This premise had me interested immediately, but I think it was darker than what was actually delivered. I never totally got any of the character's motivations or what them who they were. Betty's desire in the beginning to agree to the project was the only part that I could see as something someone would do and had some truth behind it. However, the start of this book was engaging and I was interested in seeing what happened next, but it felt like I kept waiting for some major event only to be let down. The ending in particular felt lacking and was too open-ended for me.
Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary copy. This did not affect my review.

Title: Shutter
Author: Melissa Larsen
Publish Date: 2021
Publisher: Penguin Random House LLC
Buy Link: https://tinyurl.com/hvschenc

Book blurb: “This is it. This is what I’ve been asking for, since the first moment he mentioned the movie. The truth. The simple, unadorned, unsophisticated, raw, painful truth.” Loc 3012
Summary

Shutter follows Anthony Marino-director, Elizabeth Roux- Betty/Lola, Mads Byrne-the boyfriend; in a situation reminiscent of the movie Cape Fear with Juliette Lewis and Robert DeNiro.
It’s more based on the original movie from 1962 starring Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, and Lori Martin. Anthony Marino (Marino) was disturbed by the movie but now he wants to use the movie for revenge. Marino wants revenge on Sammy O’Neill- Samuel-the mark. So, he sets up an improvisational movie and brings along Ben as his cameraman/computer man to an island.
Stashing cameras around the island near where the cabin he is filming at to catch all live-action. All the players are in place.
Betty is the lynchpin. Without her, the movie might not work. She is set in the path of Sammy to precipitate events to occur in the film just like in Cape Fear. Along the way, it seems that Marino falls in love with Betty; despite Mads interest in her, she falls for Marino.
Action to the Film
The trio meet and Sammy meet in the film. Although showing interest in Betty appears to only want to clue her in to the type of man Marino truly is. Betty fears him as well as repulsed. By the time Sammy was murdered it was a foregone conclusion that someone would be true reality hurt. And it was more than one person.
Analysis
To be truthful, the title caught my eye. In fact, there are three films since 2004 made with the same title. I have not read any book by this author, so I did not know what to expect.
I gave this book 5 stars. It was excellent. I have notes galore throughout it of parts that made me think or I didn’t that of that or that’s interesting. The constant themes throughout the book were reinvention and revenge. Betty was reinventing herself in life to get to the life she wants. Marino was seeking revenge against Sammy O’Neill for what he did to him when he was younger. Ben, Sofia, and Mads were along for the ride. The true casualties besides Sammy were Mads and Ben. Neither saw Marino in the same light but to them, he was still a brilliant director. Sofia will have a different Ben at home now. And Betty may keep Marino in a romantic relationship.
If you look at Sofia and Ben-that relationship Betty wants to have you can figure out that both Mads and Marino are men she considered to be out of her reach; until her makeover that Marino gives her. But her reinvention isn’t complete until the film is over, and Sammy is dead. Betty is like Sandy from Grease, Laura from Little House on the Prairie, and any female character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All went through makeovers to maintain the life they either wanted or thought they wanted to have.
Mads feels he owed Marino for giving him a chance. But even he felt despite his being a great director, Marino went too far. Mads also felt he could go in another direction acting after this film was over. Ben wanted to work on the film. He felt it would increase his credit and bankability in the film industry. Marino doesn’t disagree.
Marino’s whole life it appears was shaped by a camera lens and that event with Sammy. He became obsessed with revenge. That in and of itself is what to me makes this interesting; he has a whole career that has him the darling of the movie industry. And in one film he could throw it all away in a camera lens.
The ending leaves me the reader wondering if he did as asked. Or if he didn’t. For me, I am not sure I want to answer that question. Yet maybe the point is to really answer that very question- was his revenge tempered by his falling in love and did he throw away his desire for revenge because of that?
I recommend you read this book.
Disclosure: I received this book from NetGalley to leave a review.

Shutter was our bookclub pick for July. It’s the perfect pick for a buddy read as there’s a lot to discuss.

