Stitch (Stitch Trilogy, Book 1) [Paperback]

Samantha Durante (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2012

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fantastic start to a brilliant series! A huge 5/5." -Head Stuck in a Book

 

"Amazingly well written. I was floored to learn this is the author's debut novel." -A Thousand Lives

 

"So intense that I literally read it in 1 day and could not put it down." -Cynthia Shepp Reviews & Editing

 

"HOLY EPIC-PLOT-TWISTING-GREATNESS BATMAN!" -Sliced Open Reviews

 

"Rest assured, the sequel will be going straight to the top of my wish list!" -Up in the Bibliosphere

 

"Undoubtedly one of the most exciting, engaging books I've read in ages." -Hey Tara!

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. Stitch is her first novel. Learn more about Samantha at samanthadurante.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Samantha Durante (July 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0985804602
• ISBN-13: 978-0985804602
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #457,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More 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. Learn more about Samantha at www.samanthadurante.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful! October 20, 2012

By D. Chapman

Format:Paperback

Stitch is nothing like I thought it would be! It is the perfect mixture of a ghost story and a dystopia romance. I am just in awe with how the author created one world and then reveals that it wasn't what it seemed to be....

Alessa is a freshman at a college she didn't really want to attend. Her senior year in high school was a devastating one when she loses both of her parents in a car crash. Now she lives in a sorority house with only one friend and a ghost that keeps appearing to her.

After some research she find out her ghost once lived in the house she now lives in... over 100 years ago. She discovers how he and his family died and wants her friends Janie's help to send him a message in order to save his life.

I have to say the twists in this plot were amazing and well thought out. I had no idea how this was going to go from a ghost story into a dystopia and when it finally happened it was just perfect. Since this is the first book in a trilogy we are left with a cliffhanger that makes us beg for more!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Addictive Novel That Defies Genre Labels! October 26, 2012

By Stephanie Ward TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

4.5 Stars

'Stitch' is the first book in a new young adult series that crosses multiple genres. It follows the heroine of the series, Alessa, as she deals with her parent's deaths, figuring out she can see ghosts, fighting hellish nightmares and to top it all off - she's going to college. Will Alessa be able to unravel the secrets haunting her school and figure out who - or what - the strange apparition she is drawn to really is before it's too late?

Being the first book in an exciting and intriguing trilogy, 'Stitch' is a highly addictive novel that leaves the reader wanting more. The plot is very well written and fast paced, which makes it almost impossible to put down. The characters - especially Alessa - are all likable and believable, which makes it easy to identify with them. The plot itself is wonderful - it blends so many different genres that it defies a label. Mixing aspects of dystopian, science fiction, paranormal romance, action, and mystery - this book is one that will leave you thinking about it long after the last page. The narrative itself is full of twists and adventure and it kept me guessing. I loved the way the concepts blended together to create something completely unique and memorable. This is a fantastic start to what will surely be an exciting and addictive trilogy, and I highly recommend it to fans of all genres, as it defies being labeled as just one. I will definitely be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars DISAPPOINTED June 8, 2013

By Books4Tomorrow

Format:Kindle Edition

I've wanted to read "Stitch" since the first time I saw the beautiful and original book cover. The book summary skyrocketed my curiosity, and with all the positive reviews and hype this book has been receiving, I was seriously looking forward to reading it. Sadly, the cover and the blurb ended up being the best part of the book for me.

I had lots of difficulties settling into the story and liking or connecting with the characters. Alessa, in my opinion, is too miserable and rather dull. Reading from her point of view, I often found myself yawning or dozing off due to an overload of unnecessary information not advancing the plot in any way. Much time is spent on her inner voice and her observations and conclusions which, again, didn't add much to the story. It only started picking up for me in the last half of the book when Alessa discovers the truth about herself, her sister, Isaac, and the rebellion. Although the story developed at an incredible pace after Janie's confession, it became rather ridiculous. The whole tv show scenario was just too much and if you ask me, simply not a good enough "twist". I was enormously disappointed with this development in the storyline as it is somewhat of a weak twist, and I guess I just expected something a lot more fascinating and imaginative. I was hoping for something new and exciting; something I've never read before.

"Stitch" is not a complex read. I finished it in less than a day as the writing is utterly simplistic and very precise. Durante is a good writer and where I've found a lot of grammar errors in more than half the books I've read in the past year and a half, "Stitch" is - grammar wise - well edited. I came across a few inconsistencies, though minor hindrances, but ones I noticed right away.... "Stitch" is a clean, family-friendly read which can be enjoyed by readers as young as thirteen years of age. Despite some shortcomings, and as is clear from all the positive reviews, I think a lot of readers who enjoy romance and dystopian will find this book to their liking. It just wasn't for me, and with hundreds of thousands of books out there waiting to be read, it's unlikely I'll be reading anything by this author in the near future. Read more ›

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid first novel with great plot twists and likeable characters November 13, 2012

By Christina (Ensconced in YA) TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

I requested a copy of this book from the author to review and she graciously complied. I had some trouble rating this book-- it's between a 3.5 and 4, but closer to a four, which is what I ended up rating it.

Stitch by Samantha Durante is an amalgam of genres-- but I won't say more so the reader can discover its secrets without me ruining it. In brief, Alessa is a college student who has lost her family and is still dealing with the aftermath. In her sorority house, she sees a handsome ghost who she must learn more about. With her best friend Janie, Alessa goes further than she could imagine to connect with this ghost from the past.

There's a lot to like about this book. I love all of the twists and turns and the characters are very likeable. I was impressed with how I didn't see one of the big twists coming, and I thought it was nicely done. I like Alessa, the main character, and Janie, her best friend, was probably my favorite character.

That said, I had a couple of issues with this book. First, there is a lot of telling of backstory, rather than showing. The prose is the strongest when we are in the action. Because there is a lot of introspection, I wonder if this would have been better written in first person instead. Also, I wasn't thrilled about the change in perspective randomly in the middle. I think either it should have been upfront with alternating chapters between characters or just one character's viewpoint the whole time.

Overall, I think it was a solid first novel that with some tweaks could have been great.