Written by Joanna Dakoyannis, Dover, MA Joanna Dakoyannis, Dover, MA Gripped Part 2: Blindsided is a must read for teens in middle school and high school. It is an easy read with a story that keeps you eagerly turning the page. In following the lives of the characters, Blindsided demonstrates how damaging peer pressure can be … Continue reading New Young Adult Book Shows the Damaging Effects of Peer Pressure

Written by Jenna Finnerty, Durham, NH Jenna Finnerty, UNH Class of 2023 Gripped Part 3: The Fallout by Stacy A. Padula shows the effects that drugs have on the characters' lives and the ways pills, such as opiates and benzos, can change someone's personality, as well as their relationships with other people. Hopefully by reading … Continue reading New Teen Novel Helps Kids Make Smart Decisions in the Face of Peer Pressure

Written by Olivia Syat, Sharon, Massachusetts I strongly believe Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy Padula should be read by young adults in middle school and high school. The novel depicts the harsh reality of how drugs can alter one's life completely. Rather than glorifying the party lifestyle of teens, it draws awareness to the … Continue reading "Blindsided" Sheds Light on Teen Experiences Often Hidden Behind Closed Doors

Written by Olivia Syat of Sharon, Massachusetts The second book in the Amazon best-selling Gripped book series, Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy Padula, put me in a trance. After indulging in the first chapter, my eyes were unable to be removed from the pages. Moving from present day of all the characters to the … Continue reading New Fiction Series Helps Teens Overcome Rough Patches

Written by Sophia Coggeshall, Marshfield, Massachusetts Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy A. Padula provides the reader with a realistic, uncensored look into what it is like to deal with the lasting effects of drugs, specifically through the storylines of characters such as Taylor Dunkin, a recovering addict and drug dealer, and his relationship with … Continue reading "Blindsided" Takes an Uncensored Look at Teen Substance Abuse & Its Effects on Relationships

Article by Joanna Dakoyannis, Dover, MA Gripped Part 2: Blindsided  is an excellent book for high school students to read for several reasons. First, it takes a startling look into the lives of teenagers and what their social experiences around drugs and sex can entail. The story also exemplifies what the effects of drug and … Continue reading New Young Adult Book Takes a Startling Look at Mounting Social Pressures Amongst Teens

The Gripped book series by Stacy A. Padula allows teens to learn about substance abuse in a different manner than they are accustomed to at school. Instead of being educated about the issue, they are instead being warned about the consequences of taking drugs. More specifically, readers will see the drastic changes that drugs can make to a teenager, such as a change in personality traits, motives, or social interactions.

Article by Joanna Dakoyannis, Dover, MA Although Chantal Kagelli has been a favorite character of mine throughout Stacy A. Padula's Montgomery Lake High book series, I found her somewhat frustrating in Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told. I feel that she passes judgement quickly and fails to communicate with the people who care about … Continue reading Gripped Book Series Sheds Light on Montgomery Lake High’s Main Characters

Article by Katherine Nally, Scituate, MA At the end of Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy A. Padula, I was left dying to uncover what happens between Taylor Dunkin and the Boston police. In the last chapter of Gripped Part 1, a detective interrupts Marc Dunkin’s meeting at Boston College to … Continue reading Relatable Characters Make “Gripped” a Must Read for High School Students