Shutter is a slow burn but Larsen’s writing grabbed me right away. It’s easy to get lost in the pages of this one. I didn’t always agree with Betty’s choices, actually hardly ever did I agree, but the author perfectly captured what it can feel like to be lost in your 20s. It read like a fever dream that had no end in sight.

I was hoping for more horror elements to be woven in. It’s creepy enough that Betty seemed to be the only one who didn’t know what was going on. That aspect was played up a lot and I did appreciate it. Maybe it was because it was set at a cabin on an island, but I wanted something a little more Night Film-esque.

What really threw me, in a bad way at first but now I’m leaning towards good, is the ending. You’re either going to love it and hate it. While I still have a few questions about what the heck happened, judging by past behavior, you can figure out roughly what transpired after the last sentence.

Betty's pain is clearly on display and she runs away from her feelings rather than facing them head on. However, this leads her to making poor decisions and she finds herself in questionable territory.

Creepy, thrilling, and perfect for a thriller. There were times I felt like Betty was one of those blond girls running UP the stairs away from a killer in a horror movie and it was frustrating. At times there just wasn't enough action to keep me, but I plugged along!

If you're someone just starting out on thrillers, read this!

Thank you Berkley for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.

Betty Roux is grieving the loss of her father. She pushes everyone away and flees to New York to become an actress - not because it is her dream, but she can't really think of anything else to do. She is spending time on the couch of a high school friend until fate intervenes. Betty is hired by the famous director Anthony Marino for his new film. She and her roommates travel with Anthony to northern New England and boat out to an island where Anthony' spent his childhood summers. Betty is told very little about the role she'll play, only that she is perfect and she will learn as she goes, and she'll be paid a lot of money. Once they get to the island, Anthony begins to transform Betty in to Lola, the star of the film. This is perfect for Betty who is eager to completely reinvent herself. The more Betty changes, the more questions arise and the more sinister the project becomes. Betty is not looking like such a bad person to be but it may be too late to turn back. Shutter is a suspenseful read. It moves at a slower pace, matched to Betty's sluggish, dreamy state of mind. Readers who enjoy Ruth Ware and Paula Hawkins will enjoy Shutter, as will anyone who loves a good suspense tale. Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC.

This was not necessarily my cup of tea. It was a bit dark, slow moving, and grotesques to my liking. I can see where some people would love this. Trapped on an island with characters thinking they are making a movie. It has all the makings of a great book but it just fell a little flat for me.

I cannot even explain in words why this one did not work for me. I just simply could not connect with the material.

Betty is at loose ends; her father just killed himself and she was the one who found his body. In search of a new life she moves to NYC, moves in with a friend and seeks to make a name for herself. When she is picked to star in an independent film, none of the warning signs flashing at her make her change her mind about starring in the movie; again and again she makes horrible choices all in the search to find where she belongs in life.

I hate to give a negative review...ever. I know every author puts a lot of work into their novels and its for sure something I could never do. That is why usually, if I'm not enjoying a book I will put it down. However, the reviews on this one said the ending was very good and "worth it", so I pushed through. This book was NOT for me. The premise was very exciting and very promising, the execution (TO ME, others may like it!) was too slow and drawn out. The ending was not what I was expecting, and not in a good way. I felt the main character Betty/Lola was quite petulant and whiny and I could not connect with her on any level whatsoever. I was really hoping for a fast paced thriller/horror novel (and I think Amazon even has it tagged as supernatural??) and that is not what I got. Very disappointed with this one.

Shutter by Melissa Larsen read like a guilty pleasure. I just couldn’t look away!

The novel is about Betty, whose father recently passed away. Instead of working through the emotions, Betty takes off for the opposite side of the country in search of escape. She is able to land a role in Anthony Marino’s newest movie which is to be filmed in a remote cabin. Betty is entranced by Anthony, accepting the role without rational thought to what he is asking of her. It seems, there are things Anthony is hiding, but his charisma and expertise allow for Betty to get swept away, even when things don’t seem to be adding up, until it is too late.

