Behind the Pages

View the original review on my blog:




What an emotional ride. Thrilling, fast paced and completely engaging the entire time. The sequel to Stitch is one you don't want to miss out on. The only thing I can say now after reading this is, WHERE IS STRUCK?! (aka, book 3)

We finish Stitch on one massive cliffhanger One jaw dropping cliffhanger to be exact. Now starting Shudder, we don't miss a thing. Getting straight back to where we were in the story, just a mere 3 days after where we finish Stitch, everything is coming back to us and we are just as on edge as before. There are more things brought into this book that we don't see in Stitch. In Stitch, we become part of Alessa and go with her everything that has happened and that is to happen. We go with her to get her life back on track from the Stitch and to bring the Rebel's plans into motion with Issac. Now in Shudder, we get more information on this world and how Paragon came to be. We are introduced to a few new characters and some we have seen glimpses of before, Nikhil, 14, Phoenix and Joe. In this book, we see what they are going through and where they are. Nikhil and 14 in a prison, Phoenix in a hospital, visited by all Paragon's producers, directors etc, and hearing about Joe from Alessa and Issac. Even from the prequel , we get the inside scoop on the Producers and the big shots running Paragon.

For most of this book, we are with Alessa and Issac as they try to find a new base camp for the Rebels. This felt a little slow for me, but the mysterious creatures that kept hunting them brought the pace up and kept us intrigued as we learn about the past and what they hope for in the future, as well as the romance between the two. Even in this book, most main characters start to get on your nerves, and you even start to dislike some of them. Not in this though, we love Alessa and Issac even more that we do in Stitch. Our connection with them grows and we delve deep into the book and cling onto every word they say and everything that they face together. These characters continue to surprise us with how strong they are emotionally and physically, as well as their drive to do everything that they can for the better future, as well as getting to see their loved ones at the end of this journey.

The change of "scenes" (not really POV's because it's in third person, but anyways....) was flawless, even though there are multiple scenes to go between, Samantha does not miss a single beat and we pick up right where we left off, as if we hadn't even left those characters for a few chapters. No confusion, no time gap or event gap at all, everything flows perfectly and we love every second we get into a new "scene", just like as if we were the rest of the population watching the Dramas.... All I can really say is, well played Samantha!

Some of the things were a bit predictable. It was this case with the end of the book, but even though it is, it doesn't make you disappointed when you come to find out in the end of the book. It just makes you want Struck even more, because you knew what was going to happen, even though you don't want it to and you NEED to know what is going to happen next. Just like what happened when we reached the end of Stitch.

Even though this book was completely engaging, I just wish that there was a bit more world building when it came to Phoenix being visited in the hospital by all the producers while they tell their story and their part of how Paragon came to be, and with Alessa and Issac when they are looking for the new base camp. We get a brief view of what everything looks like, but not like we did in Stitch. We start to miss that in this book, especially when we want to know what everything is like on the outside, as well as on the inside with the producers and directors.

My own little problem was that I wish I had more time to read this book. I had to stop myself between chapters because of so many other things going on that I just didn't have much time to read. When I started back up in between chapters, I knew what was going on, but I lost the pace that was built up while I was really getting into the book. This is not a fault with the book, but my own little fault because of the time. I didn't get into this book as I knew I could have when starting the book. I could see myself really getting into the book, but then something happens that dragged me out of the book and back into reality..... Damn. :(