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Blog Tour: Shudder (Stitch #2) by Samantha Durante (review, excerpt, giveaway)
Shudder (Stitch #2)
written by Samantha Durante
published by Samantha Durante
find it here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Smashwords, Goodreads
Why did I pick this book: I participated in the blog tour hosted by the author, Samantha Durante. I was very excited to be a part of this tour because I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, Stitch. (See my review here.) (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
Did I enjoy this book: I did enjoy this book. I read it every free chance I had. In fact, at one point when I was reading while walking my youngest in her stroller around my neighborhood, I may have had my mouth hanging open in surprise. My neighbors probably think I’m nuts! (And not just for reading while walking…but for my visible reactions to what I am reading! There were quite a few of these during this book.)
Shudder picks up pretty much where Stitch left off but with an exciting prologue that I was wrong as to who the leading character in that scene was. What a way to start a book! It grabbed me, that’s for sure.
This book focused mainly on Alessa and Isaac and their search for a new location for the rebels’ headquarters. This search led them outside of Paragon’s walls and into the world decimated by the virus and nuclear war. What they found was interesting, scary, sad, and doable. They had a tough job. Sometimes Alessa and Isaac acted as if they had no cares in the world, that they weren’t outside the walls of Paragon being tracked by human-like animals trying to harm them. But most of the time they were vigilant. It was just odd that they kept switching back and forth. But I suppose that could happen to people in their situation.
Alessa learns a lot about herself during this journey. Not only about her feelings for Joe and Isaac but also more about herself and what the stitch has done to her. Isaac is a wonderful guy and he loves Alessa, that is evident. Together, these two make a great team. You want to root for them. You want them to survive. You want them to find happiness in, and with, each other.
Meanwhile, Nikhil – who, to be honest, I do not remember from Stitch – finds himself in solitary confinement in Paragon’s prison. But he finds a friend. That friend turned out to be who I was hoping it would be. (I’m not going to tell you, though. You have to read the book to find out.) To further add to your confusion and need to read this book, I was happy it didn’t go where I thought it was going to go but I was sad that it went where it did. How’s that for cryptic?!
All-in-all, Shudder kept me guessing, wondering, and trying to figure out what was going on and what would happen next. It was a good read. I can’t wait to read the final installment. I definitely did not see some aspects (Isaac’s drama family) and I can’t wait to see where that takes us, the readers.
Would I recommend it: I would recommend this book. Read Stitch first. Then, read this one.
Will I read it again: I will not but I will definitely read the final installment in the Stitch Trilogy, Stuck. I can’t wait to see how this story ends!!!! May I know now, Samantha? Please. 🙂
About the book: 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…
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.
Please enjoy the following excerpt from Shudder.
She heard one set of footsteps trail away from her doorway, and a moment later, a man stepped through.
He cleared his throat gruffly. Phoenix fluttered her eyelids, feigning disorientation from sleep before she finally settled her eyes on his.
He wasn’t a large man, but there was something intimidating about him, something dark. He was middle-aged, neat, not unattractive exactly, but there was something about his face that pushed her gaze away instead of drawing it towards him. His eyes, maybe. His eyes seemed to drink all the light from the room, flat and cold as they bored into her. Something about those eyes made her shudder inwardly.
She noticed that he was distractedly rubbing a long scar that slashed across his thin lips.
“You’re awake?” he groused.
As she sat up in bed, his eyes slithered quickly over her body, making her feel unclothed. She pulled the blanket up over her thin hospital gown.
“Y-yes,” she answered. Her voice was shaky, but she didn’t understand why. She steadied herself, and more forcefully she added, “And you are?”
He regarded her for a moment before answering in a low growl, “You can call me the General.”
Stitch (Stitch Trilogy #1)
written by Samantha Durante
published by Samantha Durante via Smashwords
find it here: Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords, Goodreads
See my 4 star review here.
About the book – from Goodreads: 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. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees – and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell – Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.
Because what Alessa hasn’t figured out yet is that she’s not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university’s idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface…
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.
Find Ms. Durante here: web, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari
And now for the GIVEAWAY!! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win!
Happy reading wherever you are and whenever you get a free chance!!!
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