I wasn't able to post on my original date of August 31st, so here I am today. :)
I not only reviewed Shudder, which you'll find first, but I also reviewed Stitch. :D
The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante's shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.
I not only reviewed Shudder, which you'll find first, but I also reviewed Stitch. :D
The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante's shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.
Shudder
348 pages
Published June 15, 2013
-- Book 2 in the Stitch Trilogy --
It's only been three days, and already everything is different.
Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa's life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she'd counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she'd thought she'd tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she's discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.
And then there are the visions.
The memory-altering "stitch" unlocked something in Alessa's mind, and now she can't shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers - and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world's sorry history - will soon leave Alessa reeling...
~ My Thoughts ~
My Rating: 5 / 5
My Rating: 5 / 5
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for the blog tour.
*Caution: Possible spoilers if you haven't read the first book yet*
After the epic ending of Stitch, Shudder picks up three days later, and the mystery behind Paragon and the people in charge begins to reveal itself. It's an action packed novel with so much going on - I felt like I couldn't read fast enough because I wanted to find out what was going on yet at the same time I wanted to savor each and every word.
Not only has Alessa and Isaac escaped the drama they were starring in, but they've also made it out of Paragon with the help of the rebels and are searching for a location to create a base for their cause - to overthrow the men pulling the strings behind the scenes of the seemingly idyllic Paragon. In this installment of the trilogy, we hear from those behind this entire charade of an egalitarian society. At least, I think it's a charade. What seems to be ideal on the outside has hidden horrors on the inside.
If that wasn't enough to get my heart racing, Alessa begins experiencing the memories and emotions of thousands of people from when the outbreak was at its pinnacle. This was bound to happen since you can't go messing around in someone's brain without consequences spreading beyond your original intention. The altering of Alessa's memories, also known as "stitching", has affected her beyond what was revealed in the first book. Though I didn't think of it at the time for some reason, I now realize there would have to be side effects of altering someone's memory. It's horrifying to think of that being done against your will, and even more horrifying when you aren't sure what memories are real and what memories are "fake." Memories are fragile enough as it is.
Yes, Shudder is action packed, even more so than Stitch. I am ready for Stuck, the third and final book of the trilogy!!
After the epic ending of Stitch, Shudder picks up three days later, and the mystery behind Paragon and the people in charge begins to reveal itself. It's an action packed novel with so much going on - I felt like I couldn't read fast enough because I wanted to find out what was going on yet at the same time I wanted to savor each and every word.
Not only has Alessa and Isaac escaped the drama they were starring in, but they've also made it out of Paragon with the help of the rebels and are searching for a location to create a base for their cause - to overthrow the men pulling the strings behind the scenes of the seemingly idyllic Paragon. In this installment of the trilogy, we hear from those behind this entire charade of an egalitarian society. At least, I think it's a charade. What seems to be ideal on the outside has hidden horrors on the inside.
If that wasn't enough to get my heart racing, Alessa begins experiencing the memories and emotions of thousands of people from when the outbreak was at its pinnacle. This was bound to happen since you can't go messing around in someone's brain without consequences spreading beyond your original intention. The altering of Alessa's memories, also known as "stitching", has affected her beyond what was revealed in the first book. Though I didn't think of it at the time for some reason, I now realize there would have to be side effects of altering someone's memory. It's horrifying to think of that being done against your will, and even more horrifying when you aren't sure what memories are real and what memories are "fake." Memories are fragile enough as it is.
Yes, Shudder is action packed, even more so than Stitch. I am ready for Stuck, the third and final book of the trilogy!!
Also available in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!
As an avid lifelong reader of fiction of all sorts, there’s nothing I find more engrossing than an epic sci-fi/fantasy/romance series. I’ve whiled away countless weekends of my life immersed in richly-woven worlds that someone else was kind enough to put on paper... about the author
Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series.
Stitch
314 pages
Published August 1st, 2012
Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.
Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence... Goodreads
~ My Thoughts ~
Mind. Is. Blown. I mean, really, what more could I have asked for with Stitch? Nothing, there is absolutely nothing more I could've wanted from a book. Stitch starts out seemingly as a ghost story with time travel. Then you find out that the main character, Alessa's life isn't at all what you or she thought it was. She isn't a college student whose parents died in an accident - she's really a prisoner whose memory has been tampered with or "stitched." The "ghost" that she's been seeing isn't a ghost at all - he's a real person she knows and loves. I was completely taken by surprise (I didn't read the synopsis anywhere close to the time I began reading) and could not believe how the this plot went from great to freaking awesome!