Trying to find the words to write a review of this novel has been very difficult. I ate this book up, as I stated, I just couldn’t look away. My fascination came from finding it unbelievable that Betty could be that naive and blinded by her desires for Anthony that she could not see the red flags slapping her in the face. I knew right from the beginning that nothing good was going to come of this role and film in the middle of nowhere. This book was set up for so many thrilling possibilities. However, to my disappointment, my expectations were grander than what was presented. The climax was not as sinister as I was hoping for.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I couldn’t believe the naivety of Betty through it all, but I couldn’t stop watching her, wishing to be able to shake her throughout the novel’s entirety. I just wished for the climax to be a bit more.. Thrilling.

Thank you to Melissa Larsen, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Initially I thought this premise would be interesting. Betty Roux is an aspiring actress, and after her father’s death, she leaves everything behind to move to New York City. She’s offered (through a very questionable set of circumstances) the chance to work on Anthony Marino’s newest project which involves living in a remote cabin in on island in New England and filming a verité style horror movie.

This book was not for me. The characters were not believable, Betty was not sympathetic or understandable, which made her POV difficult to deal with. The rest of the characters were caricatures, and the plot was unbelievable and convoluted. I got drawn into the “hot book of the summer” hype, I guess.

This one started off great for me! It moved along quickly and I was really excited to see where it was going to go. However, I think the buildup was too big for the ending that we got. I wanted more to happen, especially after being told over and over to “just trust” one of the characters.

Shutter is an impressive debut novel from Melissa Larsen.

Betty Roux has never even taken an acting class, but she wants to be an actress. She broke things off with her boyfriend, Tucker, and fled her California home in the wake of her father's death. She has only been in New York a few weeks and is staying, ostensibly just temporarily, with her friend Sofia and Sofia's live-in boyfriend, Ben, in their small apartment. She works as a dog walker, leaving the apartment each morning so that Ben can work there without interruption. She has been steadfastly avoiding her mother's telephone calls.

Luckily, Ben and Sofia know famed filmmaker Anthony Marino, and they agree to introduce her to him. Sofia pretends she has never heard of Anthony, and never saw his film, Reverence, an artsy movie akin to reality television with some scripted elements. In reality, Sofia is obsessed with Anthony and the movie, having watched it numerous times.

And Ben and Sofia are good to their word. They do introduce Sofia to Anthony, who immediately commences an unconventional audition for his new project. It isn't long before Anthony offers the inexperienced Betty the leading role in the movie he tells her will "capture the essence of" the classic Robert Mitchum film, Cape Fear. It is fear itself that he wants to capture on film. The movie will be filmed at his family's summer cabin on an island off the coast of Maine. Soon Anthony, Ben, Sofia, and Betty set out for Maine, stopping to pick up Mads Byrne, a well-known actor who also appeared in Reverence and will portray Betty's boyfriend in the new film.

There are multiple warning signs that should cause Betty to re-think accepting the role. There is no script or even a story outline, and it seems that everyone else involved knows exactly what they have gotten into, but they are keeping secrets from Betty. When she asks questions, Anthony tells her, "It's like a game. You don't understand the rules until you start playing, right?" And repeatedly implores him to trust him because she's "a perfect fit" for the role. Betty is completely enthralled with Anthony and the prospect of transforming herself and her life, leaving her sadness and self-doubt behind forever. When they arrive in Maine and stop at a local store, Anthony insists that she be in character as Lola, and explains that on the island, the whole cabin will serve as a soundstage. There will be no set up shots or rehearsed scenes. The island is isolated, wooded, and has no cell phone coverage. Not that it would matter because Anthony collects the participants' phones. Anthony quickly takes possession of the main bedroom, setting up the second bedroom as his office and relegating Ben and Sofia to the loft. Betty learns that she and Mads will be staying together in a small adjacent cottage equipped with a single bed and no window coverings. Anthony sets about changing her appearance, bleaching her hair and providing her with the clothing she is expected to wear. Betty intuits that there is danger lurking in the island's woods, but Anthony is keeping the truth about it from her. And even though she is supposed to be playing the role of Mads' girlfriend, "it feels like Anthony has claimed me as his. And I don't think he intends to let me go. . . . As nervous as I am -- I don't know -- maybe I'm also a little bit pleased."

