Welcome to my stop on the Shudder blog tour! Today I have an exclusive excerpt, my review of the book and don't forget to scroll to the bottom to enter the giveaway!
Shudder (Stitch Trilogy #2)
Author: Samantha Durante
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopian
Release Date: June 15, 2013
Description:
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.
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.
She didn’t even look up. “Yeah,” she grunted. “Just. Let me. Get. The rest of these. In here.”
“Babe.” Isaac knelt next to her chair and reached for her hand. “I think you have enough granola bars.”
Alessa sat back. “I guess so,” she sighed, her face defeated.
Isaac eyed her warily. He didn’t understand. They’d accomplished exactly what they set out to do – found a perfect base, re-equipped themselves for the journey ahead, managed to survive. And they were about to make a triumphant return. What could be bugging her?
“Hey. Less. What’s up? Talk to me,” he urged.
Alessa shook her head. “I don’t know, Isaac. I’m just… I’m not ready for this, I guess.”
“Ready for what?” he prompted.
She looked up at him and shrugged. “For all of it. For what comes next. To go out there –” she motioned towards the walls, “– to deal with those things following us, to lose control of my feelings again, to face Paragon, to fight. I just,” she shook her head. “I want a break. I don’t want to be constantly on guard, constantly afraid, constantly looking over my shoulder. I just want to feel safe for once – like we did here.”
He gazed at her face earnestly. “But that’s the point, right?” he encouraged. “We found this place so we can be safe, so everyone can be safe. We’re going to get Janie and Josephine and all the rebels, and we’re going to come back here and be safe together – from Paragon, from the virus, from everything.”
Alessa sighed. “But we’re not, Isaac. Don’t you see? We’re going to come back here, and we’re going to plan, and then we’re going to war. Regina asked for a base, not a sanctuary. She wants to attack. She wants to free all the people trapped in Paragon and get revenge for what they’ve done to us.”
“But don’t you want that too?” he questioned.
“Yes. No. I don’t know anymore,” she stammered. “I thought I did. But do you really think we’re going to make it through this?”
Shudder is the second book in a young adult dystopian series. It continues to follow our heroine of the series, Alessa, as she fights against the brutal wasteland on the run from the government. On top of that - Alessa now has to deal with the unbearable visions that seem to be getting more insistent and powerful. The visions have Alessa feeling strange emotions and remembering things that don't seem possible - they are rocking Alessa to the core along with her resolve and her beliefs. Will Alessa be able to fight the government, put an end to the visions, and figure out what secrets the Engineers are hiding - before it's too late?
This is a truly captivating second novel in an exciting and intriguing trilogy. It's just as addictive as the first book and definitely leaves the reader begging for more. The
plot is very well written with a fast pace and effortless flow, which makes it almost
impossible to put down. The characters - especially Alessa - continue to be well rounded and realistic, which makes it easy to identify with them throughout the book. The
plot itself is fantastic - it blends together so many varying genres that it
seems to defy being labeled. It continues to mix aspects of adventure, dystopian, science fiction, paranormal
romance, action, and mystery. This is one of those books that will leave you
thinking about it long after you've finished reading it. The story is full
of twists and adventure and it kept me guessing, which is something that I love in a book. I also loved the way the
concepts blended together - much like the first book in the trilogy - to create something unique and
memorable. This is a fantastic second installment in what continues to be an exciting
and addictive trilogy. I highly recommend it to fans of all genres -
as it defies being labeled as just one. I will definitely be eagerly
awaiting the final book in the series!
Social Media Links:
Facebook: Stitch Trilogy | Author Samantha Durante
Goodreads: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante
Twitter: @SamanthaDurante | Hashtag suggestions: #Stitch, #StitchTrilogy, #Shudder
LibraryThing: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante
Shelfari: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante
Buy Links:
Amazon (Kindle $2.99, print $8.99)
Barnes & Noble (Nook $2.99)
Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $2.99)
Also available ($2.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold
