They are teens at Montgomery Lake High.
They look like they have it all figured out.
Chris Dunkin is the life of every party—charismatic, athletic, and already deep into alcohol and drugs. Courtney Angeletti is the mayor’s daughter, raised in church, suddenly drawn to the thrill of the popular crowd. Jason Davids has the looks, the grades, the girlfriend, and the sharpest tongue in school… and a growing emptiness nothing seems to fill. Jon Anderson is trying to hold onto his faith while his closest friends drift further into darkness. Chantal Kagelli wants to be a light, but the people she loves keep pulling her into complicated places.
Montgomery Lake High follows this tightly connected group of teens as they navigate the real pressures of high school: peer pressure, substance use, shifting loyalties, first loves, broken trust, and the quiet (and not-so-quiet) battle for their hearts and futures.
These books do not look away from the hard parts. They show how quickly a life can start to unravel—and how powerfully it can begin to turn around. Across the series, characters hit bottom, face consequences, confront the darkness in themselves and around them, and discover that real change is possible. Faith is not treated as background noise. For several of them, it becomes the turning point.
Written by the author when she was a teenager herself, the Montgomery Lake High books carry an authenticity that comes from someone who was living the same questions at the same age. The stories are raw in places, hopeful in others, and always focused on the difference that honesty, courage, and a genuine encounter with God can make.
If you want realistic YA that deals with addiction, identity, friendship, and redemption without flinching—and without leaving hope behind—start with Montgomery Lake High #1: The Right Person.
The rest of the series only deepens the central question running through every book: what happens when the darkness tries to hide… and the light refuses to look away?
Montgomery Lake High #1: The Right Person
Growing up in the shadow of two NFL-destined cousins, Chris Dunkin has high hopes for his own future in football. However, a drug addiction threatens to destroy everything he has worked hard to attain. When Chris meets Courtney Angeletti—the mayor’s straightedge Christian daughter—he believes she could be the source of inspiration he needs to overcome his destructive lifestyle.
Courtney, however, has other ideas.
The desire to rebel has been tugging on Courtney’s heartstrings for some time, and Chris’s “bad-boy” reputation draws her to him like a moth to a flame. After all, he is a central part of the most popular clique in her high school. Will Chris pull Courtney away from her faith or will Courtney inspire him to overcome his rebellious lifestyle?
Montgomery Lake High #2: When Darkness Tries To Hide
Students at Montgomery Lake High believe the ominous clouds and impending storm will only bring a temporary interruption to their regularly scheduled lives. However, when the tempest grows worse and a classmate’s life hangs in the balance, students must pull together to support each other and seek help for their friend. As the lines between cliques dissolve, dark secrets are revealed and hearts are transformed.
Download our free companion study guide for schools & youth groups here.
“The theme of light and darkness is relevant to everyone. No matter how old or young you are, the struggles of Jason, Chantal, and Chris will be applicable to your life.” – Isabelle Semas, best-selling author of The Crash
Montgomery Lake High #3: The Aftermath
At age fifteen, Jason appears to have it all: high grades, popular friends, a beautiful girlfriend, and nearly any worldly thing that promises enjoyment at his disposal. Despite this, there is a persistent emptiness inside his heart. After failing to fill the void with achievements, relationships, and illicit substances, Jason finds himself intrigued by Jessie: a rather quiet girl, who is the daughter of a local pastor. Jason cannot understand his sudden interest in her. How is it possible that she stands for everything his lifestyle opposes yet possesses the one thing he has been searching for all along?
Download our free companion study guide for schools & youth groups here.
“It is rare to find a narrative that is equally entertaining and educational, yet The Aftermath seems to have mastered this impactful combination. The accuracy in which the book immerses the reader into the mind and thought processes of teenagers and the bubble that is high school is so important. I would recommend this book and the entire MLH series to all middle and high school age students!” – Elizabeth Harvey, Emerson College
Montgomery Lake High #4: The Battle For Innocence
Jon Anderson and Chantal Kagelli are trying to live moral lives, but temptations are plaguing them in and out of school. Will they continue to be lights in their best friends’ lives or will they get pulled into the darkness?
“The Battle for Innocence offers incredible insight and even more character development than the previous books within the MLH series. I found it very captivating to see multi-dimensional characters and related to them in a whole new way.” – Elizabeth Harvey, Emerson College
Montgomery Lake High #5: The Forces Within
After being trapped inside his own body, unable to communicate with anyone but his own thoughts, Andy Rosetti finally wakes up from the coma that controlled his life for one month. But upon awakening, Andy finds himself and his friends in an unfamiliar setting: a mansion riddled with secret passages and supernatural forces. As his friends fall prey to the entities surrounding them, Andy must figure out if the darkness lies within the mansion’s walls or within the people surrounding him.
“A mixture between ‘The Screwtape Letters’ and a Nancy Drew novel, ‘The Forces Within’ takes a poignantly authentic look at spiritual warfare. A shocking reminder of a too-often overlooked battle, this book is desperately needed to educate today’s generation.” – Mackenzie Wells, University of Georgia
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