Stacy Padula's new young adult novel achieves #1 "New Release" ranking on Amazon for its category

PLYMOUTH, Mass. - March 19, 2019 - PRLog -- South Shore author Stacy Paula's newest book, "Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Were Never Told" has achieved a #1 ranking on Amazon.com for "New release in its category" for the Kindle version.

Padula is an educator who works primarily with high school students and was moved to write a book series for teenagers on the topic, sharing how it happens…how good kids become drug addicts, how downward spirals start, and how what seems like harmless fun can quickly turn in to a life-threatening addiction.

Each day, more and more young adults fall prey to substance abuse. The story told in the series is raw and realistic. Padula did not censor much of the content, for she believes the truth is important and powerful. In our world in which twelve-year-olds overdose in middle school bathrooms, it is time for authors to stop sugarcoating their content to appease school boards.

"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 knee injury and two surgeries left him sidelined.

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 opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines on local college campuses. When Taylor's younger brother Marc discovers that Taylor is behind the copious drug supply circulating around Montgomery Lake 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."

The series portrays the story of Taylor Dunkin who was an acclaimed college athlete, seemingly destined for the NFL but sidelined by injury. His depression leads him to begin abusing his pain medication and eventually become a drug dealer to support his habit. He supplies drugs to high school students from his hometown, which leads to other characters becoming ensnared. The story shows how drug abuse can skew individuals' values and change their perspectives. It follows other characters such as Luke Davids, Cathy Kagelli, Chris Dunkin, and Jason Davids (also featured in the Montgomery Lake High book series) whose lives have been affected by Taylor's decisions. It shows the psychological, biological, and environmental reasons behind why people often begin experimenting with drugs and how slippery the slope can be. Most importantly, this book series educates readers on how people can pick up the pieces of their lives and recover from such a horrific epidemic.

"I have written five other young adult novels that address teenage social issues that comprise the Montgomery Lake High book series," said Padula. "Considering the sharp rise in prescription drug overdoses and opiate abuse, I feel that this book series is needed now more than ever. Please join me in helping to protect the youth from opiate and benzodiazepine abuse by recommending Gripped Part 1: The Truth We Never Told to a teenager you know."

About Stacy Padula

Stacy Padula, a native of Pembroke and a resident of Plymouth Massachusetts, has accrued years of experience working with adolescents. She has been a mentor, life coach, youth group leader, and private educational consultant with extensive experience in the fields of college counseling, tutoring, standardized test preparation, and Christian counseling. She is the Founder and President of South Shore College Consulting & Tutoring based in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Her first novel, The Right Person was published in 2010. She continued working on the Montgomery Lake High book series which is "young adult fiction" that is closely based on realistic situations that high school students encounter. In 2011 When Darkness Tries to Hide was published, followed by The Aftermath in 2013. In 2014 both The Battle for Innocence and The Forces Within were released, and in 2015, all five books hit the shelves at Barnes & Noble. The books are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can learn more about Padula, her book series and her characters Website (http://montgomerylake.wordpress.com/) | My Books @ Barnes & Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Stacy+Padula?_requestid=...) | Amazon (https://smile.amazon.com/Stacy-A.-Padula/e/B003Y3830O/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1) | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Montgomery-Lake-High-Book-Series-by-Stacy-A-Padula/117424598307267?ref=ts).