Tag: Shutter

Top 10 Books of 2015!

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! Today I’m continuing on with my Top 10 series, and sharing my favorite books of 2015 with all of you. I was very happy with myself, because I managed to read 50 books this year! My goal was originally to read only 20 books, because I knew I would be busy with my schoolwork. Luckily, I made reading a priority out of my hobbies and managed to read some amazing stories. This Top 10 list will includes the books that I read this year, not purely books that were published in 2015. Let’s jump right into my Top 10 Books of this year!

Top 10 Books of 2015!

Honorable Mention | Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon [REVIEW] [BUY]

I’m cheating a bit and including an honorable mention on this Top 10 list because I really enjoyed reading Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. This is a debut novel, and I did find some issues in it, but the story itself was so emotional. I look forward to seeing what Yoon will release next!

10. The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engell [REVIEW] [BUY]

I was so excited to read the conclusion to The Book of Ivy duology by Amy Engell. This is a great dystopian read, with well developed characters and exciting adventure. I know I’ll be re-reading it in the future!

9. An Italian Wife by Ann Hood [REVIEW] [BUY]

I read An Italian Wife early in the year, and I was a bit nervous to do so because it has pretty bad reviews on Goodreads. The book definitely has its issues, but it’s also a book that has stayed with me throughout the year. I’m surprised how often I think about the stories within it, and I really loved the overall message.

8. Binge by Tyler Oakley [REVIEW] [BUY]

Tyler Oakley’s Binge is by far the funniest book I read all year. It truly spoke to me, and I’m so glad I decided to pick it up even after originally snubbing it. If you’re a fan of the YouTuber, you have to get this one! 

7. Shutter by Courtney Alameda [REVIEW] [BUY]

I won a copy of this young adult horror book on Goodreads, and I’m so glad I did! It is a modern day twist on Dracula starring Micheline Helsing, a kick-butt heroine. Shutter gave me the chills, and I was obsessed with it for weeks after finishing it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out!

6. The Martian by Andy Weir [REVIEW] [BUY]

I’m sure you’ve all heard of The Martian! Not only is it one of the most popular books of the year, but it came out as a movie, too. I haven’t seen the film yet, but the book was really cool. It definitely encouraged me to pick up more science fiction.

5. The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley Doyle [REVIEW] [BUY]

Another debut that I was really impressed by is The Accident Season. This is a creepy read for sure, and one that actually got me quite scared while I was reading it late at night. Plus, it has a fun plot twist that I didn’t see coming.

4. We Are Pirates by Daniel Handler [REVIEW] [BUY]

I seem to have read quite a few weird books this year! We Are Pirates is by far the most disturbing book I’ve ever read. I’m not going to say much about it, because I want you all to read it and let me know what you think!

3. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saénz [REVIEW] [BUY]

There are four medals on the cover of this book for a reason! Aristotle and Dante is a uniquely written book with equally unique characters. Whilst the ending was predictable, the journey to the end was one hundred percent worth it.

2. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff [REVIEW] [BUY]

Illuminae was beyond incredible! It is a young adult science fiction novel that is written through hacked document files. The reading experience is completely different than anything else I’ve read. You need to pick this up, trust me!

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn [REVIEW] [BUY]

I know, I was very late to the Gone Girl train. I am so glad I finally picked up this book. It lived up to the hype for me, and is by far the best book I’ve read all year. It is just amazingly crafted. I cannot say enough good things about it!

I hope you enjoyed hearing a bit about my Top 10 Books of 2015! If you’d like to learn more about any title, simply click on the link to my review. The link will either be on this blog, or to my Goodreads profile for older reviews. Please share your favorite books of the year with me in the comments! I’m always looking for my next read.

Book Review | Shutter by Courtney Alameda (Shutter #1)

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Shutter (Shutter #1) by Courtney Alameda

Published by Feiwel & Friends on February 3, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Paranormal

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Goodreads Giveaway

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2


Horror has a new name: introducing Courtney Alameda.

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 techno-whiz 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.

REVIEW

If you are a lover of young adult paranormal, run to the nearest bookstore and pick up Shutter. This horror novel is the first in a new series by Courtney Alameda, and features a great cast of characters as they go on an epic adventure to kill the ghost who has infected their bodies and is literally killing them from the inside out. I raced through this novel, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a dark and thrilling tale.

My favorite thing about Shutter is Alameda’s writing style. She is able to create a dark aura surrounding her words that evokes a real sense of eeriness for the reader. The tone reminded me a bit of the Blood of Eden Series by Julie Kagawa, though the stories are quite different, of course.

Alameda also excels in character development. Shutter has four main characters – our narrator is Micheline Helsing, a descendant of Van Helsing who is trained to hunt the undead. Her reaping team is made up of three young men, Ryder, Jude, and Oliver, who each have a distinct personality. These four characters work so well together, and each is likable both individually and as a team unit.

My critiques of the novel are very few, and they are quite trivial. First, there are a few instances in the novel where traditional gender roles are accepted. However, these moments are fleeting one-liners, and probably only stick out to someone like me who is keenly aware of gender relations in all that I read. I also found the beginning of the novel to be a bit complicated, as the world building threw a lot of vocabulary and technology my way all at once. Luckily, as the novel progressed, I quickly grew to understand the world.

Other than those small issues, I loved everything about Shutter, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series to be released. Whether you love ghost stories, or perhaps you’re looking to break into the young adult horror genre, I highly recommend Shutter. It’s a dynamic read that is sure to keep you turning pages to the very end.

 
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