The Gold Winner for "Best Teen Book" in the Readers' Choice Book Awards, now being adapted for TV by Emmy award-winning producer Mark Blutman!
"A riveting read from start to finish, Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told by author Stacy A. Padula is especially and unreservedly recommended for middle school, high school, and community library YA Fiction collections." -Midwest Book Review
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 season-ending injury sent him spiraling into a dark world of pain, depression, and addiction.
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 drugs on local college campuses. Montgomery's hometown hero has fallen hard, and he's taking a lot of people down with him.
Luke Davids has become the middleman between Taylor and teens in Montgomery who want to buy drugs. Freshmen Cathy Kagelli, Chris Dunkin, and Jason Davids are just a few of the students at Montgomery Lake High who have fallen victim to the benzos and opiates supplied by Taylor and Luke.
When Taylor's youngest brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious amount of pills circulating around his 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.
Padula, Stacy A.: - Stacy Padula grew up in Pembroke, Massachusetts. She is the founder of Briley & Baxter Publications, the founder of South Shore College Consulting & Tutoring, a co-founder of BLE Pictures, and the author of thirteen books. She began writing her first book series, Montgomery Lake High, when she was a teenager because she saw a need for realistic Y.A. books that address topics such as substance abuse and bullying. Between 2010-2014 all five Montgomery Lake High books were published. In 2017, she began writing her second series, Gripped, which serves as both a prequel and sequel to her first series. Gripped parts 1-5 were published between 2019-2021. She is currently writing part 6. In 2019, she also wrote her first screenplay, an adaptation of her novel The Aftermath, and worked on writing a pilot for Gripped, which caught the attention of Hollywood producers.In 2020, she began writing a third book series with NBA Coach Brett Gunning. Geared towards children ages three through eight, Stacy and Brett's On The Right Path book series has been endorsed by Joel Osteen, Mike D'Antoni, and Kevin McHale as a series that belongs in every school, library, and household. Both Stacy's Gripped series and On the Right Path series are currently being adapted for TV by Emmy award winning producer Mark Blutman.Stacy has been featured in Marquis Who's Who in America (2018-Present) for excellence in literature and education, Marquis Who's Who in the World (2018-Present), and Cambridge Who's Who for Young Professionals (2009). In 2018, she was awarded the Albert Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2019, the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP of New York, NY) chose Stacy as its "Top Educational Consultant of the Year."In 2020, she was named "Empowered Woman of the Year" by IAOTP and a "Social Impact Hero" by Authority Magazine for her support of animal rescues through her publishing company. She was also chosen to be on the cover of T.I.P. Magazine, an international business publication.In June of 2021, Stacy was featured on the famous Reuters Building in Times Square as Empowered Woman of the Year. In 2022, she was named "Top Inspirational Author of the Year" and was honored at a gala at the Bellagio in Las Vegas in December. She was also broadcast for her award on the Planet Hollywood Jumbotron overlooking the Las Vegas Strip. Her novel Gripped Part 5: Taylor's Story won the Silver Award and Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told won the Gold Award for "Best Teen Book" in the 2022 Readers' Choice Awards.For 2023, Stacy has been named "Top Global Impact Author of the Year" for her literary work on several continents, and she will be honored at a gala at The Plaza in New York City. In addition, she was chosen to be featured in an international publication titled 50 Fearless Leaders for 2023. She also was asked to serve as a judge for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation's oldest and most prestigious contest for creative young adults, sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies, The New York Times, and Scholastic.
