Reviews

Shutter by Ramona Emerson

sophiedavis's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

chloebear21's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Blood

Moderate: Violence

oonawoodbury's review against another edition

3.5

This was a solid mystery with some paranormal elements. I liked Rita as a character and how it explored her past and her relationships with her family. Some elements of her character felt underdeveloped like when 2/3 of the way through the book we're suddenly introduced to her two best friends who become major characters in the last third. The pace intercut with scenes from her past was effective for keeping my attention. I would be interested in picking up the next book in this series, and I'm especially curious if it's able to keep up the pace as we will already know so much about Rita. 

likecymbeline's review against another edition

3.0

 Crime thrillers are outside my usual reading, but the ghosts and strong sense of setting in New Mexico caught my attention. The descriptions are gruesomely detailed, from the crime scenes to the violent ends visible in the ghosts that Rita faces, but the concept is equal parts cool and eerie. Rita, a crime scene photographer, can see ghosts - an apt parallel considering the strong history of spirit photography and the belief that cameras can see what people can't (only, Rita can). These ghosts don't always help with the cases, contradicting the official report or dragging Rita to the brink of danger and deathly circumstance. There's great potential for a continued series here, with Rita's good friends, bad habits, and the internal conflict she has with her exceptional abilities. The story itself felt simply told in a way that I expect is common of a thriller, but there were still some good descriptions of scenery or personal journeys that made it stand out. 

august_flower's review against another edition

3.0

True rating 3.7

I really enjoyed reading about Rita’s childhood from her experience in the reservation to navigating life with her gift. The parts of the book that explored her childhood were so beautifully written.

The parts of Rita working the case were not my favorite. I felt the ending was rushed and just thrown together. There were so many loose ends.

rayguntheater's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

rsinclair6536's review against another edition

half read - dnf
It got to the point where the flashbacks to her youth just seemed like interruptions in the whodunit murder mysteries.

lovetoread18's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

cweibel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

coffeeneur's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

Pretty good. Seemed impossible that the main character is the only person in the whole world who can see ghosts, and it also seemed a bit too convenient of a plot device at times. Still, the story kept me turning the pages until the end. I also liked how each chapter was subtitled after a particular camera. The camera angle (see what I did there?) was quite clever. The past to present chapter switching didn't always work for me, especially as the momentum was building in the later sections. It made me less attentive to the chapter taking place in the past, as I rushed to get back to the current action.