Vicious Cycle

Written by Terri Blackstock

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

When fifteen-year-old Lance Covington finds an abandoned baby in the backseat of a car, he knows she’s the newborn daughter of a meth addict he’s been trying to help. But when police arrest him for kidnapping, Lance is thrust into a criminal world of baby trafficking and drug abuse. His mother, Barbara, looks for help from Kent Harlan—the man whom she secretly, reluctantly loves and who once helped rescue her daughter from a mess of her own. Kent flies to her aid and begins the impossible work of getting Lance out of trouble, protecting a baby who has no home, and finding help for a teenage mother hiding behind her lies. In this latest novel of suspense and family loyalty, bestselling author Terri Blackstock offers a harrowing look at drug addiction, human trafficking, and the devastating choices that can change lives forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Mar 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9780310289197

Terri Blackstock

Terri Blackstock has sold over seven million books worldwide and is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of Intervention, Vicious Cycle, and Downfall, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the Restoration Series. Visit her website at www.terriblackstock.com; Facebook: tblackstock; Twitter: @terriblackstock.  

Reviews for Vicious Cycle

[George Ehling · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book of second chances. I have through an Intervention, and God did a great thing through it.

[Teri Voskuil · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Narrator does a pretty good job. Interesting story and suspenseful!

[Kim Paige · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

LOVE this series. My sister is an addict and this gives insight into what she goes thru. I don't love the person reading the books, Kents voice sounds nothing like I hear in my head. All in all it's a great book series.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I spent most of the book feeling as if I'd read it before--though the sites I review on don't show that I have. It's possible I read it prior to having an online "bookshelf" (which I was introduced to by a pastor's wife) or that it didn't transfer over from Shelfari when that site was closing and we had to make a file to export our list.I have read Terri Blackstock in the past. I don't feel that this was one of her better efforts as far as storyline though it does address some points that are important to discuss.

[pleasanthome-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A story about saving lives caught in drug use.

[prescottkris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this one better then the first book in the series "Intervention." I felt like it was more cohesive as a whole and was a far better read.

[olegalca · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This second book in the "Intervention" series was not as good as the first - it was nice to see a Christian author tackle the very real problem of drug abuse/addiction/recovery but this book was more about a mystery than recovery. There were very good threads started, like when the character just out of rehab, explores AA meetings, but it went nowhere. I guess you need guns and a race against time to sell books. Disappointing

[momsterbookworm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An intense story about baby trafficking, substance abuse, and second chances for druggies.

[summerskris_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Vicious Cycle is book two of the Intervention series by Terri Blackstock, centered on the lives of the members of the Covington family and how drugs impact their lives. While there are recurring characters from Intervention (book 1), it is possible to read Vicious Cycle without having read Intervention beforehand. References to past events are made in context and easy to understand. Honestly, I hadn’t known there was a first book until I looked up Vicious Cycle. Jordan is a fifteen-year-old meth addict who has given birth to a baby girl while under the influence of drugs. Seeking to give her baby a better life, Jordan leaves her in Lance Covington’s car. Coerced by her mom, who wants to sell the baby to dealers, Jordan accuses Lance of kidnapping, and he is thrown into jail. The events of Vicious Cycle unfold from the alternating perspectives of Barbara Covington (Lance’s mother), Kent Harlan (a detective with an interest in Barbara), Lance Covington, Jordan, and Emily Covington as necessary to further the plot as the Covingtons search for Jordan and try to get her to speak up for Lance, accept treatment, and put her baby up for adoption. It may seem overwhelming from the list; however, Terri Blackstone knows how to thread the multiple points of view together into a suspenseful novel. You can see the clear-cut differences between two families with drug-addicted daughters. Jordan turns to drugs because her family does drugs and goes so far as to abuse her, making her think that she’s worthless. On the other hand, Emily, who has gotten into the wrong crowd, has family members supporting her. They get her treatment and stay beside her to keep her out of temptation’s reach once she completes treatment. Lance is an amiable, very likable, guy. As Jordan later confesses, he's the kind of guy that girls want in their life. His kindness to Jordan is often thwarted by her inability to accept that she has the potential to chance. However, he continuously reaches out to her and talks to her about God, and he’ll breach the barriers she’s placed around her heart. He’ll teach her about faith and forgiveness. I also like Jordan. While she tries to reject help, you can see how mistreated she’s been, how insecure she is, and you can’t help reaching your heart to her. She's stubborn and independent--and despite all she's been through, she still yearns for love and acceptance. The central characters of the novel are religious; however, the religion is skillfully woven into the novel so that it doesn’t come off too strong for readers who aren’t Christians. More than a Christian novel, Vicious Cycle is about choices. It is about trusting our friends, those who care about us. It is about learning from the consequences of our actions. Even if we take a wrong turn, there is someone there willing to support us and show us the right path. It is about forgiveness, learning how to forgive ourselves and give ourselves a chance.

[michellesutton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Vicious Cycle was more than just a story about addiction. It was a story about faith, and learning to trust God. It was about overcoming temptation and believing that God can restore what the locusts have eaten. It showed how God can create beauty from the ashes of our lives. I've worked in a rehab before and on a variety of levels with drug addicted parents and teens. This story was an accurate reflection of some of the horrors I've seen working with people in similar situations. What I loved about this story was that it also showed how hard it is to deal with drug addiction for everyone involved. Not just the addict, but the family, the friends, even innocent bystanders. Loving people who are addicted (especially to meth) can be such a catch 22. You want to help but the addicted person need to want to be helped for it to make a difference. There is a fine line that often blurs between tough love and enabling. Addiction is a complex issue. There is hope and anger, and an overabundance of fear that families deal with as they try to support their recovering family member. Blackstock did a fantastic job of showing that. And talk about awesome pacing. This was a page turner from the beginning. The story kept building. The plot kept thickening. The danger kept increasing. And I kept reading. I had to know what would happen. This author pulled no punches, making this one riveting story with a lot of substance to it. Wonderful read! I highly recommend it.