Book review 29 - The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Pages: 372
Publisher: Speak
Publication date: September 1, 2011
Summary: 
Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him - the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target...unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables.
My thoughts:
Just a fun fact about me: I don't read book blurbs. Whether I've been anticipating the book for a long time, or it's a book I've never heard of, I don't read blurbs. I find they give away too many little spoilers that I would much rather find out. Therefore I am a judge a book by it's cover type of person.
That being said, I chose to read this entirely because I loved Maureen Johnson's story in Let It Snow. That was my entire reason and therefore I had no idea what this book was about.
To put it mildly, I was extremely ecstatic when I realized that this was a Jack the Ripper story. I love to study Serial Killers, I read biographies and true crime books constantly and I study them in school so when I started this I was extremely excited. It did not disappoint.
Johnson managed to include this really unique idea and plot point into a story that I already liked. I would have loved to just read about a Jack the Ripper copycat, but the extra plots and storylines she included were amazing.
Her character building is so well done, I can see how talented Maureen Johnson is just from this one book. Rory is a strong character, and on top of that, she had about 10 minor characters who all managed to have their own personality, which is often times rare to see. 
I will say, one thing that I found refreshing was the lack of love story. Yes there's a minor love interest, nothing major, but it doesn't dominate the storyline. Not even close, and I like that. Not that I don't love some good fluff once in a while, but I really wanted to read a book about something else with no romance and this definitely delivered.
Overall, a really really unique book that was well done. 

1 comments:

Luzia Narvz said...

Incredibly clever, compulsively entertaining cross genre tale that improbably combines Jack The Ripper, English boarding school, Louisiana tall tales, a secret branch of the UK government, the supernatural, and what purports to be a YA coming of age story. At times hilarious, disturbing and crazily page turning, it is surprisingly sophisticated and tons of fun.

Highly recommended BC Web Marketing

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