a tragedy strikes their group of friends, it causes many of them to take a step back and re-evaluate their recent actions and behaviors. The story demonstrates how impactful our actions, both good and bad can be on others around us.

May’s Q&A with Kyle Banker of Beaver Country Day School

Kyle Banker of Needham, Massachusetts is a senior at Beaver Country Day School. He will be attending the University of Miami in the fall as a biology major. This month, Kyle read “The Right Person” – a young adult novel by Stacy Padula – and shared some insightful feedback.

May’s Q&A with Michael Farinacci of St. Sebastian’s School

Michael Farinacci, a junior at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Massachusetts, read and reviewed Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told—the first book in a young adult series that examines the perils of prescription drug abuse amongst teenagers. After reading the novel, he was asked a series of questions about its main characters. His responses are below.