Written by Joseph Siracusa, Braintree, MA

The novel Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by Stacy A. Padula is definitely an addictive read (no pun intended). The strong bond between the teen and young adult community of Montgomery is unbreakable—that is- until an epidemic floods the influence of these young lives. To go more in-depth, one of my favorite characters in the novel, Jason, grew up with great morals and was overall a very likable character. When drugs entered Jason’s life, he eventually becomes a completely different person than he was a couple of years prior and falls into a very dark place. Luckily, not all of the characters in this novel will fall into substance abuse, and it is their mission to try to revive their friends from the darkness that they are in.

Gripped Part 1 is an easy read for teens and young adults. While the novel is extremely enjoyable to read, the lessons the reader can take away from it are even more important. Don’t be fooled by the genre being fiction because these problems can fall onto any young adult. I rate this book a 5/5 and strongly recommend reading it. I am eager to continue the series where I left off.