Q&A with ASU’s Nick Alva on “Gripped Part 1” by Stacy Padula

Posted: March 30, 2019 in Uncategorized
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Nick Alva, a Communications major at Arizona State University, read Stacy Padula’s #1 New Release Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told and answered the following questions about the novel.

Who would you recommend Gripped Part 1 to and why?

I would especially recommend Gripped Part 1 to both middle school and high school English teachers to integrate into their curriculum. I think it would be important for young adolescents to read this as early as possible, and seeing as the characters in the book are roughly the same age, there is a great chance students would be able to relate to many of the issues the characters are dealing with. Outside of school, I would recommend the book to any young teens who are either in the early stages of struggling with the pressure of drugs, or those who know someone who may be dealing with drug abuse.

How do you as a young adult relate to the story?

As a young adult, I can relate to the story because I saw the same thing happening to people I knew going through school, and still see the same things happening to people now.

What did you like best about the story?

The part of the story I liked best was the integration of the flashback to summarize the main characters’ stories. It allowed me to not only better understand what the characters are going through, but also feel more connected to them. This made me more intrigued and made it harder to put the book down, as I wanted to continue to follow the characters’ compelling stories.

What message does this book send to readers?

Gripped Part 1 acknowledges that growing up as teen can be stressful and that even what may seem like harmless fun at a party, can translate into a dark life changing series of events. The book promotes awareness of the dangers associated with drug and alcohol use that will hopefully allow young readers to veer away from poor choices and allow them to steer themselves on the right path.
About Nick Alva

Nicholas is sophomore at Arizona State University, where he studies Communications. Originally from Needham, Massachusetts, he is an avid sports fan and world traveler. His main interests lie in journalism, sports statistics, playing hockey, and attending athletic events. Nick hopes to have a career in the field of sports journalism.

Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told

In high school, Taylor Dunkin broke more records than any other athlete to step foot in Montgomery, Massachusetts. As a sophomore in college, he was ranked by ESPN as one of the NFL’s top 100 prospects. However, his aspirations came to a jarring halt when a knee injury and two surgeries left him sidelined.
One year later, Taylor is a person of interest in a highly confidential investigation headed by the Boston Police Department. He has entangled himself in a crime ring notorious for pushing opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines on local college campuses.
When Taylor’s younger brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious drug supply circulating around Montgomery Lake High School, he sets off to not only reverse the damage Taylor has caused, but also save his lifelong role model from becoming a casualty of America’s deadly opioid epidemic.
In its release week, Gripped was ranked by Amazon as the #1 New Release for Children’s books about drug use on Kindle.

Looking Ahead to Gripped Part 2 with Kyle Banker

Posted: March 29, 2019 in Uncategorized
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There are a few different storylines running through Gripped Part 1 because it is setting up the rest of the series. What storyline do you find the most interesting and why?

I think that the storyline between Cathy and Jason is most compelling to me because of their dual perspective of how they see the drama surrounding Montgomery. When they first meet, they both seem to bond over what is happening around them, such as couple and sibling problems. As the story goes on, I like how Jason transforms to become not only Cathy’s boyfriend, but also the primary person that she talks to about issues like Chantal and Jon. As a result, their dialogue on the phone and in-person sets up to be a nice middle piece for all of the action that happens around the book. But for the most part, all of these things combine to create a unique and strong relationship that had a very interesting beginning.

Gripped Part 1 sets up the rest of the series but leaves a lot of things “hanging.” What are you most curious to uncover by reading Gripped Part 2?

I hope to figure out why Jason and Cathy broke apart in Part 2 of the Gripped Series. In my eyes, they seemed like a perfect couple: they both shared similar personality traits, wanted to spend time with one another, and builded off each other in times of need. It didn’t seem like they had any flaws in their relationship based upon the flashback portion of the book, but obviously something happened between those years that has yet to be uncovered. Could this be due to a problem with drugs? Did Taylor’s investigation have an influence on their relationship? Nevertheless, I am very excited to discover the reason and dive deeper into this intriguing storyline.

About Kyle Banker

Kyle is a Senior at Beaver Country Day School. His favorite subjects at school include Biology, English, and Entrepreneurship. Some of his hobbies include playing soccer and hockey, volunteering, and being with friends and family. Kyle plans to study Biological Sciences in college.

