Title and
Author: The Name of the Star (Shades
of London 01) by Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: September 29th , 2011
Paperback/Hardcover:
372
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Summary:
The day Louisiana teenager
Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the
start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be
remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city,
gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a
century ago.
Soon “Rippermania” takes hold
of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses.
Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But
she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at
the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And
more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat
thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about
the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities
Review:
I’ll go ahead and confess Jack
the Ripper has always fascinated me (I even did a paper about him once for my
criminology class) so I definitely had to read this book. I’m glad I did read
it because The Name of the Star is a fun, mysterious and interesting book.
Rory Deveaux is an American
girl who moves to a boarding school in London just when a series of murders
similar to the ones committed by Jack the Ripper start to happen.
As Rippermania takes over
London, Rory thinks she might have seen the man who is committing the murders.
The problem is, she seems to be the only one who did see him. Why is that? And
why does it seem like she became the murder’s next target?
I really liked all the
characters in this book and though they were very well-developed and easy to
like.
Rory is the main character and
she’s very determined, brave and willing to do whatever needs to be done to
keep her friends safe.
Jazza is Rory’s roommate and
she’s very loyal and calm. There’s also Boo who’s completely different from the
other two girls and shakes their lives up a little, Jerome who’s Rory’s love
interest for now, Callum and Stephen who I’m very curious about. I want to
learn more about him
There’s not much romance in
this book but there are some kisses shared between Rory and Jerome.
I really enjoyed this story
and all its revelations, twists and turns. I kept turning pages wanting to find
out what would happen next. Maureen Johnson did a great job giving us
information about the murders and the legends surrounding the Ripper. She also
created the perfect mysterious and a little creepy atmosphere for the murders
which fits the story perfectly.
Another thing I think the
author excelled on was on setting this book in London and describing it as a
city full of stories, beautiful places and an interesting history.
All in all, I really enjoyed
this book. It kept me curious, entertained and intrigued right from the start.
The book is very well-written, the characters are great and the mystery very
entertaining.
There’s a cliffhanger at the
end that makes me happy there’s another book in this series coming out soon. I
can’t wait to read it and find out what will happen to these characters I
enjoyed reading about so much.
If you like a good Young
Adult, Paranormal book centered on an intriguing mystery, you should definitely
give this book a try.
Rating: Somewhere Between Worth Your Time and Must Read (4 ½ Stars)
