Title: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Release Date: September 29th, 2011
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 370
Source: Bought signed copy from Books of Wonder
Series: Shades of London (#1)
Summary (goodreads.com): 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.
My Review:
BRILLIANT! I can’t get enough of Maureen Johnson’s writing. There was a lot of flailing going on as I read MJ’s latest book. There was so much hype for this book and guys the hype is 100% real! NotS is so freakin’ cool! Everything about it, from Rory to her family to her friends, to Jack the Ripper to Shades and to London itself is all written so spectacularly that I honestly just want to awkward hug the heck out of MJ as thanks for writing this fantastic novel! My favorite aspect of this novel is the Jack the Ripper plot line. I’ve always been interested in him, and I was curious as to how MJ would add that into her story. She didn’t disappoint, I can’t tell you how he’s involved but let me tell you that she had me on the edge of my seat for the whole entire book! Another great part about this is Rory, who is a lot like her creator in my opinion. I think Rory is like Maureen Johnson in that she is her own person, she knows who she is and I think that’s wonderful. Maureen Johnson to me means character driven novels and this one fills in with that. I always loved Maureen Johnson’s heroine (Ginny in 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Scarlett in Suite Scarlett to name a couple) because of their jump-off-the-page-personalities.
I also have a soft spot in my heart for this book because Maureen Johnson is my personal Heroine! MJ is an amazing woman who inspires everyone to be who they are and not be ashamed of it! She is the leading force in the YA Saves movement and she’s also a generally fun person. I encourage you to follow her on twitter (@maureenjohnson) because when she tweets it will make your day!
Another reason I have a soft spot for The Name of the Star is that MJ sent me a Jack the Ripper button which I wear proudly on my bag every single day (it says "I SURVIVED JACK THE RIPPER AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS BLOODY BUTTON").
I cannot praise The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson enough so you are just going to have to take my word for it and buy or borrow it from a friend or your local library as soon as possible!! If I could give it more than 5 HEARTS I would, that’s how much I loved this, it could be in its own CATEGORY of LOVELYNESS!
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