Shutter

Courtney Alameda's book, Shutter, is a strong debut into the paranormal YA scene. Her energy seeps out of her writing and infects her readers -- you can feel the excitement she had while writing this book. There was a lot of love put into crafting Micheline and 'her boys,' and the attention to the world -- San Francisco set in a monster-infested reality -- was a thrill to experience.Alameda has a sharp writing style, the sort that cuts the setting into tiny pieces in order to blend description in with the story's pacing. The result is a serrated-edge atmosphere, where even San Francisco's famous blanket of fog promises frightful things hidden and patiently waiting for a new victim. It worked most of the time, but there were times that it was just too much for a scene; I'd call it flowery writing if it were any other genre and any other book, but for THIS genre and THIS book specifically, I'll describe it as barbed-wire. It tangles through the story, and at times it adds weight to a sentence that wasn't really necessary to the scene in question. (That kind of writing needs to be treated like seasoning in a dish; too much salt can tire the tastebuds.) I didn't really see it as a flaw, though; it was a little over the top, but it fit well with the protagonist's personality.I enjoyed many aspects of the book, but the writing as a whole had some issues. The good news is, these are issues that I believe Alameda will iron out when she writes her next book. The bad news is, these issues prevented the story from reaching its full potential.I had a hard time pushing through the middle of the book. There is never a dull moment in the story, but the book failed to keep me engaged and had me eyeing the other books in my collection waiting to be read. I figured out why after some thought: the start of the book is missing some crucial character development. Not for Micheline -- she's a strong personality from the get-go -- but the characters surrounding Micheline aren't given the stage long enough for the readers to get to know.There is a heck of a lot of telling going on, but not enough showing. Micheline tells us she loves her boys like they were her brothers but that's not going to convince me to love them, too -- and when your stakes involve the potential loss of the lives of those closest to your protagonist, you better make sure those relationships have meat to them. We're limited to Micheline's POV, and Micheline is so concerned with her own troubles that the fear we're supposed to feel when the boys are in danger simply isn't there. There is a romance subplot, too, but again, we're given so little incentive to like her love interest that the reader ends up feeling like a third wheel. (I didn't much care for the romance subplot, either, and I ended up skimming over parts that focused on the love interest instead of the story.)Writing the middle part of any book -- and keeping a reader engaged -- is a tough feat to master. Alameda keeps the action going to combat a sagging middle, but with the fast, high-action pace of the writing, we aren't allowed those quiet moments to soak in the horrors of Micheline's predicament. We aren't given those moments to catch our breath, to squint into the shadows of the story and feel any real fear. It's all adrenaline, but little suspense.The stakes never seemed high enough, and I almost gave up on the story, but I cared enough about Micheline to power through. And I'm glad I did, because in the final few chapters of the book, the story improves drastically! The conclusion to the novel was well-written and brimming with creepiness, and we get to know at least one of the other characters, to which I say 'better late than never!' If you find yourself stuck in the middle, please continue reading. It's worth it.Shutter was a story full of adventure, told by a protagonist well-deserving of her name. I may like it more if I read it again one day, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for a sequel. And I'm eager to read more of Alameda's work in the future! Alameda is an author with a lot of promise and I can't wait to see more from her.

I was very excited to read this one because it just sounded so amazing! I mean, not only was it horror, but it involved descendants of Van Helsing! How awesome does that sound?The Van Helsing premise is definitely what caught my attention, and I loved it! I also love how there was a connection to Dracula... very creative! Overall, the plot was very interesting and fun—this whole world was fun and interesting! The idea of being a tetrachromat and having the ability to see the “spiritual auras of the dead,” was creative and so up my alley! Micheline herself was a pretty kickass, strong female lead. I very much liked her. She is smart, too, figuring out that you can capture ghosts on film using a camera. I love how that was explained ‘cause it actually made sense!All the other supporting characters were great, too. I really enjoyed seeing the group interact with each other on these ghost hunts as colleagues, but also as friends. Plus, some of them have some pretty cool abilities as well. The character I particularly loved was Jude—he was just so funny! There was also some romance between Micheline and Ryder, which wasn’t on the forefront, but was absolutely fine with me! It was very sweet and I enjoyed it.As for the horror aspect of this, it wasn’t that scary to be honest. Which is a shame ‘cause that was one of the things I was wanting out of this book. But I pretty much watch horror movies on a daily basis, so I don’t scare easily. Okay, maybe it did have some creepy creatures. Plus, it was also quite thrilling and suspenseful with a lot of fun action!I also found that some parts of the book were quite predictable. I mean, those plot twists? Yeah, not surprising. I figured out that stuff way ahead of time. But overall, I actually really enjoyed this book! Even though it wasn’t that scary for me, I did appreciate the creepy setting and wonderful writing.Oh, and hey, I also did some nail art inspired by this book ;)

Shutter is a fast-paced, thrilling and scary ride. Don’t be like me–reading alone at night in your apartment. It’s bound to give you a restless night. Possible dark nightmares if you scare to easily. All you have to do is look at the cover and tell it’s going to be a nightmarish read.This book reads better than some of the horror movies that are out in theaters. Courtney Alameda does an excellent job at building suspense and terror in her readers. Forcing you to turn the pages to see what horrors await you at every turn. I don’t know what Stephen King of school the author went to but she does a hell of a job in creating the most horrifying, frightening, blood thirsty monsters imaginable.Shutter is one of the best YA horrors that I’ve read in a long time. And that is saying something. Not too many books in the genre that catch my eye or attention the way this book as. Most often than not YA horror misses the mark. Even the book is too boring or not scary enough for my taste. Not this one. It’s the perfect recipes for success. With all its gory, blood-curling, terror inducing greatness. This is one intense, electrifying god*mn good book.Yes, the main character does some stupid, idiotic thing to get herself and the people around her into a spine-chilling mess but it’s horror. Somebody always does something dumb that opens the gates of hell. This time it’s worth it. I dare you to read Shutter. GET SCARED!Originally posted on creatyvebooks . com

I don't normally read outside of fantasy type genre, but this one caught my eye and I am very glad it did. It is not my favorite book of all time, but it was extremely entertaining. Imagine a serious version of ghost-busters mixed with Van Helsing lore, and you have this wonderful book.Pros:-Friendship. This book gains hundreds of points for having a girl who has guy friends who remain just as friends. There are guys, there is the main character girl, but no love triangle comes from it. FINALLY. It's so nice to have a book that focuses on friendship.-History. This book mixes Victorian superstitions in a modern day setting. The Victorians used to cover mirrors after a death, thinking souls could be trapped inside them. This book uses that thought in a totally unique way.-Imagination. This book was tons of fun. I would love to see it made into a movie.Cons:-The romance. It's only really towards the end, but I found it awkward for some reason. Chances are, that's just me.Warnings:It's hard to have Van Helsing without the church, so it does have a bit of church talk in it. It is very mild, though, so chances are you should be able to see past it even if it is not your religion.

This book was brilliant. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and absolutely terrified. Loved it. I can't wait to read it again!

(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)I don’t read a lot of young adult; I wouldn’t even typically gravitate toward YA horror. There’s nothing wrong with appealing to a younger audience, but I dislike the tropes most tend to fall into. I can almost count them off on my hand: the rebellious teen acting without thinking, the prior loss of a parent(s), and the romance that takes up about fifty percent of the content. This one was no different in regards to those roll-your-eyes clichés. The further I progressed, the more they screamed from the pages. Yes, I’m complaining about a genre that’s not really my thing, because I think young readers deserve more. Why not protagonists that actually use their brain, and don’t rely on their irresistible, and more often than not, beautiful and hunky love interests? I don’t know about you, but as a teenager I never got the boy I had a crush on. I also didn’t entirely understand what being in love meant.I started off truly enjoying Micheline’s crisis, and despite my above rant, I didn’t find this a bad book. It set up a genuinely intriguing world with a rich history involving monster hunters, specifically the lineage of Helsing and Stoker. It reminded me of the Urban Fantasy novels I used to be obsessed with; a paranormal entity causing a ruckus and in need of being destroyed, in the same vein as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There were moments of excitement, and the narrative could reach tremendously absorbing heights. It got a little tedious with Micheline rushing into situations out of her control, but I tried (I swear I tried) to focus on what worked for me.The whole tetrachromat aspect – being able to see the auras of the undead and classify them accordingly – was extremely engaging. I also adored the ins and outs of banishing those creatures using a mirror and lens. Alameda clearly put a lot of effort into the details, for there was a substantial amount of information on those intricate techniques. I do appreciate when an author strives to make their story elements as believable as possible. There’s nothing worse when it’s too far-fetched, without sufficient explanation.The identity of the big bad in the end didn’t surprise me even slightly – with the many hints it was easy to work out. I would have preferred more mystery behind it, because it’s all too common when the reader knows what’s what, and yet the character is still oblivious. That said, I liked the big bad; he had a certain charm.In conclusion: I had my issues with Shutter, but I found enjoyment in the world-building and the perilous adventure. It included creepy monsters, action scenes that were thrilling, and a larger story left open-ended for possible future instalments.Notable Quote:Bloodlines and last names didn’t make a man extraordinary–the extraordinary existed in what we did in life, not in who we were.© Red Lace 2019

Wie so viele Horrorgeschichten basiert auch Courtney Alamedas YA-Roman „Shutter“ lose auf einem der ganz großen Klassiker des Genres, nämlich Bram Stokers Vampirdrama „Dracula“. Mit scharfzähnigen Blutsaugern bekommen es Micheline und ihr junges Geisterjäger-Team in dem Buch zwar nicht zu tun, trotzdem wird man beim Lesen immer wieder auf zahlreiche Anspielungen und vor allem auf viele bekannte Namen stoßen, allen voran natürlich die (Van) Helsings. Mehr als ein Jahrhundert nach dem Kampf gegen den blutrünstigen Grafen aus Transsilvanien ist aus dem Geschlecht der Van Helsings ein mächtiges Sicherheitsunternehmen geworden, das nicht nur in San Francisco, dem Schauplatz der Geschichte, die Rolle der Polizei übernommen hat, da es die Menschheit in zunehmendem Maße mit Geistern und anderen übernatürlichen Kreaturen zu tun bekommt. Wer die unfreiwillige Bekanntschaft mit solchen Phänomenen macht, wählt die Notrufnummer 611 und umgehend rückt das schwer bewaffnete Helsing Corps aus, dem eben auch die Protagonistin Micheline angehört.Von deren Kampfqualitäten und ihrer Furchtlosigkeit kann man sich auch gleich in der Auftaktszene, dem dramatischen Kampf gegen ein übermächtig scheinendes Wesen in einem Krankenhaus, überzeugen, wobei sich hier auch gleich ihr jugendlicher Leichtsinn offenbart. Micheline geht zu viel Risiko ein, der Einsatz geht furchtbar in die Hose und die junge Geisterjägerin hat nicht nur ihren tobenden Vater (seines Zeichens Chef des Helsing Corps) am Hals, sondern auch körperlich lebensbedrohliche Spuren davongetragen. Ein flotter Einstieg in die Geschichte also, der zugleich auch ein guter Gradmesser für die nachfolgende Handlung ist. „Shutter“ spielt überwiegend in der Zeit zwischen Sonnenuntergang und Sonnenaufgang und erzählt über die Zeitspanne von vier Nächten Michelines Kampf gegen das sich immer weiter ausbreitende „Virus“ und die geheimnisvolle und bösartige Entität. Unterstützt wird sie dabei von ein paar nicht weniger draufgängerischen Jungs, mit denen sie seit Jahren eine verschworene Einheit bildet. In dieser Konstellation kommt es natürlich wenig überraschend, dass „Shutter“ wie so viele YA-Horror-Romane ebenfalls nicht ohne eine kleine Romanze auskommt. Diese wird von Courtney Alameda zwar nicht allzu aufdringlich erzählt, sie wäre für die Handlung aber auch wirklich nicht nötig gewesen.Unabhängig davon ist „Shutter“ durchgängig flott erzählt, mit vielen Action-Szenen auch recht ereignisreich und durch die geschilderten Nacht-Einsätze in verlassenen Gebäuden auch durchaus atmosphärisch. Das Problem bei diesem Buch ist jedoch, dass Alameda ein wenig uninspiriert dem typischen Schema folgt und kaum Überraschungen zu bieten hat. Die Charaktere wirken alle ein wenig schablonenhaft (die toughe Geisterjägerin, der gutaussehende Verehrer mit ausgeprägtem Beschützerinstinkt, der herrische und wenig fürsorgliche Vater…) und auch die Story steuert ohne große Schlenker auf den finalen Showdown hin, der zwar ebenfalls spannend erzählt wird, mit dem vermeintlichen Plottwist aber auch nur bedingt überraschen kann. So bietet „Shutter“ zwar kurzweilige Unterhaltung, kann sich dabei jedoch kaum nachhaltig ins Gedächtnis einbrennen und für großflächige Gänsehaut werden die Geisterszenen trotz mancher etwas unappetitlicher Schilderungen auch nicht sorgen. Es ist ganz einfach eine nette „Ghostbusters trifft Dracula“-Variante für das Young-Adult-Publikum – nicht mehr, aber auch nicht weniger.