Blog Tour: Stitch - Review

 

Stitch

by Samantha Durante

Publisher: Self-published

Release Date: August 2012

Format: e-ARC

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.

 

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Stitch was certainly one interesting and unpredictable novel for me. A blend of sci-fi, dystopian and a little paranormal, Durante has created a compelling story that kept me guessing until the very end. And boy, was it impossible to guess the twists! However, while there was nothing essentially *wrong* with the book, I was unable to give it my full attention and *enjoy* it as much as I would've liked.

The actual plot of the story wasn't revealed until more than halfway through, and I was really surprised by the turn of events! The plot was extremely complex and quite riveting, but for me, it was  a little confusing at times. As exciting as the twists were, I had touble keeping up with what was happening and it seemed that certain subplots were introduced, but never entirely developed at the expense of focusing on the larger plot, which was revealed later on. There was also a lot of alternating between different...time periods and dream/reality which also contributed to the confusion.

The beginning was unfortunately a little slow for me; the pace didn't pick up until at least half-way, by which time I was losing interest. It was regrettable that I couldn't enjoy the climax, nor the last 30% of the story, but I have to admit, the revelation and events during the last part of the book was meticulously though out and I applaud the author for that. It was just a pity I lost interest by that point :(

Alessa was a character I found a little difficult to connect (mainly because it was written in third person, and I'm VERY picky about third-person narration), but as the story progressed, I started liking her a bit more. She was a loyal and loving friend, determined to protect those she loved and fight for them. Her romance with Isaac, unfortunately didn't feel real nor natural; but I'll blame that on the fact that she and Isaac hardly spent any time together in the book. I just hope there will be more chemistry between the two in the second book! (I like my dose of some sexy romance ;P)

While I had some issues here and there, overall, Stitich really is a book worth spending your time on. Ms Durante has managed to intricately intertwine several genres to create one exciting story! Don't be put off just because it's self-published; who knows, you may end up enjoying it immensely!

 

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