Trust me, I would have loved for my first book in 2016 to be a winner… Sadly it wasn’t, and I never managed to enjoy [b:Shutter|20757532|Shutter|Courtney Alameda|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403198824l/20757532._SY75_.jpg|24502382], mostly because *whispers* I was drawn into the 4 levels of dooooom (no, it’s not really a thing, I do know that, shhh)



How much as I wanted to like it, from the start I felt that something was off with the writing. Perhaps because whole pages read like textbooks.

Welcome to REAPER 101!

”High-powered quartz lenses allowed me to capture light effectively, as quartz conducted a ghost’s electricity and had a high sensivity to fast-moving violet light. Most ghosts succumbed in a few photographs, their energy whittled down shot by shot and sealed into film’s silver halide trap.
Helsing Research and Development optimized my flashes to slam ghosts with flares of ionized light, which broke down the electrons in the air and turned my camera into a lightning rod for ghostly energy. Lastly, my monopod steadied my had and became a melee weapon in a pinch –“

… And so on. Can I mention that she is stalking a ghost at this point? All these scientific speeches were so freaking specific that they made me lose sight of what was important: the PLOT, and urged me to get my hands on a thesaurus.

Not to mention that this wordy and over specific writing emphasizes the lack of dialogues and their fakeness when the characters finally decide to talk together. I mean, who in the word uses a word like unpalatable in a conversation? At 16? One might argue that they aren’t our usual teenagers, and I sure can’t deny that. Yet it bothered me, because in my opinion the (relative) lack of dialogues always weakens the characters dynamics.



More I read and more I realize that I have personal peeves that can completely spoil my reading experience. An invasion of metaphors is one of them, and it doesn’t mean that [a:Courtney Alameda|6983061|Courtney Alameda|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1382822552p2/6983061.jpg]’s writing isn’t good, because I’m sure some readers will read the quotes below and love them. I’m not one of those readers.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the occasional metaphor but GOD they were EVERYWHERE.

The writing didn’t flow, and some sentences let me frowning at my book helplessly : "Anger rasped in the squared breaths he took, the ones for shooting and fighting and not losing your head; it deepened the shadows under his eyes and throbbed in his jugular" THE FUCK?

"Large sprinklers dotted the ceiling like daisies with razor-sharp petals, the same apparatuses I’d seen on the ceilings of Seward Memorial’s Ninth Circle. Those devices sprouted nerve gas in case the necros escaped their pens… but why would they be needed in an evacuation tunnel?"

I don’t know. You lost me at petals. Then at apparatuses (really?).

Definitely too much purple prose for me to enjoy reading.



Ah, Micheline. Micheline Micheline Micheline. I don’t hate you, but it’s allllll about you now isn’t it? Indeed I had a hard time standing how self-absorbed she was. Her safety. The future. The boys’ safety. Her fault, her problems, her her her. For a girl who’s supposed to be badass, she spends loads of time whining. Her friend Oliver shares a great relationship with his father? So unfair, given that hers is an abusive asshole. She drowns in guilt every time a member of her team is injured? It doesn’t prevent her from lying to them and hiding important information about their enemies.

I’ll pass over the fact that she sees every other woman as weak (and Jude’s comments about punching like a girl serve her well) or as a sexual distraction for her precious boys (god forbid the guys develop feelings - I really liked the fact that Bianca resisted and surprised her, by the way) but did she need to dismiss everything that didn't involve fighting kills? Medics are useful too, you know.

Sorry guys, it does seem as if I hated her, yet I really didn’t – she annoyed me more than everything else, but I can’t deny that she was brave and strong-minded. Her inner pep-talk and other self-absorbed monologues just gritted my nerves, I presume.

As for the other characters, I won’t lie and hide the fact that Ryden made my heart beat faster in the beginning. Loyal, protective, not an asshole, what more could one want in a love interest?

