Samantha Durante's novel moved to the top of my reading list as soon as I read the synopsis. Stitch sounded like a great combination of genres. Something fresh and new! For those of you out there who are constantly reading like I am, you know the lure of anything that sounds unique. I was eager to see where Alessa's story would take me.

Let's start with what I liked about Stitch. First off, I really did love the story line. Well thought out, Alessa's story is definitely different than any that I've read before. I'm not entirely sure how to praise it without giving too much away. What I can say is that the statement that it bridges paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi is spot on. Alessa's life isn't what it seems. No matter how flawed she might feel her existence is, nothing can prepare her for what she discovers about her past.

The other thing that I enjoyed were the way that flashbacks were incorporated into the story. As Alessa's story progresses, and she uncovers more about herself, the reader gets to see into the memories that were suppressed These flashbacks were my favorite part of Stitch. The first half of the story moves fairly slowly as the reader is introduced to the important parts of Alessa's current life. It isn't until her flashbacks start occurring that things get really interesting. This is where the dystopian element comes through, and it is fascinating.

Sadly, although I did finish the book, I also did a lot of skimming while reading. Written in third person, Alessa's story felt detached to me. I really wanted to see inside her head, rather than just hearing what she was doing. There was ample telling, but not as much showing. As a result, I never really got to know Alessa, Janie or any of the other characters as well as I would have liked. I couldn't connect with them. Mid-way through the book things really picked up, but by that point I still wasn't invested in Alessa's struggle.

I definitely loved the premise of Stitch and, even if I didn't fall completely in love, I also think that it is a very unique story. Readers who are looking for something different, something fresh, will find a lot to love in this book. I am happy to say that I read the sneak peek to the next book in this series and it looks great! Despite any qualms I may have had, I know that I'll be back for more of Alessa's story. With the ending such as it is, I have a definite need to know what happens next.
( )

As part of the blog tour for Stitch I'm hosting an ebook giveaway so run like the wind to enter at Silver Thistle's Bookshelf Chronicles

OOh, this is a good one! I was lucky enough to be offered a place on the STITCH Blog tour and before I even read the synopsis I was interested...that cover...oh my it looks lovely, doesn't it? Drew me right in. Then I read the blurb and the second box was ticked, it sounded just like the kind of book that appeals to me. I'm in!

I purposely didn't read any reviews for it beforehand though so I had no clue what I was going to get. I went into it expecting Sci-fi because the cover looks a bit 'techy' and the blurb made me think Paranormal/Ghosty/Romance but what I actually got is so much more. Dystopian is the new buzz word right now and that's probably as good a genre as any to slot this into it's but it's not just a one trick pony. This pony has a trick up every sleeve! It's got so much going on in the pages.

It's like being on a Tilt-a-Whirl, one minute you're heading one way and seconds later you've got whiplash from a rapid change in direction and your head is left spinning. Sometimes that irritates me, the constant backwards/forwards/sideways thing and the accompanying POV changes but with STITCH it just sucked me in even more. Unless a POV change is really well done I tire of it easily because I'm attached to certain characters above others, (*whisper* Shhh, don't tell anyone but, - I sometimes....skim-read the bits with characters I don't like. AMG!! Did I say that out loud?!) but here I actually looked forward to the POV changes. I wanted to know what was going on in other people's heads, I wanted/needed to know how they were interpreting things. With this type of book I like to know how everyone is dealing with situations and it helps build the world too.

Through Alessa you realise early on that there's something a bit 'iffy' going on and I was constantly trying to piece together all the little clues alongside her. I'd think I'd got it in one chapter only to find I was way off course by the next. It's frustrating, but in a good way.

What I loved most about it all though, is the one thing I can't talk about. When everything was unravelled and things fell into place I was so excited! It's one of the plots I've always wanted to read about in a book. There's a film out there that uses a similar setting. The storyline's are nothing alike but the setting is one that just seems to appeal to me and sucks me in. I can't say more than that without spoiling the surprise and I hate to be cryptic but I'm afraid you'll just have to read it for yourself to find out what the twist is.

I'll absolutely be reading the next part in the trilogy when it's released and can't wait to see how it all unravels for Alessa and Isaac. I hope I make the cut for that blog tour too!

( )

This is probably one of the best sci-fi/ paranormal books I have read in a while. I can't get over how awesome it was.

I don't know how the author managed to do it. She mixed science fiction with paranormal and somehow, someway, bottled it up into an intricately written YA book. The author definitely has got plenty of talent.

One of the qualities of this book that really made it shine was the super complex plot. It was just so brilliant and unlike any other sci-fi/paranormal/YA book I have read. I never felt any sort of disinterest, and found it difficult to stop reading for more than a few seconds. Due to my immense need to know what occurred next, my eyes were constantly glued to the page.

