Karrie's Kritiques rates this 5 stars...

I truly enjoyed every minute of this book! I wish I could have had a sequel to look forward to! The narrator was believable as a young female and managing to incorporate the tale of Dracula into the story was a delight! And of course, Van Helsing was wonderful as well. This has been one of my favourite Audible Books thus far so I feel like I have a duty to let others know that this is not one to pass up!

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Loved it!

This was honestly a really great listen! Loved the action and adventure. Give it a listen!

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Cool idea and creepy

I haven't read a creepy book in a while and this was a lot of fun! First off, the four main characters had such a great bond and I envy their friendship. Micheline and her boys are always there for each other and would give their lives to save the others. That kind of friendship isn't too common and I loved seeing them interact. Also, Micheline and Ryder's romance was so sweet and I definitely ship them.
The ghost part was cool, but I wish there was more of it! I wanted more in depth about the different kinds, as well as the other monsters they hunt. I thought the explanation of using cameras and mirrors to trap a spirit seemed pretty plausible and was a unique way of ghost hunting.
Micheline's relationship with her father was rough and struck a chord with me. His controlling and abusive behavior made me so angry on Micheline's behalf and I was proud of her for standing up to him.
Overall, I had a good time listening to this and if you're looking for a good horror/paranormal book, check this out!

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Refreshing

I went into the book expecting Van Helsing meets Fatal Frame and discovered a world far vaster and more diverse. Van Helsing, dr. Seward, the Harkers and Stoker went on from the face off in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and truly took fighting researching and fighting the supernatural to heart. The author goes in so many refreshing new directions with the ‘rules’ we all know from monster movies, turning them on their heads. The world building is well done, as are the characters and that suspense that keeps you glued to the story. If I’d had access to this book when I was a teen I’m sure I would have been obsessed.

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Wonderful

Great listen especially for young adults! Highly recommended for all age groups though. Couldn't stop listening!

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it's good but needs a second book so bad.

I'm gonna try and review this and not spoil anything.
They say the Necros are evolving. they basically threw that in the garbage cause you never hear it again, or as to why or what causes it.
They throw one of the main plots in the garbage and it doesnt even end. it's like we will find it. Why, why set it up for a sequal and not write one 😆.
like this book does end kinda but not fully even though they literally could of! They literally could of resolved everything then the author was like nah lmao.
The plot twists are amazing.
The story was so good.
I loved this book.
it has like 90% conclusion but still leaves more for some weird reason and I cant give it 5 stars because of the plot holes it left behind.
the person that does the voice has the most monotone voice I've ever heard lol. she has like 2 voices and both are monotone.

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Great clean fun

Ghost aren't usually my thing, Zombies are!
However I really enjoyed this world. Jude, Micheline, Ryder & the rest of the gang are pretty bad ass.
The book would be great for teens. No sex & no cursing that I can remember.
The world created is very well fleshed out. I love that the Van Helsing, Harker & other vampire genre lineage fill up the cast. There is even a sweet love story for all the romantics. I am pretty certain there could be a sequel continuing this story line or creating a new one. Not to say there is a cliff hanger because it is pretty well wrapped up only a few ends not so tightly wrapped.
Courtney is set to be a great story teller & I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Pamela did an excellent job as narrator.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Boom.

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3 people found this helpful

Utterly Wonderful

Shutter is modern day Gothic horror at it’s best. Quick to pull me in and keep me enthralled with moody language and hauntingly creepy scenes.

Micheline Helsing is a part of the legendary Helsing corporation which takes on the undead head first. She’s headstrong and a bit brash, and after some rather horrifying events of her past she wants to prove to herself and others that she can hold the Helsing name on her shoulders. She is also tetrachromat, meaning she can see ghost light and tell what sort of undead she and her team will be dealing with. I found everything about the technical aspects fascinating; from the ghost light to the use of mirrors and silver in luring and trapping the entities. There is a bit of a romance angle, and in a gothic horror that’s to be expected, but it is one that hogs bunch of page time. Instead we get plenty of time to see them work together and build upon their relationship slowly. I really love Ryder ad Micheline together. They both know their strengths and their weaknesses, and despite the danger around them they know that they are both capable hunters. That’s really I ever ask of romance in YA. I just want the chemistry to be strong and for them both to understand each other limits, no over protecting and no constant ‘saving’ of a character who can handle themselves a vast majority of the time.

The world building is pretty phenomenal in my opinion. I love seeing the frame work of Dracula being built upon and used in a really cool way. The Helsing’s, Harker’s, Seward’s, and Stoker’s are all prominent and important families responsible from the creation of the Helsing corps and the medical facilities used to prevent infection and stay on the cutting edge of ghost light tech. I think the coolest thing about this is that all the added tech it never loses it’s Gothic moodiness. Even the more modern horror elements really fit well with the mood and atmosphere, so not only do you get that gloomy and creepy feel to the entire story but there are some genuine freaky parts that i wouldn’t recommend to the feint of heart. I’m sort of in love with the monsters in this, as weird as that may be. The necros are terrifying and gross, but there are a few scenes that involve them that I’m kind of happy with haunt my nightmares.

The narration is another big accomplishment for me. Pamela Lorence’s treatment of the book is clean and crisp, with plenty of attention paid to the perfect amount of emotion. She keeps the story moving at a nice clip and really knows when to slow down and focus in on those tiny little atmospheric details.

I’m so glad I requested this one! I finished it up in a matter of two listens and immediately wanted to buy a physical copy for my shelves! I’m looking forward to more books by Courtney Alameda and more audios from Pamela Lorence.

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2 people found this helpful

A very interesting concept

I really enjoy books having to do with hunters of the supernatural. I especially enjoyed that it had to deal with the descendants of Van Healing and his team. I liked that there was a darker side to the book while keeping some humor to the story. The only thing that caught me off guard was that it sort of turned into a teen heartthrob novel. Besides that I really liked listening to this book.

The narrator for this book had a very good voice but I was disappointed that it never really changed throughout the book. All the characters sounded the same so I had a hard time knowing what character was speaking. Also her volume never changes when it came to exciting or tense parts of the story.

I received this audiobook from the author narrator or publisher for free via audiobookboom in exchange for an unbiased review

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Amazing

I loved this book. I loved the subtle ties to the original Dracula book while still developing a whole new world. 10/10

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