The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star (Shades of London, #1)

by Maureen Johnson

Thrilling ghost-hunting teen mystery as modern-day London is plagued by a sudden outbreak of brutal murders that mimic the horrific crimes of Jack the Ripper.

"A gorgeously written, chilling, atmospheric thriller. The streets of London have never been so sinister or so romantic." Cassandra Clare, author of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS

Sixteen-year-old American girl Rory has just arrived at boarding school in London when a Jack the Ripper copycat-killer begins terrorising the city. All the hallmarks of his infamous murders are frighteningly present, but there are few clues to the killer's identity.

"Rippermania" grabs hold of modern-day London, and the...

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Reviewed by readingwithwrin on

4 of 5 stars

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Rating 4.75

“Fear can't hurt you," she said. "When it washes over you, give it no power. It's a snake with no venom. Remember that. That knowledge can save you.”

When I first picked this book up to read I was unsure about what exactly was going to happen in it, I knew it was about Jack the Ripper and that was it. What I wasn't expecting was to love it as much as I did.

The first couple of chapters of the book are slightly slow and boring, but if you can get past those then it is all pretty fast paced from their.



What I really loved about this book was the amount of history you learn about the Ripper from the 1888, and how England's police used to work, and when the different branches were started. At points it did get quite graphic when it was talking about the murders and what happened to the bodies.




(show spoiler)

Another part that made me love this book was the protagonist having no idea with to do the majority of the time when it came to dealing with, and handling the problem.



In short if you love well written historical fiction mixed with modern day and a dash of humor then this book is for you.



I can't wait to read the next two books in the series.



See more reviews like this on my blog

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 6 January, 2015: Finished reading
  • 6 January, 2015: Reviewed