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Preface from the Author of Gripped

To Readers Across America:

Each day, more and more young adults fall prey to substance abuse. As an educator who works mainly with high school students, I was moved to write a book series for teenagers that shares how it happens—how good kids become drug addicts, how downward spirals start, how harmless fun can quickly turn into a life-threatening addiction.

The story told in the series is raw and realistic. I did not censor much of the content, for I believe the truth is important and powerful. In our world in which twelve-year-olds overdose in middle school bathrooms, it is time for authors to stop sugarcoating their content to appease schoolboards. I am aware that this book may be banned by public schools because of the harsh realities portrayed between its covers. However, I did not write any part of the Gripped book series in hopes of it being taught in English classrooms. The truth is far too controversial for that, even though the events depicted in Gripped happen daily across America.

The series portrays the story of Taylor Dunkin who was an acclaimed college athlete, seemingly destined for the NFL but sidelined by injury. His depression leads him to begin abusing his pain medication and eventually become a drug dealer to support his habit. He supplies drugs to high school students from his hometown, which leads to other characters becoming ensnared. The story shows how drug abuse can skew individuals’ values and change their perspectives. It follows other characters such as Luke Davids, Cathy Kagelli, Chris Dunkin, and Jason Davids (also featured in my Montgomery Lake High book series) whose lives have been affected by Taylor’s decisions. It shows the psychological, biological, and environmental reasons behind why people often begin experimenting with drugs and how slippery the slope can be. Most importantly, this book series educates readers on how people can pick up the pieces of their lives and recover from such a horrific epidemic.

I have written five other young adult novels that address teenage social issues. They comprise the Montgomery Lake High book series, which is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Over the past eight years, the books have frequently been on the Amazon top 100 best seller list for young adult books that address substance abuse. In the fall of 2017, four of the books were top 10 best sellers within the category. Considering the sharp rise in prescription drug overdoses and opiate abuse, I feel that this book series is needed now more than ever. Please join me in helping to protect the youth from opiate and benzodiazepine abuse by recommending Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told to a teenager you know.

Caitlin Shields on “The Right Person” by Stacy Padula

Posted: March 28, 2019 in Uncategorized
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Article by Caitlin Shields, New York, NY

Caitlin is a freshman at Fordham University where she studies Communications. Her favorite hobbies include reading about psychology, photography, fitness, community service, and traveling. Caitlin has been heavily involved with volunteering and raising funds for The Boys & Girls Club of Brockton since age fourteen. She has a passion for connecting with others and hopes to have a career focused on helping others.

Caitlin read “Montgomery Lake High #1: The Right Person” by Stacy A. Padula and shared her opinion below:

I would recommend “The Right Person” to people of all ages, especially those entering high school or parents with kids who are around that age. This book provides insight into how people can end up in difficult situations and seemingly compromise their character by mistake. This book could serve as a fair warning about how things can get out of control with young kids and partying, and the importance of getting out and staying out of compromising situations.
My favorite part of the story was Chris’s journey to sobriety and his complete reversals in attitude and views on life throughout the book. I loved seeing how all of the other characters impacted him, and how someone in such a dark place managed to turn his life around.
One major theme I noticed throughout the story was the power of religion and how it brings people together. The story begins with Chris, a lost party boy, being attracted to the warmth, kindness, and innocence of Courtney. Courtney is a deep believer in God and did not involve herself with partying. When Chris breaks up with Courtney, he leads her back to God, and brings himself closer to him.
I personally relate to this story because I have seen good people get involved in bad situations and make choices that they later regret deeply. I understand how difficult it can be to act independently with such strong influences swaying your opinion and views on everything.
A teen or pre-teen could benefit from reading this book because it could teach them ways to help a friend who is struggling with similar issues to the characters in the books, as well as warn them of the dangers of alcohol and drugs. The book could make someone take a step back and realize the dangerous mistakes they are making and how those consequences could play out.

More Articles by Caitlin:

Q&A with Caitlin Shields on Young Adult Novel “When Darkness Tries to Hide”

Q&A Part 2 with Caitlin Shields on When Darkness Tries to Hide

Montgomery Lake High #1: The Right Person

While Chris Dunkin’s parents travel freely for business, his older cousins Jordan and Taylor are left in charge. A parentless household provides the perfect venue for Jordan, a senior in high school, and Taylor, a junior in college, to throw parties that soon become infamous in Montgomery. After two years, Chris–donned “the life of the party” by his popular group of friends–begins high school with a responsibility to live up to his reputation. Deep down inside, however, he wants more than that.

