This book was good, creepy fun. It didn't blow me away, but it kept me entertained most of the time, and felt like a solid introduction to what I assume is a new series (I'd be shocked if this was a standalone, though pleasantly surprised.). I'd read a second book if one came out.

Observations
- The Helsing group was interesting and fun, and I would've liked to have seen a bit more of it (our protagonists are flying outside of 'the law' most of the time). I don't know much about the Dracula history, so I probably missed some finer 'oh, nice!' moments and deeper mythology, but I didn't feel lost.

- The idea of the camera capturing the ghost energy was different and I enjoyed the concept. But the execution of the action scenes with the mirrors and the tetra-ing and the antimirrors just didn't quite work for me. There was a lot of mumbo-jumbo that I had to read through carefully to follow along with, and it made the action scenes slower and somewhat confusing at times. This is one of those areas that I think a visual media would've worked better (I also wonder, would it look sort of...cheesy, too, if I was watching instead of reading? Flashing a camera at a ghost...intellectually not that scary looking.)

- Those cobbled together corpse-scorpions...OMG, haunt my nightmares much? With all the other freakier monsters roaming around, I kind of wanted more info on them than our run-of-the-mill (albeit powerful) ghost killer. Micheline said she'd never seen something like that before - then how did it come to be?? Is this going to be a thing in a future book, perhaps?

- Shallow alert: I couldn't stand the name 'Micheline'. I haven't had to encounter it much in my life, so this is probably the first book I've read that used it for a main character...and I want it to be the last. I looked up the French pronunciation to be sure I was reading it right, but that didn't make me like it any more. It kept catching my eye in a bad way, since my brain seemed to WANT it to be Michelle. It also kept bringing to mind the brand of Michelin tires, which is not something I ever really want to read about in my fiction books.

I think the horror teen genre just is not for me, but I think there was potential here and some of my students would enjoy it!

This book was October's pick for my library's YA for Adults book club.

I loved this book! It had a very unique take on ghost hunting and the after life. I loved all the connections with Bram Stoker's Dracula; especially the little details you could miss if you weren't paying attention. I really hope Courtney continues with this story line!

This was a really good read. There were lots of unexpected plot twists, and the main character was actually smart (I mean, a couple of times, she runs head on into danger when she really shouldn't, but growing up a Helsing, I figure that's bound to happen). She made decisions I would have in her shoes, whereas normally, main characters are oblivious to the obvious and make really stupid choices that make me root for the antagonist. So this was refreshing and awesome.
Also, I loved the world building. A world where Bram Stoker's Dracula actually happened? SO. COOL. Turning it into more of a scifi book than fantasy? THIS IS WHAT I LIVE FOR. I loved the science of it, the tetrachromats, the Obscura, the "royal families" of the original characters in Dracula (Helsing, Stoker, Harker, Seward, to name a few). Alameda built a world that I completely believed, and it was wonderful.

There were a few loose ends at the finish of the book that I wish were tied up. It wasn't so much that she'd need to write a sequel, but there will be questions, like an itch, sitting in the back of my mind. She probably did it on purpose.

Spoiler

One thing that I struggled with, however, was the ending relationship between Micheline and her father. I'm aware that she grew up in a very physical family--she was constantly fighting ghosts, her father was constantly fighting ghosts--so I guess there would be less gravity to the fact that her father punched her in the face. But even if that was excusable (and personally, I don't find it so), what about her cameras? He turns into the friggin' Hulk and destroys every piece the one materialistic thing that she loves--even a gift from her dead little brother--and it's supposed to be all better at the end because he offered to buy her new ones? I mean, if her bathroom door wasn't so sturdy, he could have broken it, and Micheline, in the process of his rampage. Abuse is never okay. I don't care if you're a vampire hunter, or whatever, you don't punch your teenage daughter in the face. End rant.

That said, some of the stuff that she "wrapped up neatly" also kind of annoyed me, for some reason. The solutions she came up with seemed to nice, too perfect.

Spoiler

Oliver forgets maiming his girlfriend, and he's going to build her new eyes. Everything's fine! Ryder, even though he should be dead five times over, isn't (hurray!), and now he and Micheline are allowed to date, and her dad can't say anything about it! Yay! Also, the guy that she was kind of engaged to (in an unofficial arranged marriage) is totally okay with it!

Last but not least, I loved the angle on the antagonist.

Spoiler

I think I guessed for like a second that the "entity" was her mother, but for some reason, it never stuck, making it a surprise when we realize the truth. I loved that the "evil" Micheline had to conquer was someone she loved, someone who she had to defeat physically, violently, and then, finally, tenderly, with her heart bleeding and open. And Luca? I thought he was a side character, and then, suddenly, he steps out of the shadows to be revealed as the true evil mastermind. And nevermind Luca's real identity. Oh em gee. Luca came out of NOWHERE and I was taken by surprise.

4.5 stars

Review to come.

this book is good beyond words i just love every second of if micheline helsing is my hero shes amazing this is by far my favorite book of 2015 so far i would reccomend everyone read this i dont even know where to begin to describe how amazing this book is its a work of bloody art

I could not put this book down. I read late into the night, early this morning, even on my lunch break. Now that I've finished, I am definitely hoping for a sequel!

It was ok. Shutter started off really slow, but it did eventually pick up. It wasn't scary or creepy, somewhat interesting enough to finish I guess. From the synopsis I was extremely excited so that contributes to my disappointment when it didn't turn out so great. I'm glad I didn't buy this one.