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

by Maureen Johnson

Overview

New York Times bestseller Maureen Johnson takes on Jack the Ripper in this captivating paranormal thriller!

The day that Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out over the city, killings mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper spree 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—the only one who can see him. And now Rory has 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142422052
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/02/2012
Series:	Shades of London Series , #1
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Maureen Johnson is the author of many young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Let It Snow. She lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

Over 100 years after the Jack the Ripper murders occurred in London, the violence and the mystery of the acts continue to consume people's imaginations. When Rory arrives in London to attend school for a year, the first copycat Ripper murder has just occurred and Ripper Mania is beginning to take hold of the city. Coming from the New Orleans area, Rory finds herself in the center of a new world, forced to make new friends, quickly adjust to a new school and new culture, and thrust into the center of the new Ripper murders. Johnson has written an intriguing, thrilling mystery that presents fascinating characters, a hundred year old mystery with an intriguing twist, and makes the reader wish they were in the middle of London with the characters. While the focus is on the Jack the Ripper murders, the novel does not disclose extremely gruesome details, but does describe the murders, both current and historical, in some detail. This gripping novel will appeal to history buffs as well as fans of horror and mystery fiction. Reviewer: Danielle Williams

Children's Literature - Danielle Williams

When Rory Deveraux's parents take a sabbatical to England during her senior year, she chooses to spend it at boarding school in London. But it just happens to be the same time someone is copying Jack the Ripper's famous 1888 murders near the very school Rory attends. The more London and all of England get swept up in "Rippermania," the fewer leads the police have. But then Rory sees someone. Is he the new Ripper? Why did no one else see him? And what will happen to Rory now that she's the only witness? As Rory's journey takes her above and below modern London in this exciting read, it's easy to get swept up with her. From romance to mystery, humor to suspense, and everywhere in between, Johnson's story of an American teen with amazing capabilities is a worthwhile read. Reviewer: Kate Mitchell

Kate Mitchell