Why Parents and Teens Should Read “Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told”

Posted: March 28, 2019 in Uncategorized
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Article by Elizabeth Harvey of Needham, MA

About Elizabeth: Elizabeth first interned for Stacy Padula during the 2016-2017 school year. We are delighted to have her back as part of our team. Elizabeth is a college sophomore, where she studies communications. She enjoys creative writing and has a passion for traveling, which she has pursued since high school. Below she shares a thorough review on Stacy Padula’s newest book, Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told.

Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy A. Padula is an essential book for both parents and teens alike to read. The book follows multiple characters through a fast-paced and impossible to put down storyline that dives into the subject matter of addiction, specifically teenage drug abuse. The story begins with Taylor Dunkin, a college-aged football player, who has excellent NFL potential. Taylor has fallen victim to a sports-related injury and subsequent surgery and is prescribed painkillers, a medicine which ultimately causes more harm than good for Taylor, his family, and friends; an unfortunate, but an all too common occurrence that has ramifications that begin to impact the greater community of Montgomery. Taylor’s story intersects with other characters throughout the book, such as his younger brother Marc and their immediate family and takes us back in time in order to better understand Jon and Chantal’s relationship and Cathy and Jason’s relationship respectively. The characters have varied experiences with drug and alcohol use at a young age, but these substances still have a severe impact on the future of all characters. This story is perfect for Middle School and High School students, as well as their parents. It is an educational, yet entertaining narrative that highlights the growing problem of addiction in the U.S and just how easy it is for harmless fun to take a dark turn, regardless of who you are or where you come from.

Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told

In high school, Taylor Dunkin broke more records than any other athlete to step foot in Montgomery, Massachusetts. As a sophomore in college, he was ranked by ESPN as one of the NFL’s top 100 prospects. However, his aspirations came to a jarring halt when a knee injury and two surgeries left him sidelined.

One year later, Taylor is a person of interest in a highly confidential investigation headed by the Boston Police Department. He has entangled himself in a crime ring notorious for pushing opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines on local college campuses.

When Taylor’s younger brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious drug supply circulating around Montgomery Lake High School, he sets off to not only reverse the damage Taylor has caused, but also save his lifelong role model from becoming a casualty of America’s deadly opioid epidemic.

In its release week, Gripped was ranked by Amazon as the #1 New Release for Children’s books about drug use on Kindle.

Needham’s Kyle Banker on the “Gripped” Book Series’ Characters

Posted: March 28, 2019 in Uncategorized
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Taylor Dunkin – Cathy Kagelli – Chris Dunkin – Marc Dunkin – Jason Davids: The Gripped Book Series has an array of main characters, who range in age from twelve to twenty-three. Although they have vastly different struggles, values, and personalities, their lives are indisputably entwined. Kyle Banker, a Communications Intern for the Gripped book series, read “Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told” and shared his insight on the characters. His responses are below:

Who do you most relate to and why?

I feel like I can relate most to Cathy, as she seems to be in the middle of everything, but yet does not want to be the center of attention. Cathy is also willing to help her friends/siblings in need in order to sustain a level of happiness and connectivity in Montgomery. Finally, Cathy has a slight competitive nature, with an ability to go outside of her comfort zone in order to try new things. Based off all of these concepts and traits, I believe that I hold some similarities with Cathy based upon her description so far.

Who do you feel bad for and why?

I feel bad for Taylor just because he still has good intentions to break his addiction and make a football career. He only got addicted to drugs because of his surgery, which was due to playing football, and being prescribed painkillers has been notorious to result in a great deal of addictions. Overall, I believe he still has the mindset and passion to turn his life around, but going through withdrawal makes that goal tremendously hard.

Who frustrates you and why?

Chantal frustrates me most in the novel because of her relationship with Jon. It is clear that she is not a priority in his life, and after talking with Cathy, she seems to know that. However, Chantal is too nice of a person to break up with Jon and she tiressley tries to bring out the best in him and restructure their relationship. Since Jon does not share the same morals in Gripped Part 1, her efforts become very fruitless, but she still does not change her goals. As a result, this causes her to become very unhappy near the end of the book and puts her in a bad spot social-wise going into Part 2 of the series.

Who do you like and why?