… His own personality, perhaps? Given the fact that the guy doesn’t talk (I kid, I kid...almost), more I read and more blurred he became : yes, he loves Micheline (this is obvious from the start), yet what does he like doing in his spare time? What does he think of all these events? What does he freaking do except acting like a bodyguard for Micheline? His whole characterization is centered on his relationship with her and in the end I feel as if I don’t know him. He has no layers. The only things I know about him are,
1) He loves rules and Micheline.
2) He was adopted (sort of) by Micheline’s father for training.
3) He thinks Jude is gross with his dating. Oh, that, he has a strong opinion about how his friend should live his sex life, that he does. *roll eyes*

You sense my frustration? You’re freaking right. And don't get me started about her father. *slaps the asshole*



[b:Shutter|20757532|Shutter|Courtney Alameda|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403198824l/20757532._SY75_.jpg|24502382] is by no means a bad book, though. Indeed I found the plot really interesting and most of my frustration lay in the fact that I wanted to know what would happen but couldn’t handle the writing and the characters. [a:Courtney Alameda|6983061|Courtney Alameda|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1382822552p2/6983061.jpg]a manages to successfully mix classic horror tropes and her take on the Helsing/Dracula myth was really well-done. Trust me, it’s rare that I find myself captivated by a plot when a book isn’t working for me, that’s why I couldn’t rate [b:Shutter|20757532|Shutter|Courtney Alameda|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403198824l/20757532._SY75_.jpg|24502382] lower . If it wasn’t for the info-dumping, the metaphors and the stiff writing, I’m pretty sure that I would have overlooked my annoyance with the characters.



Sadly I was disappointed in the climax which didn’t live up to the expectations carefully built in spite of my other peeves. I would love to state that [b:Shutter|20757532|Shutter|Courtney Alameda|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403198824l/20757532._SY75_.jpg|24502382] was unpredictable, but unfortunately if it was in the beginning, it didn't last. Yes, it was well-wrapped, but not surprising at all and quite the easy road.

► Oh well. My first book in 2016 has come and gone. Still 250 books in my kindle waiting for me to read them (no, I feel no fear *high-pitched voice* At all)

For more of my reviews, please visit:

Oh my goodness I think I have found a new genre to read! Horror and young adult. I haven't seen a horror movie since I was 9 years old and thought I would hate this book. Boy was I wrong. This book was a "I can't put it down thriller!!!!" Even if you think you wouldn't like a book (don't judge a book by its cover) you gotta give this one a chance. Amazing!

The remaining members of the Van Helsing and Stoker bloodlines have created a business of getting rid of all those things that go bump in the night. Micheline can detect auras and with the rest of her crew she finds and exorcises ghosts by capturing their energy on a film roll. On one mission, Micheline and her crew are infected with a soulchain, a curse that will kill them within seven days if they can’t find a way to remove it. There is a small amount of romance in this book with Micheline and one of her crew members, but this plays a minor part compared to the rest of the horror of the book which starts on the first page. This is a strong debut for Courtney Alameda and it will be exciting to see what other creepiness she can conjure up.

The first thing that caught my eye when I discovered Courtney Alameda’s Shutter was the book’s cover. How can you resist something that disturbing?? I knew this book was going to be a wild right, and boy was I right! This book definitely did not disappoint.

The main character in the story, Micheline, is one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage. She’s trained since she was a young girl to capture the undead that plague the living. She has a great team with her three comrades who make up her crew; Ryder, a Harley-riding Aussie who Micheline has loved for forever, Jude, who has a rare ability to predict someone’s death, and Oliver, who is the brains of the group. Working as a team, these four soldiers are a great threat to the undead, not only because of their loyalty to each other, but because of their determination as well.

I have to say, I love every single thing about these four characters. Micheline is quite the badass, pardon my French, but there is really no other way to describe her. She is an excellent leader and her crew respects her. The bond between them is unbreakable. That’s one of the things I loved most about these characters; they are more than comrades. They are close enough to be family, even closer than siblings, and I adored the relationship that they had between the four of them. They were there for each other in a way that a lot of people will never get the chance to experience, and that bond was so special. I loved so much about these four characters, they were pretty awesome. (Although, I think I loved Ryder the most, because he pretty much stole my heart the moment I met him, and because he rides a motorcycle and is Australian. Swoon.)

The storyline for this book was really creative and very fast paced. I’m not a huge reader of horror books, but I love the few that I have read. This book was really scary to read. At one point I was reading before bed, and I had to put the book away because I was afraid I would have nightmares! I loved it! The suspense and tension kept me on the edge of my seat as I flew through the pages. The twist and turns, ghosts and downright horror will keep you hooked. I’m not sure if there is going to be a sequel to this book or not, but if the author does write one, it will definitely be on my to-read list. I feel like there was enough left open at the end of the novel so that there definitely could be a sequel, even though I thought the ending of the book came together very nicely.