Once settled in, the group members meet Sammy, Anthony's childhood friend, who serves as the island's caretaker. He lives on the island with his mother, Mrs. O, the woman Betty met at the store in town while pretending, at Anthony's insistence, to be Lola. It becomes apparent to Betty that Sammy figures prominently, but unwittingly, into whatever Anthony has planned. "And for whatever reason, I feel a little used." Still, she makes no effort to leave the island, always placated by Anthony's assurances that she only needs to trust him.

Betty is both an infuriating and somewhat sympathetic character. She is a young woman who has yet to find purpose or meaning in her life, and refuses to relinquish what she perceives as her big break, even while she knows she is not prepared to be an actress. She is insecure and wracked with guilt about her father's death, and those facets of her personality render her gullible and malleable. Anthony knows how to wield his power and fame to ensure that Betty does exactly what he wants. He preys upon her vulnerability because it furthers his agenda, and she, in turn, is mesmerized by his charisma and cinematic artistry. If Betty leaves the island, abandoning the role she has agreed to play, she has nothing to return to. "I left home. I left Mom. I got in that van. I got in that boat. I'm here. I'm committed to this. I'm Lola now, not Betty." She possesses sufficient self-awareness to acknowledge that Anthony knows she will not deny him what he wants. "He knows I'm going to give him what he wants. . . . I know there is no going back for me. I have nothing except this file. Everything else is gone. . . . I have no money. No real friends. Not even Sofia."

Of course, things go from sketchy to downright deadly on the island and, as they do, Larsen ramps up the story's tension. Larsen skillfully sets the stage, establishing both her characters' strengths and tragic flaws, before she gradually reveals Anthony's master plan and how deftly he has ensnared not just Betty, but also Sofia, Ben, and Mads, in his scheme. Anthony is a person who does not really exist unless he is pursuing his passion -- filmmaking. As Mads wisely notes, "I think he needs a camera to function. Until he sees himself on film, he doesn't know he's real." And Betty understands what Mads means because she is, essentially, the same kind of person, "letting myself go, on film, to find out who I am." One by one, as Anthony's history with Sammy is revealed, along with the force of his ego and self-centeredness, and his intentions come to light, Larsen's characters have to decide how far they are willing to go to support their friend and further their own ambition. Will they compromise their integrity in the name of art?

Larsen skillfully discloses exactly why Anthony selected Betty to be his Lola and uses Betty's first-person narrative to describe her emotional reactions as she figures out what she has become entangled in. The pace of the story accelerates, along with those revelations, as Betty wrestles with the decisions she must make. As events on the island culminate in a chilling, shocking conclusion, one thing is abundantly clear: Betty will be irrevocably changed by what she has experienced. She believes that she and Anthony have revealed all of their secrets to each other. But have they? Who has Betty become? And once Betty decides on a course of action, what will the future hold for her?

Shutter is a riveting, nuanced, and thought-provoking psychological thriller from a promising new contributor to the genre.

Shutter
Melissa Larsen

Thank you so much for the Netgalley eARC copy of this book for the blog tour.

Shutter by Melissa Larsen is a great debut full of exciting twists but in a slow burn kind of a way. I thought that the dark atmosphere was well written that did give me the creepy vibes while reading this book. But more than that, the characters were very well thought out in a psychological thriller premise that slowly unravels through the story in a very complex way. I found that to be the highlight of this book in that the writing will really draw you in.

I thought this was a phenomenal debut I enjoyed.

