Stacy A. Padula

A gritty, teen drama, by author Stacy A. Padula

The stars align for Chris Dunkin when he meets Courtney Angeletti at a beach in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He feels an instant attraction to her, and she is captivated by him, even though she has a boyfriend. Two months later, Courtney has broken up with her boyfriend and is dating Chris. It’s the first day at Montgomery Lake High School and the teens are recovering from a party at Chris’s house the night before. Chris had experimented with hard drugs in the past, and was addicted to alcohol and weed, but he was determined not to allow Courtney, an ethical, devout Christian, to follow in his footsteps. He knew he had to clean up his act to get the grades he needed to compete on the football team. As Courtney tries to fit in with Chris’s friends she turns her back on her best friend, Julianna, and stops going to church. Chris’s friend hosts a party at his mansion, but Chris decides not to go to avoid the temptation of drugs and alcohol. He advises Courtney not to go, but after an argument she goes along anyway. At the party, Courtney hooks up with her ex-boyfriend, and realises what a fool she has been. Cops arrive at the party, and Courtney narrowly escapes being caught, while a couple of her friends are arrested. Meanwhile, nobody has noticed that Julianna is sad and alone, and at crisis point. Will Courtney break up with Chris? Will she ever reconnect with her faith? And will anyone save Julianna, before it’s too late?

Montgomery Lake High #1: The Right Person, is an authentic and gritty teen drama, written by author Stacy A. Padula. The story follows Chris, Courtney, and their group of friends, as they try to navigate their way through high school. The book was written by Padula when she was a teenager and was inspired by her own high school experiences. This is a powerful and thought-provoking book that highlights the challenges and temptations that many young people face in high school. It explores several difficult topics, such as friendships and peer pressure, relationships and break-ups, drug and alcohol misuse and addiction, depression, parental break-ups, and parental neglect.

This is an excellent novel, but it is also a valuable resource for young people, and anyone with a caring responsibility for a young person. Padula was motivated to write this book to help kids socially prepare for high school. The book does exactly that, and it will help parents, carers and teachers prepare for that transition too.

Star rating: 5 Stars

Summary: A powerful and thought-provoking teen novel, that highlights the challenges and temptations that many young people face in high school.