Shutter, Courtney Alameda
Shutter, Courtney Alameda
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

Shutter

Author: Courtney Alameda

Narrator: Pamela Lorence

Unabridged: 11 hr 48 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/05/2016


Synopsis

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual. The corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She’s aided by her crew: Oliver, a technowhiz and the boy who developed her camera’s technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that, if she doesn’t exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she’s faced before—or die trying.Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a week.

About Courtney Alameda

Courtney Alameda, a veteran bookseller and librarian, now spends her days writing thriller and horror novels for young people. Her debut novel, Shutter, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and hailed as a “standout in the genre” by School Library Journal. She holds a BA in English literature with an emphasis in creative writing. A Northern California native, she now resides in Utah with her husband, a legion of books, and a tiny five pound cat with a giant personality.

About Pamela Lorence

Pamela Lorence is a seasoned professional in the audio production business and a classically trained singer and performer. Her voice has been featured in video games, museum audio guides, commercials, children’s toys, and dozens of audiobooks. This year she combined her love of reading with her love of audio production and launched Forever Young Audiobooks, a boutique audiobook publishing company focused on producing quality young adult titles. In her free time she’s a volunteer narrator at the Learning Ally, a national nonprofit with a defined approach to help support students with learning disabilities. She also volunteers at the Bridge School, an innovative organization educating children with severe speech and physical impairments.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Heidi on May 24, 2017

Micheline Helsing is the last of the line of Van Helsings, of monster slaying fame. In this version of the tale, Micheline slays ghosts and otherworldly beings by capturing their visages on film, thereby taking away their power and banishing back to the realms where they belong. One night, Micheline......more

Goodreads review by Evie on September 09, 2014

5 stars? PFft! This is a freaking night sky of stars kind of book! Before I try to put my thoughts into a somewhat coherent review, let me just say one thing: no matter what I write, I feel like I will never be able to do this book justice. In fact, I believe only an interpretive dance at the edge of......more

Goodreads review by destiny ♡ on May 30, 2023

Full review coming soon, but this was a lot of fun!......more

Goodreads review by Maja (The Nocturnal Library) on April 03, 2015

4.5 stars I remember starting Shutter with a certain amount of skepticism, cynical soul that I am. In my own defense, good YA horrors are few and far between – mostly they’re just creepy enough to justify the label and not a bit more. But Courtney Alameda proved me wrong in no time at all. By page 30......more

Goodreads review by Giselle on March 30, 2016

An unsolicited Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Micheline Helsing is a descendant from the Van Helsing lineage. She's a hunter of monsters, spirits and ghosts alike. When one of her hunts goes awry and her and her team end up being cursed by a soul-chain, she learns that......more


Quotes

“A fast-paced urban fantasy/horror novel…Alameda’s worldbuilding is strong—this alternate version of San Francisco is dangerous and unpredictable…Readers will be left eager to see what Alameda has in store next.” Publishers Weekly

“A paranormal ghost-hunting story that is a standout in the genre…Micheline is a strong character…The setting is vividly portrayed through detailed descriptions of the shadowy ghost world superimposed on the San Francisco cityscape…[and] there is plenty of action. Frightening from the first page, this novel is sure to please horror fans, particularly those familiar with ghost and vampire legends.” School Library Journal

“With deep roots in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this very modern horror tale features a gutsy heroine and endless buckets of gore…Alameda excels at creating hideous creatures that are the stuff of nightmares. The rapid pacing, advanced technology, and limitless weapons just add appeal for readers seeking a supernatural thriller. Booklist

“Alameda keeps the fear dripping from the walls as she plunges headlong into this full-scale thriller. She invents threatening and gruesome monsters, packs her heroes into seemingly inescapable plights, and adds mystery with the introduction of Luca and the identity of the terrifying ghost. There’s even a bit of forbidden romance. A page-turner for thriller fans.” Kirkus Reviews

“A dark, compelling story and more than enough gore to please the most demanding horror reader. Micheline is a strong female character with complex family relationships and mountains of regret to complement her unique and troubled family lineage. The supernaturally based action never lets up…Recommended for older teen readers.” VOYA