This was a story of a girl getting her chance to become a star. And she wants it. Running from her own grief over a loss of her father to suicide, Betty runs to the big NYC. With some help from her childhood friend, she gets a chance to act for a big shot producer, Anthony. He has a vision, but doesn't really want to share it with his star. To make it more realistic, to feel like every decision in the acting would be real, created by real feelings, etc. Betty seemed like she got herself involved in something dark, as every other person involved in the making of this movie know what is happening, but her. I don't want to go any farther than that, as not to spoil anything.

An intriguing story, that drew me in in the beginning. But I was hoping and waiting for something. Something shocking or dark to happen, and it never fully pulled the trigger for me. It ended up being more of a character study, how far can a person go and for what reasons. Had lots of potential.. but the slow burn seemed to just dwindle out by the end for me.

Following the death of her beloved Father, Betty Roux needs an escape. She packs her bags, severs her ties and flies to New York City, with dreams of becoming an actress. Once there, she phones up her old friend, Sofia, who she knows has found some level of success behind-the-scenes in the film business.

Sofia and her live-in boyfriend, Ben, are more than happy to take Betty under their wing and she begins to stay at their place; walking dogs to make ends meet. Before too long, they offer to introduce her to the mysterious filmmaker, Anthony Marino, a man they have worked with in the past and have a friendly relationship with. THE Anthony Marino.

Upon meeting Betty, it seems Anthony has discovered his new muse. He offers her the starring role in his next project. She's flattered, but also a little uncertain. She didn't even audition and has no experience, what does he see in her? Who is she to argue with genius though? He clearly knows what he is doing, so Betty agrees to step outside her comfort zone and take on the role.

The project is the be filmed at the Marino family property on a private island off the coast of Maine. From the very start, Betty is unclear about the specifics of the whole thing. Anthony tells her it will be loosely-based upon the classic film, Cape Fear. It's to be filmed more like a lightly-scripted reality television show versus a traditional film. The bare bones crew, which includes Ben, Sofia and the man who is to play Betty's on-screen boyfriend, Mads, travel to Maine with the hopes of capturing all the footage they need within a month.

Prior to filming, Anthony assigns Betty a new identity. She is now to go only by the name, Lola; he is hoping that will allow her to let down her defenses and evolve into the character he is looking for. Events on the island spiral quickly and Betty begins to wonder what exactly she has gotten herself into. She should have listened to her Mother.

Betty was one of those characters that I quickly grew frustrated with and there was never even a glimmer of hope of her redeeming herself. In and of itself, that's fine. I don't need to like the characters in the books I read. In fact, I frequently enjoy books where the entire cast is unlikable. It all depends what those unlikable people are doing. It needs to keep me engaged. It needs to be sinister, it needs to be wicked, wild, intriguing; give me something!

This felt so bland to me; top to bottom. The narrative style did not suit my taste at all, there was no sense of place, no atmosphere. I couldn't have cared one way or another about Anthony Marino, or his petty film project.

At the end of the day, while the synopsis sounded intriguing, the execution fell well below my expectations.

As I always say, however, there is a Reader for every book and a book for every Reader. Just because this didn't work for me, does not mean it won't work for you. If you think it sounds intriguing, give it a go!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to vent provide my opinion.

This book immediately intrigued me by the spookiness of the cover and the synopsis, I was definitely getting Friday the 13th vibes. I was expecting to read something so horrifying that I would have nightmares and be forced to sleep with my lights on, head tucked tight under my covers. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case for me with this book.

Beth has left her hometown to move to New York City after her father passes away from suicide and to get away from her neurotic mother that tries to control her entire life. There she meets Anthony Marino who she is low-key obsessed with after watching his movie (even though she tries to play it off that she hasn’t seen it). As her luck would have it, Anthony is filming a new movie and is in need of an actress and she auditions and receives the part. After arriving at a private island and realizing there’s no script and there are cameras literally everywhere Beth starts to feel hesitant about this movie and her part as a pawn in all of it.

