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Reviewed by Ibrahim Aslan for Readers' Favorite
In Gripped (Part 6: The Dunkin Legacy) by Stacy A. Padula, Taylor Dunkin’s life is in turmoil, and it’s hard to see a clear way out. He used to be a college football star with everything going for him, but a knee injury ended it all and pushed him into painkillers and dangerous ties with the Bilotti crime family. What he gets involved in ends up dragging his whole family into danger as the mob closes in. His brothers, Marc and Jordan, scramble to keep the family together while their cousin, Chris, faces his own struggles with partying and sobriety. Taylor isn’t just “caught between the mob.” He’s actively being hunted and nearly killed, while undercover FBI agent Jimmy St. James works to protect him and bring down the criminal organization. Can Taylor move forward without losing himself or the people he loves?
Gripped by Stacy A. Padula is a grounded YA tale about family, faith, and survival during tough times. It maintains a steady pace while exploring how Taylor's family responds to ongoing challenges. There are moments when Taylor and his brothers have to face their past mistakes and complicated relationships, which adds tension to the story. It also connects Taylor's choices to bigger forces like the mob and the police, while still keeping the focus on the family behind it all. Even additional story arcs, like Chris working on himself, are meaningful because they remind you that not everything is falling apart in Taylor's family. Hope still exists. Danger and faith thread steadily through the book, and it’s the kind of story that lingers. Readers who like crime novels mixed with realistic family drama, spiritual growth, and redemption will be hooked from start to finish.