Along with who I could relate to most, I also like Cathy the most out of all the characters in the book, with Jason coming in a close second. I like that Cathy is aware of the decisions that she is making, and always makes sure to assess her options before choosing an option. A great example of this is while she was at the big party with Jason. Instead of fully committing her time to him, she decided to check in on other situations happening around the house as well to see if everything was safe and sound. Moving more towards the point of the book, Cathy is more in-control of her drug usage, and only uses it in times of need. Since she can handle this kind of responsibility, along with her likable personality and interests, I have gone to enjoy learning more about Cathy in the novel.

Who do you hate and why?

I am not sure whether I really “hate” anyone in the book, but I would say that I dislike Jon for the actions he made towards the latter half of Gripped Part 1. His actions throughout the novel were very sporadic, and it was very difficult to gather a clear sense of who he was and what he truly wanted. In addition, I was very disappointed in the manner in which he treated his relationship with Chantal, as he seemed to ditch her as the storyline progressed. This could have been due to an unknown influence to begin drinking and taking drugs, as it clearly changed his mental stance and his personality as a whole. Overall, Jon at the beginning seemed to have a lot of upside: a good, loyal,  Christian boy. But, he quickly turned into a character that I disliked, and I am not certain whether I will change this perspective on him.

Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told Synopsis:

In high school, Taylor Dunkin broke more records than any other athlete to step foot in Montgomery, Massachusetts. As a sophomore in college, he was ranked by ESPN as one of the NFL’s top 100 prospects. However, his aspirations came to a jarring halt when a knee injury and two surgeries left him sidelined.

One year later, Taylor is a person of interest in a highly confidential investigation headed by the Boston Police Department. He has entangled himself in a crime ring notorious for pushing opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines on local college campuses.

When Taylor’s younger brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious drug supply circulating around Montgomery Lake High School, he sets off to not only reverse the damage Taylor has caused, but also save his lifelong role model from becoming a casualty of America’s deadly opioid epidemic.

In its release week, Gripped was ranked by Amazon as the #1 New Release for Children’s books about drug use on Kindle.

A Teen’s Review of Stacy Padula’s New Novel “Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told”

Posted: March 27, 2019 in Uncategorized
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March 26, 2019, Needham, Massachusetts—Within days of its release, Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy A. Padula was ranked by Amazon as the #1 New Release in its category. The Gripped book series was written to educate young adults about the perils of prescription drug abuse. Kyle Banker, a senior at Beaver Country Day School, read the newly released young adult novel and wrote the below review:

The novel Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told, by Stacy Padula is book that I could not be put down due to its unique character web and thorough storyline. It addresses the problem of addiction within teenagers from a variety of situations, such as affecting a potential professional football player named Taylor Dunkin. Taylor is helped by other characters such as his brother Marc to move past his troubles with drug abuse after being prescribed painkillers after surgery. Along with this, multiple relationships are created that are also affected in some way by drugs, specifically targeting the partnership of Chantal and Jon. As a result, two outliers, Cathy and Jason, bond together to avoid being impacted by the same problems while also maintaining a healthy relationship. Through this, they both continually help their friends and family to return Montgomery to the socially-active and safe place that it used to be.
This book is a quick read that is perfect for Middle School and High School students, while also being very applicable to adults wanting to know more about teenage drug abuse. This book introduces the consequences that come with taking drugs, and this could hopefully reduce the likelihood of students utilizing drugs throughout their education; this is very important considering the steep increase of drug usage in the United States. In all, I rate this book a 5/5 and would recommend reading it. I loved this book both because it was powerful and thorough, yet easy to follow. – Written by Kyle Banker, Beaver Country Day School, Class of 2019

Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told Synopsis:
In high school, Taylor Dunkin broke more records than any other athlete to step foot in Montgomery, Massachusetts. As a sophomore in college, he was ranked by ESPN as one of the NFL’s top 100 prospects. However, his aspirations came to a jarring halt when a knee injury and two surgeries left him sidelined.
One year later, Taylor is a person of interest in a highly confidential investigation headed by the Boston Police Department. He has entangled himself in a crime ring notorious for pushing opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines on local college campuses.
When Taylor’s younger brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious drug supply circulating around Montgomery Lake High School, he sets off to not only reverse the damage Taylor has caused, but also save his lifelong role model from becoming a casualty of America’s deadly opioid epidemic.
In its release week, Gripped was ranked by Amazon as the #1 New Release for Children’s books about drug use on Kindle.

