The fourth book of the Montgomery Lake High series, The Battle for Innocence by Stacy A. Padula, flashbacks to seventh grade to shed some insight on the present day dramatics. While the previous book focused on Jason Davids’ internal conflict between life of faith or life of partying, this novel focuses on Jon Anderson and Chantal Kagelli’s uncertainty towards what path God is trying to lead them down. For Jon, he is having a hard time maintaining friendships with people who are beginning to get out of control with partying and substance use. He is hoping that God has sent him to be the light they need to break free from their sinful ways, but what if he gets dragged down to their level instead? For Chantal, she is trying to understand how to lead a moral life while also extending her heart to boys she likes. Is Andy sent by God to be the love of her life, or is it Jon? By going back to a time before high school, The Battle for Innocence helps to build character development and allow readers to fully understand the chain of events that led to the current conflicts throughout Montgomery Lake High. 

In current time, Jon has been known to have had a relationship with Chantal, have that relationship destroyed, stray away from his relationship with God, and try to rebuild that relationship with God. Going back to seventh grade in this novel, readers are able to see that his life was once much simpler. In middle school, Jon spent his Friday nights at youth group, stayed away from any form of partying, and wanted nothing else other than catching the attention of Chantal. By learning more about who he used to be, it makes it that much more understandable why those who cared about him were so shocked when he went down the wrong path. However, in The Battle for Innocence, readers are able to learn just how deeply Jon once used to believe that God would lead him to where he was meant to be. Even though he ends up giving in to temptation by the time he gets to high school, seeing how he is able to overcome these challenges shows that just because Jon lost his way for a little while, does not mean that God gave up on him altogether, emphasizing how deeply rooted that bond truly is no matter what.

When we left Chantal in the third book of the MLH series, she was by Andy’s bedside, contemplating whether he was the man she was meant to be with. In The Battle for Innocence, we get more of a backstory on why she would be uncertain about their future together. While Andy has been presented as the poster boy for being an ideal boyfriend and overall person so far in the series, going back to seventh grade showed that he has not been as clean as he was made out to be. Instead, he made Chantal second guess so many of her own values and faith in God. In her heart, she knew she wanted to be with Jon, but could not tell whether God was pulling her towards Andy or not. Ever since middle school, there has been confusion in her heart over what God believed was best for her. At the end of this novel, going back to the present time, it seems as though her eyes have finally been opened and she knows what she truly wants to do.

The Battle for Innocence is an important installment within the Montgomery Lake High series as it offers crucial background information and helps to further develop the characters of Chantal and Jon. Readers who also find themselves at crossroads in life, who may have found themselves straying away from their faith, will find reassurance through the wisdom of MLH’s characters. No matter how far one may go down the wrong path, faith in God will always be there to lend a helping hand.

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. 

Discover more from

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.