libraryadvokate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
internationalkris's review against another edition
4.0
A great crime thriller with plenty of excellent Navajo references. It was a bit gorier than I was initially ready for but as the main character is a crime scene photographer that goes with the territory. She is an expert at seeing and has to look closely. I hope that the author writes the protagonist into many more books. I will be happy to revisit Albuquerque and northwestern New Mexico again.
beverlie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
vickycbooks's review
I'm not generally a fan of modern crime novels, but I enjoyed how Emerson wrote Rita's story. Even though Rita is a very level-headed protagonist she also goes through some really stressful experiences and this makes the book also a little bit stressful to read at times. I think Emerson did a good job of developing Rita's situation in the novel but I also felt like there was an excessive number of flashbacks. Maybe I'm overly biased because I'm not a fan of flashbacks in books, but I felt like even though there was a lot of character building, it also just wasn't super relevant to the main plot. For a lot of the book I was very interested in hearing what happened to Irma and having that part of the plot push forward. But after almost every chapter, we essentially jump back in time to Rita growing up and getting new cameras and changing her relationships with her mom and her grandmother and people in her community.
I think people who enjoy really solid characterization developed through flashbacks will enjoy SHUTTER. Charley Flyte did a great job narrating the story and especially conveyed a lot of the urgency and the fear associated with the ghost very well.
Thank you very much to Libro.fm for providing the complimentary copy! I listened on 2 to 2.5x speed.
I think people who enjoy really solid characterization developed through flashbacks will enjoy SHUTTER. Charley Flyte did a great job narrating the story and especially conveyed a lot of the urgency and the fear associated with the ghost very well.
Thank you very much to Libro.fm for providing the complimentary copy! I listened on 2 to 2.5x speed.
Content Warnings
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
death, gore, murder, drug use (recreational), drug trafficking, police, terminal illness, death of a parentaclopez6's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this and am glad that I listened to a patron's recommendation to check this out! My hope for Emerson's next book is that the mystery might be more complex, and if the same characters are featured, the grandmother is given more depth.
chanel_elise's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, and Child death
erinsbookshelves's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5