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 police are stumped with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. In an unknown city with few friends to turn to, Rory makes a chilling discovery...

Could the copycat murderer really be Jack the Ripper back from the grave?

Reviewed by Amanda on

4 of 5 stars

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Original review: http://onabookbender.com/2012/02/06/review-the-name-of-the-star-by-maureen-johnson/

I think I first saw The Name of the Star on Ruby’s Reads. I had no idea who Maureen Johnson was. It sounded like an intriguing premise, so I added it to my TBR list AND started following Maureen Johnson on Twitter. Following her on Twitter only made me more anxious to read The Name of the Star (mostly because Maureen Johnson is hilarious and entertaining). I picked up The Name of the Star for my first Bout of Books 3.0 read, and I was definitely not disappointed.

It took me only a few pages to fall in love with Rory and her dry sarcasm and general quirkiness. Rory’s move and adjustment to living in London was both amusing and believable. I’m always a little concerned about whether culture shock is believable in stories (both because I’ve gone through it myself and because I’ve researched it for my thesis) but it was handled well here. Reading The Name of the Star made me want to go to boarding school in London. And that is something that I didn’t think I would ever say. I did also very much enjoy the side characters. Maureen Johnson has a way of giving the side characters just enough quirks to make them memorable and interesting.

The Name of the Star is both paranormal and a mystery. I didn’t find the story to be particularly scary, though I’m not easily scared with books. I thought the mystery was a slow burner, but one that was eerie and freaky, and addicting, once I really got into the story. I love a good paranormal, but I think what I loved even more about The Name of the Star is that it seemed to straddle the line between paranormal and mystery. I have not read many paranormals where the main (or only) paranormal creature were ghosts, and due to the nature of how the world and the “secret ghost police of London” are set up, Rory’s world is actually quite believable. Though The Name of the Star is the first in a series, there is no cliffhanger (NONE!) and it can easily be read as a stand alone.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 10 January, 2012: Finished reading
  • 10 January, 2012: Reviewed