Shudder
348 pages
Published June 15, 2013
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...
24 - The Reading Diaries - The Mystery!
Why does Alessa keep feeling something following them through the woods? - Review at Here's the Story
Shudder is filled with surprises around every corner, keeping me guessing till the very end.
- The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl - Raving Fans!
Can I just freaking say how much I LOVE this series?! Stitch was good. Shudder? AMAZINGLY AMAZING!!! I can't even express how much I just LOVE LOVE LOVED this book. Everything about it was perfection. - Review at Literary Meanderings- Rose & Beps Blog - Crushing on Side Characters!
Lizzie: I’ll support whoever can deliver that future, whether it’s the rebels or even the leaders of Paragon, if they were willing to change. I do believe in second chances. - Character Interview at Mousehead & Tales25 - Chapter Break - Vile Villainy!
Samantha: …the Engineers(the bad guys) are based on a variety of people I’ve met and disliked over the years for their general arrogance and lack of ability to connect with people (though I’m not naming names, haha). - Interview at Joanna In the Sky With Books:
Review:
I enjoyed the merging of genre and thought it was a unique twist on sci-fi and dystopia, with a little paranormal aspect until we learn otherwise.- Wonderings of One Person - Review
Shudder by Samantha Durante is a deeply touching and sensational story of discovery and freedom laden with heavy doubts and uncomfortable choices. I was swept away...- Mortal Moments - Crushing on Characters!
Do YOU have any favourite fiction crushes or book boyfriends? Care to share them... so we can all swoon together! :)
Issac is one to add to the list of "book boyfriends". - Review at A Thousand Lives
26 - A Tiffyfit's Reading Corner - Review
...what an ENDING! This story is keeping my head bent to my kindle. Ms Durante has IT, ladies and gentlemen. That thing that some authors have that just keep you turning the pages...27 - Kindred Dreamhart - Catch some STYLE!
- The Bookish Daydreamer - OMG Endings!
Samantha: My favorite scene to write in Shudder was definitely the big revelation in the very last chapter. Heart-wrenching. - Interview at Lovely Reads- Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf - Developing Deep Characters
Things get even more complicated when Alessa discovers something new about herself, a twist that I sure never saw coming. Again kudos Samantha for a great job well done. ~Review at Total Book Nerds28 - YA Book Addict - Review
The one constant thought that kept coming at me while I was reading Shudder was the originality of it. I remember feeling the exact same way while I was reading Stitch. Personally, I have never read anything like it before and I have to give huge applause to an author who can create such a fantastically original, well written, engaging piece of writing.- Library of a Book Witch - POV Perfection!
...the transitions between character to character are smooth and never feel unnatural or jarring, each character’s situation has a different aura to it, I could immediately tell which character I was currently reading about... Review at Book Adoration.- Mommasez... - Writerly Wisdom
Do what you love. - Guest Post “Celebrating the Stitch 1 Year Anniversary” at Head Stuck in a Book
Imagine the world ended tomorrow. - Guest Post “Family & Relationships in a Dying World” at My World in Words and Pages
Review
Samantha teases us with two girls, one stoned by an angry mob, the other in a prison cell. We don’t know who is who. And it’s deliciously mysterious!!29 - Mel's Shelves - Praise for Pacing!
Fast paced with not a single dull moment, this book will have you turning pages until the end. - Review at Little Hyuts
Review
Oh, my! Dystopia at its finest! A quick word on Stitch (book 1): It had been a while since I'd read what it was about so I just started reading. It seemed like a nice time travel romance with a hint of something else and then BAM!, in came the dystopia element. At that point, I couldn't put it down...- Fundinmental - Painstakingly Plotted World
The complexity of the plot and the dynamics have you wondering what exactly Samantha has in her mind to be able to imagine this complex world. I never one time imagined that what happens in the book could actually happen but now the idea is planted firmly in my mind. It is a little freaky. - Review at Cynthia Shepp Book Reviews & Editing
Review:
Shudder... has so many things going on that, at times, I was torn about where I wanted the story to go.
30 - Literary Meanderings - Top Ten Raving Fan Moments!
Shudder is one of the best dystopians I've read so far! It's so intense, so captivating. There's a lot in it, and it's so well written. The action, the suspense, the thrill... All of it will leave you begging for more. I know I am! Samantha, you've really set the bar with this one. I enjoyed every second of it. ~ Review at City of Books31 - My Devotional Thoughts - More Crushing On Characters!
Interview with Isaac at Always YA at Heart
“The memory alteration research mentioned some, well, unfortunate side effects…” - Guest Post at Crys Book Reviews
Review
I absolutely LOVE LOVED this book. It was one of those books that I picked up and didn't want to set back down even after it was finished.Sept. 1 - The Book Rogue - Review
Some things were not that unusual for a Dystopian, but there were also some shocking aspects -- in the regard that I don't find them too absurd to actually happen, like right now. Genius and insanity are utterly and truly a very fine line that tends to blur a lot.
Quote:
"What we haven't told you yet--"
He paused, searching her eyes before he dropped his bombshell.
"-- is that the outbreak wasn't exactly a mistake."
See what you're missing... read Stitch & Shudder now!!
Also available in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!
Samantha Durante
Tour-Wide Giveaway:
5 Winners. August 24 - September 16, 2013
* Signed print copy of Stitch & Shudder for you and two friends (USA only)
* Signed (via Authorgraph) e-book copies of Stitch & Shudder for you and two friends (Int'l)
* Signed Stitch & Shudder bookmarks + e-book copies of Stitch & Shudder (Int'l)
* $10 Amazon Gift Card (Int'l)
* $5 Amazon Gift Card (Int'l)
