Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Solid YA mystery features violence, profanity, abuse.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Harlan Coben's Shelter
What's the Story?
HARLAN COBEN'S SHELTER finds teen basketball phenom Mickey Bolitar starting a new school after a car crash kills his father. Fascinated by a creepy old house on his block, Mickey and a ragtag group of school friends find themselves involved with the "Bat Woman" who lives there and a decades-old mystery that may have originated with Mickey's father.
Is It Any Good?
Coben's mystery novels have been a surprisingly great fit for this age of streaming dramas. Harlan Coben's Shelter boasts many of the same elements that make Coben's string of Netflix miniseries (including Safe and The Stranger) so successful. The plot is layered with various mysteries, small and large, with the emphasis not only on whodunnit but also what was it and how does everything fit together. The difference here is that Shelter is geared toward a young adult audience. The action is seen through a teenage perspective, and the show has license to be a little more audacious than typical adult mysteries.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the mystery. What questions are raised in the first couple episodes of Shelter? What mystery does Mickey want to solve? Are there any clues? What do you think happened?
How do characters communicate in this story? What does good communication look like, and how does it affect the characters? What are some examples of bad communication? How do lies or other forms of deceit affect the characters?
How accurate is Shelter in its depiction of high school? What are some things that are familiar? What are some ways the show distorts the high school experience?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 18, 2023
- Cast : Jaden Michael , Adrian Greensmith , Constance Zimmer
- Network : Prime Video
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : August 31, 2023
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