Q&A Part 2 with Caitlin Shields on Young Adult Novel “When Darkness Tries to Hide”

Posted: March 19, 2019 in Uncategorized
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Written by Caitlin Shields, Communications Intern

About the Author: Caitlin Shields is a freshman at Fordham University where she studies Communications. Her favorite hobbies include reading about psychology, photography, fitness, community service, and traveling. Caitlin has been heavily involved with volunteering and raising funds for The Boys & Girls Club of Brockton since age fourteen. She has a passion for connecting with people and hopes to have a career focused on helping others. After Reading Montgomery Lake High #2: When Darkness Tries to Hide—a young adult book by Stacy Padula—Caitlin was asked to answer questions about the theme, characters, and plot.

Who should read this book?

People of all ages should read this book, especially those in high school or about to enter into highschool. The book touches on many important topics including how religion can bring people together, the importance of community, and the stresses of being a teenager.

What did you like best about the story?

My favorite part of the story was how all of the members of the community came together to pray for Andy, even those who were not fond of him or did not regularly attend church. This part of the book showed the power of people coming together in a difficult time and how big of a role the Church can play in that.

How has your opinion of Jason changed since reading the first MLH book?

My opinion of Jason has completely changed since reading the first book in the Montgomery Lake High Series. At the beginning, I perceived Jason as a selfish person who wanted to negatively impact others and was one of the evil forces of his friend group. As the book continues, I learned that, similar to his old friend Chris, he felt completely lost and hopeless and hated his self destructive behavior but did not know how to stop. As the book continued to show more of his life, I gained a lot of sympathy for the difficulties of his addictions and his lack of joy in his current relationships.

Who do you think could benefit from reading this book and why?

Many people could benefit from reading this book because it is very relatable, everyone knows someone who is struggling and this book could help shine light on how good people get turned down a dark path, and how they could try to help them out of it. This book could especially benefit teens about how powerful addiction can be and how one decision can lead to another.

What message does this book send to readers?

This book sends messages on how important it is to stand by someone who is struggling, how religion can help change people tremendously, and the impact community can have.

 

Montgomery Lake High #2: When Darkness Tries To Hide

A powerful supercell is spawning above Montgomery Lake High School, while a separate storm is brewing in its halls. The question is–which one should Cathy Kagelli, Jason Davids, and their friends fear the most?

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Why I Couldn’t Stop Reading “The Forces Within” by Rebecca Ronning

Posted: March 14, 2019 in Uncategorized
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Written by Rebecca Ronning of New York, New York
The Forces Within by Stacy Padula tells the story of an adventure gone wrong. This book is about a group of teens, just looking to explore their friends summer house and unfortunately getting caught in something much more. The reader learns so much more about characters they thought they knew, and gets a very deep insight into their childhoods. My favorite part of this book was the obviously powerful story coming through in a very entertaining way. I just couldn’t put it down!
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 secrets and supernatural forces. As his friends fall prey to the entities encompassing them, Andy must figure out if the darkness lies within the mansion’s walls or within the people surrounding him.
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About Rebecca
Rebecca is a junior at Brooklyn Technical High School in Brooklyn, New York. As a city kid, some of her hobbies include riding the subway and exploring the city with friends, making all kinds of art and traveling with her family and experiencing new and exciting things along the way.

Articles by Rebecca:

Montgomery Lake High #1 by Stacy Padula Truly Captures the High School Experience!

Q & A on “The Right Person” by Stacy Padula with Rebecca Ronning

Q&A with Rebecca Ronning on Young Adult Lit!

Rebecca Ronning on When Darkness Tries to Hide by Stacy Padula – YA Lit for 2018!

Q&A on When Darkness Tries to Hide with Rebecca Ronning

A Teen’s Opinion of The Aftermath by Stacy Padula

Q&A with Rebecca Ronning – November 2018 (NYC)

Stacy Padula to be Interviewed on WATD 95.9FM – Monday 3/18 at 8:10AM

Posted: March 14, 2019 in Uncategorized
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Marshfield, Massachusetts

On March 18th, 2019, Author Stacy A. Padula of Plymouth, Massachusetts will be interviewed by Rob Hakala on WATD 95.9’s South Shore Morning News about her new young adult book series “Gripped.” At 8:10 AM Padula will be answering questions and giving away copies of her book to a couple lucky listeners.

The interview can be listened to live here: http://959watd.com/streaming/

Within days of its release, “Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told” became the #1 New Release on Amazon Kindle in its category.

