Wednesday, October 24, 2012

BLOG TOUR # 54 - STITCH by SAMANTHA DURANTE - REVIEW AND GUEST POST








Today on Novels On The Run's tour stop I have my review of Stitch by Samantha Durante and an awesome Guest Post by Samantha.

Enjoy!

Michelle



By: Samantha Durante
Published By: Samantha Durante
Released : Available Now
Details: Paperback , 304 Pages

RATING: 4.25 DECEIVING DYSTOPIAN STARS!!

Blurb: 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...

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.



BOOK REVIEW by Michelle :

What an interesting idea to use in a dystopian book. I cannot tell you what it is, because it will give far too much away but there is a movie that I could name that would give you a good idea of Samantha’s concept.

But my lips are sealed J

I congratulate Samantha on her debut YA book. I really enjoyed this first instalment and I read the few pages of Shudder , Stitch # 2 that were at the end of my review copy that Samantha kindly sent to me. It is nice holding a paperback. Thankyou Samantha for my review copy.

I adore the cover of this book, it is very clever once you have read the book. I love covers that actually make complete sense to the story within the pages.

This was an intriguing read as there were flashbacks and twists and an original concept that makes me want to read ‘Shudder’ that much quicker.

I did get a little dazed in the headlights sometimes when I came into a flashback as I just had to get my bearings. I note when I review a book to help me with my accuracy when writing my reviews. I am a bit unsure of what I wrote when I noted, lol! The ages of Isaac and Alessa seemed to change. Now I know this probably is due to the flashback thing. But, the start of the book Alessa was 19yrs by the end I thought she was 23 and couple years older than Isaac who was 21, but then he was 24 years right at the end of this book. So, I am either a bit canoodled or I am a bit canoodled, lol! I think it was the flashback thing maybe and I have got it butt up.

It’s hard to say too much in this review as Samantha does pull some great twists. I was completely off the garden path for the first third of the book until BAM! I then got hit with a twist and then the flashbacks came, which were very necessary but I would have maybe liked them a bit smoother.

The pov’s were from Alessa and Isaac, the flashback would start up and the era they were in.

All I can say is everything is not what it seems and WOW, I do take my hat off to Samantha with her dystopian idea.

I really liked Janie and more so now, she is one solid friend. I loved the title of this book , it meant a lot to the story.

There were times where I really struggled to grasp where I was and why, not in a bad way, it was the way Alessa felt. As the reader you are feeling that with her. Samantha lets the story unfold with her flashbacks and the pieces start falling into place.

I did feel like I wanted to know more about ................, but when I read the few pages of Shudder, it starts with that side of it. So I know I am going to be fed that in book 2.

This first instalment was the setting up book. I found I just had to keep reading , no matter if I was feeling a bit WT?? to where it was all going, even when I thought the story maybe had my mind wandering a bit because Samantha was getting us comfortable with where she wanted us....then....... BAM!

I can’t tell you all the theories I had floating about in my brain......I didn’t come close!

I high five Samantha, any author that gets me totally off the sniffer trail, well done!

‘Shudder’, just the title alone has me wanting to pick this book up asap as this party really has only just got started. There is so much more for the reader to learn and understand.

A wonderful start to a trilogy with enormous potential
J

Michelle



GUEST POST with a FUN QUIZ



Quiz: Which Stitch Good Guy Are You? 



Thanks so much to Michelle for hosting the Stitch Blog Tour today!



To help you get the know the characters from Stitch a little better, here’s a short quiz which will tell you which Stitch good guy you’re most like:



1. Which pair of shoes can you not live without?

A. Sneakers.

B. Flat boots.

C. Any pair of shoes will work for me, as long as they’re comfortable.

D. Heels!



2. If you were a rebel in a dystopian society, would you fight back?

A. Of course! Being a rebel sounds so exciting and cool! And it’s the right thing to do, of course.

B. If it was necessary to keep my loved ones safe, then yes.

C. Yes. I’d want to take those bastards down.

D. Depends on where I ended up, but if they pushed me far enough, they’d be in trouble.



3. What’s the first thing you notice when you meet a potential romantic interest?

A. Body.

B. Eyes.

C. Hair.

D. Clothes.



4. What’s your biggest fear?

A. Being left behind.

B. Being alone.

C. Hurting someone I love.

D. Being judged by my looks.



5. What’s your heaven like?

A. Action-packed with lots of thrills.

B. Someplace calm, secure, and surrounded by loved ones.

C. Exploring someplace neat with that special someone.

D. A luxurious bubble bath!



Okay, now tally up your score! How many did you choose of each letter? Here are the results:



Mostly A’s – Janie

A fun-loving, adventure-seeking bundle of energy, you like things lively and are willing to take risks to keep it that way! A little mischievous but also caring, you’ll do anything to keep up with your crew and you’re always up for a challenge.



Mostly B’s – Alessa

Like the star of Stitch, the thing that matters most to you are your loved ones, and you’ll do whatever is required to keep them happy and safe. Though you prefer a quiet existence, you often find that life likes to throw you curveballs, and you dutifully step up to the plate when needed. You’re resourceful, quick-thinking, and a sucker for a nice pair of baby blues.



Mostly C’s – Isaac

A sensitive soul, you long to be with the person you care about most whenever possible, to run your fingers through their hair and never let them go. But sometimes life gets in the way, and being torn from your loved ones before you’re ready might have made you a little bitter. However, your practical nature usually wins out over any lust for vengeance, and you use your smarts to get yourself – and your special someone – back to safety as soon as you can.



Mostly D’s – Lizzie

A natural beauty, you’re used to getting your way and enjoying the finer things in life, but sometimes you get sick of being judged by your exterior alone. Frustratingly, people tend to underestimate your abilities and often label you a “girly girl.” But you’re a lot more than a pretty face – in fact, you can be quite ferocious when the situation warrants it.


Well I was B's and C's so I am a bit of Alessa and Isaac type character, which suits me fine:) Michelle







HAPPY READING!

Michelle

7 comments:

  1. I am starting this one tonight and can't wait! Thanks for the heads up on the flashbacks and confusion about the ages of the characters.

    I was mostly A's and B's for the quiz. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please tell me if I got the age thing wrong, I would be happily corrected:D

      Mich

      Delete
    2. Hey Michelle! You are indeed right about the age thing. The age the characters think they are in the beginning of the book is not their actual age - it's part of the stitch - and later on their real ages are mentioned both in flashbacks (which span a few years) and in the present, so it's a bit confusing!! (I actually have an entire notebook filled with the timeline of their back story so that I make sure to keep it straight as I write!) So I put the ages in there in case any readers want to try to piece together the whole timeline chronologically, but it's not super essential to understand unless you really want to! :-)

      Delete
    3. Thanks Samantha. I was doing my notes and then I got a bit ?? with my notes, lol! But it makes sense when you say it to me:D

      Thanks for dropping by!

      Michelle

      Delete
  2. Great review! I really liked it too, and wish I'd written my review right after I finished, but I waited, and then my thoughts had drifted a bit away, and so mine is much more brief.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lisa,

      I shall check your review out:D

      Thanks for dropping by!

      Michelle

      Delete

COMMENTING HAS BEEN TURNED OFF

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.