Megan Farinacci On ‘Gripped Part 2: Blindsided’

Written by Megan Farinacci, Medfield, MA Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy Padula puts drug abuse into the perspective of young adults, even reaching a middle school aged audience. The book focuses heavily on the younger characters who will soon be attending high school. Although the topics covered in this book are not what manyContinue reading “Megan Farinacci On ‘Gripped Part 2: Blindsided’”

Y.A. Fiction Novel Addresses Crucial Issues For Teenagers

Written by Megan Farinacci, Medfield, MA Gripped Part 2: Blindsided by Stacy Padula was extremely eye opening. It is crucial for these issues to be addressed in a novel for young adults. In this novel, we see how even middle schoolers are affected by drugs and alcohol. This sequel focuses on fourteen year old ChrisContinue reading “Y.A. Fiction Novel Addresses Crucial Issues For Teenagers”

An Interview with Weymouth’s John Savage about Stacy Padula’s “Gripped” Characters

After reading Gripped 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy Padula, John Savage, a senior at Weymouth High School, was interviewed about the different characters. 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 interestingContinue reading “An Interview with Weymouth’s John Savage about Stacy Padula’s “Gripped” Characters”

Debut Novel in Teen Book Series Leaves Y.A. Readers Begging for More

Written by John Savage, Weymouth, Massachusetts The book, Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy Padula is a story that revolves around a group of friends who are being introduced to love, drugs, and young adult life for the first time. It illustrates how difficult becoming a young adult is and howContinue reading “Debut Novel in Teen Book Series Leaves Y.A. Readers Begging for More”

Megan Farinacci On Stacy Padula’s “Gripped” Characters

Interview with Megan Farinacci of Medfield, MA After reading Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy Padula, junior in high school Megan Farinacci was interviewed about the many different characters in the novel. Who do you most relate to? I relate to Cathy’s younger self the most. I see many similarities betweenContinue reading “Megan Farinacci On Stacy Padula’s “Gripped” Characters”

Megan Farinacci Reviews “The Truth We Never Told”

Written by Megan Farinacci, Medfield, MAThe book Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy Padula is an eye opening novel that touches on the important issue of drug abuse among teens. Taylor Dunkin, a former all-star athlete at Montgomery High and quarterback for Northeastern’s football team, struggles with a painkiller addiction. Ultimately,Continue reading “Megan Farinacci Reviews “The Truth We Never Told””

Weymouth High School Senior Recommends This Y.A. Book to Teens Across America

Written by John Savage, Weymouth, Massachusetts As a senior in high school, I relate to Stacy Padula’s novel Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told. To an extent, I have seen what drugs can do to people and athletes, specifically. I also know and understand the ins-and-outs of what it’s like to be inContinue reading “Weymouth High School Senior Recommends This Y.A. Book to Teens Across America”

Debut Novel of Y.A. Book Series Addresses the Pressures & Temptations Plaguing Today’s Teenagers

Written by Megan Farinacci, Medfield, MA As a young adult reading Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told, I related to the constant pressure of society. Peer pressure is an issue that almost all young adults face, and it can be extremely harmful to the development of teenagers. As shown in Stacy Padula’s novel,Continue reading “Debut Novel of Y.A. Book Series Addresses the Pressures & Temptations Plaguing Today’s Teenagers”

New Y.A. Novel Opens Up Conversations Between Teens and Parents

Written by Bradford Campbell, Duxbury, MA Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy Padula is centered around the high school partying atmosphere written from both middle and high school perspectives. No matter who you are or what town you live in, you are bound to encounter substances such as drugs and alcoholContinue reading “New Y.A. Novel Opens Up Conversations Between Teens and Parents”

“Gripped 1: The Truth We Never Told” Recommended by Thayer Academy Senior

Written by Bradford Campbell, Duxbury, MA As a senior in high school, I recommend Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told to students ranging in age from early to late teens. The storyline flips from an “in-time” plot, when the characters are mainly high school freshmen, to flashbacks of their middle school years. ThisContinue reading ““Gripped 1: The Truth We Never Told” Recommended by Thayer Academy Senior”

New Teen Fiction Book Helps Kids Realize Their Choices Today Matter

As a seventeen year old in high school, I have definitely been exposed to both drugs and alcohol. When I was younger, I watched plenty of movies and TV shows with high schoolers drinking and doing drugs at parties, but I thought that was only something that happened on television. Now, being around the age of the characters in the book, I am fully aware of what really goes on at this age. Kids at my school cannot go a full school day without vaping in the bathrooms, they rely on alcohol to have fun at parties, and prescription pills that are not prescribed to them. A huge focus in our health classes are drugs and how easy it is to become addicted, but students do not want to listen to teachers who seem like they are scolding them. Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy A. Padula is the perfect book for tweens and teens because it is a true version of what happens as a young adult. It is a fast-paced and complex novel perfect for teens and parents that is hard to put down.