A review by chanel_elise
Shutter by Ramona Emerson

dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

This story had potential, a Navajo woman that can see ghosts and her occupation is a crime scene photographer, sign me up! Unfortunately, this fell short. The story could have benefited from more editing, as there was a lot of repetition. Also I can admire a person interest in things that I have little to no knowledge about, but this story spends so much time talking about cameras and photography that it began to make me skim read those parts. Too many characters that did not add value to the story or were quickly mentioned. As for the ghost seeing part, I thought that would have taken the bulk of the story but it did not. 

The book goes from present to past events, alternating chapters of her current job/life to chapters about her upbringing and past. From reading the blurb I thought this book was going to be about a crime scene photographer that solved murders through getting clues from the victims ghost, and then Rita having to find creative ways of exposing the evidence without her explicitly saying “well the ghost told me.” This book is about one case and Rita’s struggle to live in a world that does not take her “gift” seriously. There are some disturbing details when Rita describes crime scenes and then goes on in live as if nothing happened. The tone was just off. 
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