You know just by the name of my blog how much I love the movie Donnie Darko. Stitch reminds me of that movie when they talked about time travel, wormholes, time folding over time, alternate realities, and just when I thought there would never be something so original as the plot of Donnie Darko, Stitch comes along and proves me wrong. Never have I been so happy to be wrong!
But it wasn't just the talk of alternate realities and time travel - the layers of Stitch's characters, the complexity of the plot, and the richness in detail all gave me the reading experience I crave - to open up new ideas and expand my thinking about the nature of reality, our existence as human beings, and the ultimate question, why are we here (I don't think there's just one neat, pat answer). Which is exactly what seeing Donnie Darko did for me, too.
I love books like this that make me think about both the good and evil humanity is capable of. I like to imagine what I would do if I were in the situation, how would other people handle the devastation of the outbreak, and if a group of people would try to start society over again only to let power go to their heads and cloud their vision to where they're controlling others. Incidentally, I believe whether a catastrophe struck or not, there will always be people trying to control other people. This isn't to say I'd want to experience any of this - I'd rather devour this trilogy and keep it all in my imagination! I don't want to think about losing anyone or the world as I know it coming to an end.
Stitch has romance, action, and plenty of plot twists that will keep you turning the pages. You'll be conflicted like me as to whether you want to read faster to find out what happens next or slower to savor every word. This book will make you think about the nature of reality, something I personally have wondered about many times in my life. To be entertained and given much to think about - you can't ask for more than that from a book!
~ My Thoughts ~
My Rating: 5 / 5
You know just by the name of my blog how much I love the movie Donnie Darko. Stitch reminds me of that movie when they talked about time travel, wormholes, time folding over time, alternate realities, and just when I thought there would never be something so original as the plot of Donnie Darko, Stitch comes along and proves me wrong. Never have I been so happy to be wrong!
But it wasn't just the talk of alternate realities and time travel - the layers of Stitch's characters, the complexity of the plot, and the richness in detail all gave me the reading experience I crave - to open up new ideas and expand my thinking about the nature of reality, our existence as human beings, and the ultimate question, why are we here (I don't think there's just one neat, pat answer). Which is exactly what seeing Donnie Darko did for me, too.
I love books like this that make me think about both the good and evil humanity is capable of. I like to imagine what I would do if I were in the situation, how would other people handle the devastation of the outbreak, and if a group of people would try to start society over again only to let power go to their heads and cloud their vision to where they're controlling others. Incidentally, I believe whether a catastrophe struck or not, there will always be people trying to control other people. This isn't to say I'd want to experience any of this - I'd rather devour this trilogy and keep it all in my imagination! I don't want to think about losing anyone or the world as I know it coming to an end.
Stitch has romance, action, and plenty of plot twists that will keep you turning the pages. You'll be conflicted like me as to whether you want to read faster to find out what happens next or slower to savor every word. This book will make you think about the nature of reality, something I personally have wondered about many times in my life. To be entertained and given much to think about - you can't ask for more than that from a book!
Tour-Wide Giveaway:
5 Winners. August 24 - September 16, 2013. See Rafflecopter for restrictions.
* Signed print copy of Stitch & Shudder for you and two friends (USA only)
* Signed (via Authorgraph) e-book copies of Stitch & Shudder for you and two friends (Int'l)
* Signed Stitch & Shudder bookmarks + e-book copies of Stitch & Shudder (Int'l)
* $10 Amazon Gift Card (Int'l)
* $5 Amazon Gift Card (Int'l)
The Highlight Tour
Sharing Top Highlights from the Summer-Long Tour!
August dates:
24 - The Reading Diaries - Review
- The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl
- Rose & Beps Blog
25 - Chapter Break - Review
- Wonderings of One Person - Review
- Mortal Moments
26 - A Tiffyfit's Reading Corner - Review
- Kindred Dreamhart
27 - YA Book Addict - Review
- The Bookish Daydreamer
- Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
28 - Library of a Book Witch
- Mommasez... - Review
29 - Mel's Shelves - Review
- Fundinmental
30 - Green Mountain Couple
- Literary Meanderings
31 - Donnie Darko Girl - Review
- My Devotional Thoughts
Sept. 1 - The Book Rogue
GRAND FINALE
I'm doing the snoopy dance because you loved these as much as I did!!
ReplyDeleteI was just completely involved in Stitch and Shudder and didn't want to leave Samantha's world. I must know what happens next. I have her second book in paperback and must get Stitch too so they match on my bookshelf!
Lol! Love the snoopy dance! I think I need these in print, too! :D Thanks for stopping by, Laura!
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