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Gripped Part 5: Taylor’s Story is by far the most addictive novel in the Gripped series thus far. Unlike the previous four novels, Taylor’s Story focuses heavily on the world of crime and sheds insight into Taylor Dunkin’s backstory, finally answering some serious questions for readers. At the end of Part 4, it was uncertain where Taylor was, and whether he was in danger or not. Right from the start of Part 5, it is clear that something very bad is going to be unfolding. Taylor’s Story jumps right into the action, going between different POVs, and creating a constant stream of thrill that keeps readers eager to find out what happens next.
Throughout the entirety of the series, Taylor Dunkin has been somewhat a mystery. Readers know he was a super talented football player that suffered an injury and fell victim to a drug addiction because of it, but that was about all that was known. There have been brief moments where his world is shown, but readers were left with many more questions than answers. Part 5: Taylor’s Story is arguably the most important installment in the Gripped series, as it finally addresses the type of person Taylor actually is, and emphasizes his importance to the overall story. He is not the average bad-guy drug dealer, he is just a kid who got way in over his head. For the first real time in this series, Taylor is humanized.
However, finally learning to like and feel sorry for Taylor is met with the fear that he found the courage to turn his life around too late. As the story progresses, more and more characters find themselves in danger thanks to Taylor’s risk of exposing the drug ring to the police. While his story is somewhat stressful to read, it is crucial to understanding the bigger picture surrounding the drug epidemic. It does not matter how good of a person you are, or how innocent your intentions are, drug rings do not care and death can be an order given upon anyone in order to save face.
Gripped Part 5: Taylor’s Story is a great read for those not only interested in seeing what happens next in the series, but also those who enjoy true crime. The constant suspense and drama keeps readers on their toes and eager to see what happens next.
ABOUT EMILY MCDERMOTT
Emily is a recent graduate of Bridgewater State University where she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a concentration in Literature. While at Bridgewater State, Emily worked in the Academic Achievement Center as a writing consultant where she helped enrolled students with any stage of the writing process. Being in this position helped Emily realize that working as an editor might be something she could see herself doing as a career. Currently, she is employed for a small business in her hometown of Bridgewater, MA while actively searching for jobs within the publishing field. She spends most of her free time reading books, playing with her dogs Neely and Kevin, going on coffee runs with her friends, and watching the Bruins with her dad.
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