A review by diannastarr
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island chronicles U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels' four days investigating the Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane.  It focuses on the narrator, Teddy Daniels', narrow perspective while on the hunt for inmate Rachel Solando: an acclaimed murderess who's escaped the premises.  Lehane's ability to curate the atmosphere is, by far, the strongest facet of this piece.  It is gritty, it's somber and he creates this ever looming dread for something that Teddy and you, the reader, can't quite identify but know deep down that it exists, it's there, and it's not going anywhere.  Personally, I found the novel's grand twist to be rather predictable, as
I saw the Rachel Solando's name and thought that it was curious how similar the name looked to Teddy's deceased wife, Dolores
but all in all, it was a good read and helped me pass the time.  A coworker actually wound up lending it to me and, like Teddy, I divided up the chapters into four days.  
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