VICIOUS CYCLE BY TERRI BLACKSTOCK

 VICIOUS CYCLE by Terri Blackstock.
This is the second book in the INTERVENTION SERIES - a gripping suspense story with a strong Christian message.  It is not necessary to read INTERVENTION first, as this book can stand alone, but I can also highly recommend it to you.
When I saw the title, I thought of Romans chapter 8 verse 2 in the Living Bible where Paul says that Jesus has "broken the vicious circle of sin and death", and this truth is brought out very strongly in this book.  We see the struggle that teenagers have trying to resist the drug culture of today, the destruction that addiction brings to families and individuals, and their inability to kick the habit in their own strength.  We see a mother so hooked on drugs that she doesn't care what happens to her own daughter who, at the age of fifteen, is totally addicted and has to give birth alone to her own baby girl while high on meth.  This young girl, Jordan, and her baby are nearly destroyed due to the wickedness of her mother and her half brother.
We see Emily, who we first come across in "Intervention", with a loving mother, Barbara, who is fiercely protective of her children, but who had to give in to using intervention  in her desperation to save her daughter, and a brother, Lance, who has been through a lot due to his sister's addiction.  When "Vicious Cycle" starts we find Emily about to graduate from New Day Treatment Centre, a Christian facility for girls wanting to be set free from addiction.  Without being forced to stay, they are encouraged to stay for a year, and learn how to stand against temptation, using Scripture and a personal relationship with the Lord.  When Lance gets into trouble trying to help Jordan and save her baby, Emily is nearly drawn back into drugs due to her involvement with Jordan and her old gang.  The pull is very strong, especially as she feels very lonely without her friends at New Day, and she can no longer hang out with her old friends who are still doing drugs.
Barbara is a widow who is struggling financially due to her losing her business when she was trying to clear her daughter's name ("Intervention" tells this story) and she is desperately trying to keep her family going in the right direction.  After coming out of New Day, Emily decides to be totally honest with her mother about her feelings of loneliness, and the pull that drugs still has on her.  She knows she will not be able to cope alone, and needs all the help she can get.  We see the selflessness shown by Lance, who is thrown in jail and nearly killed for his trouble, and Emily who risks being drawn back into addiction, when these two youngsters do all they can to help Jordan and baby Grace.  Barbara's friend, Kent, who is a detective, is very helpful and supportive and also risks his life trying to save others' lives.  We are brought to the conclusion that, not only is it fruitless trying to fight against sin and temptation in our own strength, but also that truly "nothing is impossible with the Lord."