Overall; I really, really enjoyed this book, SO much more than I expected to! If you love a good horror story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, you should definitely check out Shutter. For this to be Courtney Alameda's first novel, I think she's off to an amazing start! I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!

Happy Reading!

GHOST HUNTING?!?!!!!!!





Please be good, please be good, please be good.

3.5/5 stars. This book was a roller coaster. At first I honestly hated it. As a 25 year old, normally reading YA doesn't bother me but listening to Micheline talk sometimes was painful. She really embodies the "I know everything" teenager attitude which was frustrating and annoying at many points. As the story progressed I have to say, it got a lot better. The scary parts were really creepy and unsettling and the ending was relatively satisfying, though it leaves a lot of room for a sequel. Her bad relationship with her dad made me very uncomfortable for a majority of the book and at the end I wasn't sure how I felt about it. The romance plot point I felt was unneeded and didnt really add anything to the plot. Pretty decent read overall.

“The problem with a cross is . . .
The problem with a cross is–
They fail the unbeliever.”

Shutter is one of the best Young Adult horror books I have read because it does not fall victim to those aggravating clichés that are usually rampant in so many YA books. The book promises a strong female lead and actually delivers. She can accomplish things on her own and that’s pretty awesome. There is no love triangle. The girl knows who she wants, without ever considering anyone else. And the plot is so good and even though the book reminds me a lot of Hellsing the anime and a few other things, Shutter remains completely unique and fresh.

The characters were all so real and admirable, each having their own little quirks/strengths/and weaknesses. (I have a thing for Micheline’s dad, shhh.) There was one character in particular who didn’t have faith in God or the protection of rosaries which had me puzzled, since ghosts and other beings existed and he had seen/fought these things before. So why not believe everything existed? I also loved how religion was treated in this book. Finally one that didn’t outright dismiss it and make me feel awkward about how it was handled.

The way Shutter ended makes me hope there will be a sequel. There’s a lot to explore in the world Courtney Alameda created. And I want to know more about the mysterious Luca. Is he who he implied he was? Can someone just hurry up and make Shutter a movie? The only question I have the answer to is the question of you asking if you should read this book. My answer is yes.

Call it reaper's insomnia, but the dead wouldn't let me sleep at night. Every time the sun went down, I swore I sensed them stirring, starving.

With that we are introduced to Courtney Alameda's Shutter, a horror novel about Micheline Helsing, a descendent of Van Helsing, who is known as a tetrachromat, allowing her to see and classify ghosts by the color of their auras. She is a member of Helsing Corps, the 611 number you call when the dead just won't stay dead.

I have a duty to do, a duty to others, a duty to you, a duty to the dead, and by God, I shall do it.

I did really like how this book was woven with the story of Van Helsing, and many of the names in the book were taken from other sources, including X-Files (Mulder, Skully, Skinner are a few of the last names I noticed). Being a huge fan of the X-Files it was an easter egg I really enjoyed.

The main character was well developed and kicked some major ass although I did find her a tad bit aggressive to other females and over dramatic at times. I'm also not sure how much I bought into the "forbidden love".

I swore I heard the empty click of a revolver barrel whenever we touched. How many clicks did we get until we hit the live round, until life as we knew it lost and ended up blasted all over the wall?

My favorite thing about this book however was the creepiness.

One larval sac hung over the panels, clinging to the basement catwalk. Though I couldn't see the sac's contents, an eight-fingered hand pressed up against the membrane and flexed, as if reaching for me.

The sheer gore.

When the shutter opened, the corpse sagged. Her skin split, unzipping the crown of her head and rupturing the base of her neck. Black veins laced her flesh. An oil-dark mist gushed from the wounds, drawing a dark line where her spine pressed against her shirt.

Alameda is a very talented writer, and while some of the descriptions didn't work (anemic light? anemic night?), she could do creepy like nobody's business.

This was a book that kept me up late at night and made me check under my bed twice before turning out the lights.

Recommended for anyone who loves a bit of horror. This author is definitely one to watch.

Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.

A YA horror novel that's both lyrical and fast-paced. I loved it!

Great premise well delivered. I like the main character, the romance, the friendship with her cohort of ghost hunters. Standard YA urban fantasy well done. I'm hoping for a sequel.