The characters were alright. They were all pretty likable, and the character development was good, but I didn't care much for some of the characters. I did feel somewhat of a connection to the main character, and I do like her, but occasionally she was just a tad bit boring. This didn't have a huge impact on what I felt for the book, though.

I loved the sense of mystery that oozed off each page. It pushed me to keep reading, and currently leaves me craving the next installment. This book was very well-written, and showed that Samantha Durante is a very talented writer.

Stitch was an awesome read that combined the elements of mystery, suspense, and complexity into one very well-written novel. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.

If you are looking for a book with nonstop action and a blend of paranormal and science fiction, then you need to read this book. Now! ( )

I won an e-copy of this book earlier this year from the author. The following is just my opinion!

I'm on the upcoming tour for SHUDDER by Samantha Durante, which is book 2 of this trilogy and that prompted me to search my kindle and read this one first.

This next sentence is not against the book at all: I was confused in the beginning of this book! I thought I was going to be reading a dystopian, scifi book, but instead it was a ghost story? Oh, but the twist! :O And this is what kills me...I can't tell it to you. I only have to say three words and you're gonna be like, YOU FREAKING RUINED IT, TIFFANY! So I can't tell you.

So I will tell you what I can! I had a hard time seeing where the book was going in the beginning even as I was enjoying Alessa's character and her BFF, Janie. I thought the world was very well put together even when something seemed off (due to plot point, not author) like those bajillion security cameras on campus. I was getting excited as Alessa encounters Isaac more and more often; I was ready for a time-travel romance!

Sometimes the conversations were ... funky. And I couldn't understand why, I didn't understand the emotional build up and thought it was awkward. Until the plot twist. Suddenly those pieces kinda snap into place and you the reader feel like you were just unstitched. (What is stitching? I CANNOT TELL YOU OR IT RUINS THE BOOK. Read it!)

I squeaked when I read the plot twist, something along the lines of I KNEW IT OMG and those three words I won't mention. I didn't KNOW it of course, but I knew something was wonky!

Highly enjoyable and ready to dive into book 2! ( )

Well, color me surprised - I did not expect this story. I really liked it. The preface hooks you immediately and you just want to know what's going on.

It's smart, it kind of fools you into thinking it's a ghost/time travel story. There are these little twists along the way that keep you interested and it's an easy book to pick up after you take a break (which isn't necessarily a good thing, but more about that later).

I liked Alessa because she was just so normal. Dealing with her parents' death, adjusting to college life, hating on the pretty sorority sister, having a best friend that is a kindred spirit, etc, etc. There is a sadness to her thoughts that really got to me, which was understandable considering... everything. She constantly feels like she is off-course, that she doesn't have any control over what's going on in her life.

I must say that the book lacks in the romance department, but there is still enough of it to keep a romance reader happy. I thought the romance was actually really sweet, under the circumstances, and kind of unexpected, what with Joe and everything. It's definitely different.
When the story opens up you find out that Alessa is seeing a ghost of a young man from time to time, and you are just as curious as she is about who the ghost is. You learn his name is Isaac and he lived in the same house in the past, where his whole family met a horrible death, and it's up to Alessa to figure it out and warn him.
And then you learn it's all been a lie.

Unfortunately, you only get enough of Isaac's POV to learn that he's always felt out of place, feels responsible for his family's well-being but at the same time he just wants to get out there where there are bigger things waiting for him. Still, I liked him from what little glimpses I got of him.

I loved the way this was written, the characters felt real and the story line is very interesting. The author throws you all these little clues that should have told you something was off, but only after it's revealed do you realize they were there all along. The dream sequences tell you that there's definitely more going on than you're picking up on. The whole time I kept wondering what is going on and tried (successfully) to keep myself from reading one of those spoilerish reviews.

That being said, it's incredibly slow, especially the first half of the book. I fought myself wanting to skim endless unimportant bits like what she wore, what she ate, what she drank, what she read and things like those. Yes, some of it was very important, but not all of it. This made the book really easy to leave and pick up later because there's no that sense of urgency that you just have to know what happens next and you can't put it down.

It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, for which I'm thankful. You get that feeling that there's more to come, but you're not left unsatisfied with it.

For my clean-romance readers, this is very clean, no graphic sex scenes or even implications of it. Barely a kiss or two. Which was fine by me, I thought it suited the story.

So, will I be reading the sequel? Yep. There are way too many questions left and I want answers. I won't get into detail what these questions are because they're all spoilers, but you'll see that you don't really get the full picture of what's really going on - I think because the protagonists don't know either, so it's understandable.
I definitely recommend this book.

I am proud to be a guest reviewer at ❤ Coffee, Books & Lipgloss Book Review Blog ❤! ( )