I kept waiting for something exciting to happen as they were supposed to be filming a horror-esque movie but most of the book was very slow and nothing too exciting happened. It wasn’t until the end when things started to really pick up and get twisty but I wasn’t impressed by any of the twists, I was expecting more of a heart racing, whirlwind thriller and this one fell flat.

Beth’s character irritated me throughout the book with how naive and obtuse she was being. I understand she was still reeling from her father’s death and trying to make it on her own but girlfriend’s radar was telling her things weren’t right a lot in this book and she chose to ignore it all. I also didn’t understand her obsession with Anthony. He was so cocky and self-centered with a certain “charisma” that I guess was appealing to her but turned me off from his as a character.

The idea behind this story is why I’m giving it two stars instead of one, the premise was great but the follow-through didn’t work for me.

*Many thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for the free copy for my review*

Thanks berkley and prhaudio for my digital and audio copies.

This one was hard for me to review. I really wanted to love this one, but at times I found myself losing interest and being ready for it to be over. Other times I found myself really enjoying the story. I thought the story had a strong beginning, but just fizzled towards the end.

The narrator was great in the audio version , but I wasn’t a fan of the main character. It’s hard for me to enjoy a book when I can’t connect with the mc. I found her so frustrating through out. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t get into why.

I was hoping for a more sinister story, but I didn’t really get what I was looking for. I would still check out the authors next story, and hope that you give this one a read or listen and let me know what you think.

I think this would be a great book for classic horror movie lovers.

With a strong sense of foreboding and a steady, slow burn, this was one I struggled to put down and couldn’t wait to pick back up!

After her father’s death by suicide, Betty moves to NYC to escape her old life and redefine herself. She crashes on her friend Sofia’s couch until she can meet with Sofia and Ben’s director friend Anthony to discuss his upcoming project. When Anthony and Betty meet, the chemistry is instant and Anthony knows immediately that she will be perfect for his new film. But when they arrive at the location and there is no script and no plan, yet everyone else seems to know more about the plot and film than she does, Betty starts to wonder if she hasn’t made a huge - and dangerous - mistake.

This book was definitely a slow burn and I wouldn’t recommend for anyone who needs an action driven plot. The suspense builds on every page but really doesn’t come to a culmination until the book is nearly finished. This also isn’t a novel that’s tied up with a pretty bow at the end. I loved the loose ends and questions that Larsen left the reader with though I know that will be a point of contention for some readers!

I didn’t love Betty’s character or necessarily feel or understand the chemistry between her and Anthony but I thought it all worked well for the storyline. I often wondered at the decisions Betty made and her self consciousness and mistrust felt authentic, particularly given her history.

What I loved most about the story is how unique it was. I’ve really never read anything like it. I loved that they were creating a movie (it felt super Blair Witch Project to me!) and though it was supposed to be a “reality” horror film, we had no other details. This technique really kept me flipping pages and eager to learn to more.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

Betty is "tall, thin and lost." She's just Anthony Marino's type. Anthony is Hollywood's it boy and he thinks Betty is perfect for his new project. He offers her $40,000 to join the film which has no script and will require her to change her appearance and spend a few weeks in a remote Maine cabin with the very small cast. For a young, broke actress looking for her big break it sounds like the perfect summer project.

The writing is very atmospheric and builds a clear picture of isolation and creepiness as they arrive at the cabin. Between booze and bad weather, Betty's paranoia about what this project actually is begins to hit a fever pitch. She's dealing with her father's recent suicide and her demons make her much more accepting of the red flags she sees in Anthony. All throughout the story she is balancing between her growing feelings for him and her unease at just what this film is rooted in.Is it a creative project or a harsh dose of revenge?

The writing was good, there were times where I was as suspicious as Betty and times where I was just thinking you signed up for this and all you've done is complain. The story crosses a line from creepy to violent and it doesn't look back. The movie within the story is based on Cape Fear and I'd say that it does a great job of encapsulating that madness. I was waiting for a bigger twist than the ones that happened. Truly I would label this one more as horror than thriller but if you like creepy revenge stories then this one will be for you.

Thanks to Berkley Books for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.