Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Literary Meanderings 
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 Alessa Khole's life is seemingly normal. Academics, sorority (where she rooms with her best friend Janie), parties she begrudgingly participates in, etc. Alessa lost her parents to a tragic accident two weeks into her senior year of high school. After struggling through the year, she was rejected from many of her top college choices. She ends up settling for Eastern State University--but ESU is no normal college. The campus is littered with cameras, some hidden, some not. There are so many that it's more than creepy and seemingly excessive. 
 The camera issue pales in comparison to the fact that Alessa has been seeing what she believes to be a ghost; a handsome ghost with piercing blue eyes. Upon encountering this mysterious apparition, Alessa is bombarded with mixed feelings - fear, panic, longing, and deep sadness. Confused by this emotional onslaught, Alessa decides to hit the library and try to find out more about what may be hindering his spirit from moving on. 
 What she finds out is something even more complex and shocking than a mere ghost story. 
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 **Definite spoilers ahead!** 
 Let's start with what I disliked (which wasn't much!). The only problem I ran into was the lack of Isaac's POV. We only get to enter his world and mind a few times. I'd say the book is 90% Alessa, and just 10% Isaac. Because of that, I felt a little disconnected from him. It sort of has to be that way, though, to have the story play out at the proper pace. I also know that book two will probably bring lots more of Isaac, which I'm excited for! 
 Moving on! 
 Let's begin with Samantha's trickery! You will go into this book thinking it's your typical ghost/girl love story when it is so far from it your jaw will be resting on the floor upon finding out the truth. Samantha cleverly hints at a bigger picture, but does so just little enough that you don't think too much of it. Definitely not to the point of suspecting anything like what's really going on. About halfway through the story, we find out that this isn't a ghostly love story; it's a dystopian tale. Alessa and Isaac are really living in a place called "Paragon" - a place where the leaders keep the people in line with drugs. When someone finds out things they aren't supposed to, or rebels, they are subjected to what is called a "Stitch" - a procedure that overwrites their memories and replaces them with new ones. These people are then placed into a life that is the ultimate deception. I'll let you read that one for yourself. ;) 
 World building in dystopia is very very much needed. If you haven't got that down, you haven't got anything. Samantha did this superbly. From the very beginning she was laying the foundation for Paragon; even when you weren't aware it existed yet. She cleverly gives Alessa strange dreams that she can't understand, thus allowing readers to glimpse the real story without realizing that is what's happening. It was very well done. I am extremely impressed that she was able to shock me. I am pretty good at guessing what's going to happen in such cases, but I was totally blindsided by this revelation. 
 The characters were multidimensional. Especially Alessa. She is a truly resilient character with a whole lot of depth. Again, I wish I'd gotten a better sense of Isaac as a character, but what I did experience was all goodness. :) 
 Once the truth is revealed, the story speeds up to a very suspenseful pace. I was thoroughly hooked. I literally couldn't stop reading. I finished the last 30-ish% in one sitting (and went in late to work because of it! lol). The end was the perfect set-up for book two. It was just cliffhanger-y enough to NOT be infuriating, but enough so that it left you needing more ASAP. Which, I totally do. I want book two NOW. 
 Overall, Stitch is a brilliant start to the trilogy. Fantastic characters, fantastic plot, fantastic setting. It's fast-paced and suspenseful. The plot twists are revealed in just the right way, in all the right places. Durante really knows how to hook, line, & sinker, I'll tell ya! Readers will be glued to the pages and anxiously awaiting the next installment. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy dystopian novels and/or twisty plots. 
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 Book source: From the author for review 
 Publisher: Self-published