“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.