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The Stitcher
There is a fate worse than death...
Erik is tired of being the farm-hand slave to his abusive uncle. Thrown out of the house at only fifteen years old, he and his little brother sleep in the barn with the pigs and chickens. Erik has made life tough for his brother, but he has a plan to rescue them both from their horrible fate.
Their road is through Odenwald Forest. This forest, however, holds a dark secret. Thirteen children have disappeared in five years, never to be seen again. When Erik and his brother get separated, Erik must conquer his guilt and the monsters of the forest to get him back.
But if he fails to defeat these demons, will he become the fourteenth victim of the Stitcher?
Erik is tired of being the farm-hand slave to his abusive uncle. Thrown out of the house at only fifteen years old, he and his little brother sleep in the barn with the pigs and chickens. Erik has made life tough for his brother, but he has a plan to rescue them both from their horrible fate.
Their road is through Odenwald Forest. This forest, however, holds a dark secret. Thirteen children have disappeared in five years, never to be seen again. When Erik and his brother get separated, Erik must conquer his guilt and the monsters of the forest to get him back.
But if he fails to defeat these demons, will he become the fourteenth victim of the Stitcher?
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2015
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Ryan J. Slattery
2 books1 followerRyan Slattery is the author of the YA novel, The Stitcher, a dark fantasy with fairytale resonances.
He's currently working on a Middle-grade fantasy adventure that is vastly unlike The Stitcher, but hopefully as fun as The Stitcher is dark.
Between teaching classes and writing papers, he spends his time with his wife and two children, and sacrifices sleep to write at night.
He's currently working on a Middle-grade fantasy adventure that is vastly unlike The Stitcher, but hopefully as fun as The Stitcher is dark.
Between teaching classes and writing papers, he spends his time with his wife and two children, and sacrifices sleep to write at night.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 29, 2015
I loved the dark feel this book had. The genre isn't something I read often, but when I do it's always a nice change of pace. THe idea of the story and the stichters is something that's so completely out of the box it leaves you wanting to hear more. Sadly, it's a pretty short story in itself. Parts of me wish there could have been a little more back-story to really feel for what was going on. The book itself is pretty short, which certainly isn't a bad thing, but it felt like there could have been more! My biggest complaint would be the dialogue just feeling...out of place sometimes? Not as natural as it could have been. Overall I think this is a great read, and maybe should be explored more by the author to give us readers something even more to grip onto. So if you're looking for a dark, magical read, I've found the book for you!
September 20, 2019
i think the stitchery is to long and should be more appropriate
October 9, 2020
A strange, frightening, tale! Gore, violence, love, friendship, family, courage, loyalty, strange creatures, legends, this story is quite different from most I've read. A good October read!
April 28, 2015
Ryan Slattery's first work, the Stitcher, was a terrific page turner. Ryan's development of his main character Erik into a compelling, yet human protagonist was extremely well done. Ryan makes no bones about his characters' shortcomings and difficulties throughout the work. The most impressive part to me was his development of the relationship between Erik and his younger brother. I deeply empathized with Erik's guilt throughout the story.
The narrative itself was very much in the hero's journey mold with a strongly focused leading character and many supporting figures along the way. This development was perfectly paced and the action and practical dialogue pieces were woven into a nice tempo that gave me time to reflect on the events that were happening.
The book's conclusion was a huge surprise! I was not at all expecting the events of the last few chapters and was pleased with the bold choice that Ryan made with his plot points.
The one knock I had against The Stitcher was that I got a bit lost at points with the conversations between characters. I found myself rereading passages to decipher just who was speaking. It's a small point, but was distracting enough to mention.
Overall, I highly recommend Ryan's Slattery's novel. It's a good, quick read that will keep you guessing and cheering for Erik the whole way!
The narrative itself was very much in the hero's journey mold with a strongly focused leading character and many supporting figures along the way. This development was perfectly paced and the action and practical dialogue pieces were woven into a nice tempo that gave me time to reflect on the events that were happening.
The book's conclusion was a huge surprise! I was not at all expecting the events of the last few chapters and was pleased with the bold choice that Ryan made with his plot points.
The one knock I had against The Stitcher was that I got a bit lost at points with the conversations between characters. I found myself rereading passages to decipher just who was speaking. It's a small point, but was distracting enough to mention.
Overall, I highly recommend Ryan's Slattery's novel. It's a good, quick read that will keep you guessing and cheering for Erik the whole way!
October 13, 2015
The Stitcher is a YA thriller with the feeling of a fairy tale.
It's dark, bloody, and full of action.
But it is more than that - it's not a bloody book for the sake of blood and guts. There are some truths that are best understood against the backdrop of tragedy.
With a lot of plot-twists and dashed hopes, this book is dramatic, scary, and ultimately full of meaning.
It's dark, bloody, and full of action.
But it is more than that - it's not a bloody book for the sake of blood and guts. There are some truths that are best understood against the backdrop of tragedy.
With a lot of plot-twists and dashed hopes, this book is dramatic, scary, and ultimately full of meaning.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews