Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Shutter

This supernatural thriller is told through a split timeline: half in the present day where Rita is a crime scene photographer and half in the past where she is growing up on a Navajo reservation, fostering a talent for photography and meeting with spirits of the dead. A particularly tenacious ghost- Erma Singleton- keeps inviting harm upon Rita for apparently not working hard enough to bring about justice for her death. Even after Rita is suspended from her job, Erma relentlessly hounds and haunts her, and she starts to piece together the truth of what happened.

I don’t really feel like I know Rita even after finishing the book. Photography seems to run in her blood- her mother and grandmother also were bit by the bug- but I have no clue if she has a passion for it or if she does it but she’s good at it. Part of me thinks her lack of personality is showing readers how drained she is by the ghosts who haunt her.

The descriptions can get grisly, particularly right at the beginning and at the judge’s house. The action takes a big backseat until the last third of the book when it really pops off. I was a little surprised by the ending because

I really thought it would make sense for Rita to die after her prolonged exposure to violent spirits so she can finally be free of their interference but instead she is condemned to life, forever aware of the ghosts of the dead that surround her.

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hayleemarie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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ems_rxlibrary's review

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challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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mayhem9683's review

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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laughatlantis's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book is part haunting & eerie ghost story, part fast-paced & gruesome crime thriller, part love letter to photography, and part insight into Navajo life & culture. Beautifully written, occasionally hard to read because of the depth of content. Fantastic.

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audreylee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was poorly marketed. Yes, there is a mystery but most of the book is focused on the culture and character of the main protagonist. Other than graphic descriptions of the dead photographed for forensic investigations, there was very little mystery related material until the last 70 pages. The writing and character work is fantastic. The mystery, a little less so.

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hcumbie's review against another edition

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Too gory, too scary for me.

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