Gripped Synopsis

In high school, Taylor Dunkin broke more records than any other athlete to step foot in Montgomery, Massachusetts. As a sophomore in college, he was ranked by ESPN as one of the NFL’s top 100 prospects. However, his aspirations came to a jarring halt when a knee injury and two surgeries left him sidelined.

One year later, Taylor is a person of interest in a highly confidential investigation headed by the Boston Police Department. He has entangled himself in a crime ring notorious for pushing opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines on local college campuses.

When Taylor’s younger brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious drug supply circulating around Montgomery Lake High School, he sets off to not only reverse the damage Taylor has caused, but also save his lifelong role model from becoming a casualty of America’s deadly opioid epidemic.

About the Author
Stacy A. Padula

A Plymouth, Massachusetts native and college counselor, Stacy A. Padula published her first novel The Right Person in 2010, followed by When Darkness Tries to Hide, The Aftermath, The Battle for Innocence, and The Forces Within. In 2018, she was inducted into Marquis Who’s Who in America for excellence in literature and education. She wrote the Gripped book series to educate readers on how “it” happens—how good kids become drug addicts, how harmless fun can turn into a life-threatening addiction, and how people can pick up the pieces of their lives and recover from such a horrific epidemic.

Why You Should Read the #1 New Release “Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told”

Posted: March 13, 2019 in Uncategorized
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Written by Kyle Banker

Kyle Banker, Communications Intern

March 13, 2019, Needham, Massachusetts—Within days of its release, Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy A. Padula was ranked by Amazon as the #1 New Release in its category. The Gripped book series was written to educate young adults about the perils of prescription drug abuse. Kyle Banker, a senior at Beaver Country Day School, read the newly released young adult novel and answered a series of questions about the plot, theme, and characters. Below are some of his insightful responses.

Who would you recommend Gripped Part 1 to and why?

I would first recommend Gripped Part 1 by Stacy Padula to all incoming intermediate and secondary school students as I believe it is very important to get this target audience exposed to topics such as substance abuse. Furthermore, in the United States, there is a steep upward trend in drug usage across all ages, mostly originating from tweens and teenagers. By reading Gripped Part 1, these age groups will hopefully realize all the negative drawbacks that come with taking drugs, and as a result, steer away from substances to maintain a healthy academic and social career. I would also recommend this novel to adults across the United States because it is very intriguing to see this problem emerge from a student’s perspective. Normally, teenagers usually shield this type of information from their parents and family, so finally being able to view the problem from the wanted point-of-view would be very valuable for all adults.

How do you as a young adult relate to the story?

As a senior in high school and an impending college freshman, I directly relate to the Gripped series as I have been exposed to drugs and alcohol, both from attending parties that have had substances and having friends/family who occasionally use substances. In addition, my generation has been constantly educated and reminded about why teenagers should not use drugs due to the high likelihood of addiction. From my perspective, I can connect the plot and characters of Gripped to my own environment, as the novel focuses on characters around my age, in order to understand the consequences of substance abuse and to spread this awareness to my friends and family.

What did you like best about the story?

Specifically, I like the diverse amount of relationships that are present in the novel. Every character in the novel seems to be connected in a web-like manner, and I find it very interesting to observe all of the unique connections and dialogue from character-to-character and from character-to-group. Also, I like how one’s actions in the novel can affect the social life of all characters in the book, which is evident near the ending of Gripped. This encourages the argument that even though all the characters in Gripped greatly differ from one another in terms of personality and friend groups, everyone has some sort of relation within the town of Montgomery, Massachusetts.

About Kyle Banker

Kyle is a Senior at Beaver Country Day School. His favorite subjects include Biology, English, and Entrepreneurship. Some of his hobbies include playing soccer and hockey, volunteering, and being with friends and family. Kyle plans to study Biological Sciences in college.

Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told

In high school, Taylor Dunkin broke more records than any other athlete to step foot in Montgomery, Massachusetts. As a sophomore in college, he was ranked by ESPN as one of the NFL’s top 100 prospects. However, his aspirations came to a jarring halt when a knee injury and two surgeries left him sidelined.

One year later, Taylor is a person of interest in a highly confidential investigation headed by the Boston Police Department. He has entangled himself in a crime ring notorious for pushing opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines on local college campuses.

When Taylor’s younger brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious drug supply circulating around Montgomery Lake High School, he sets off to not only reverse the damage Taylor has caused, but also save his lifelong role model from becoming a casualty of America’s deadly opioid epidemic.

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