Maureen Johnson
Published: 2011
YA Contemporary/Paranormal
“Keep calm and carry on.
Also, stay in and hide because the Ripper is coming.”
Can I tell you how much I love Maureen Johnson? This is one of those books I was immediately sucked into. It balances suspense and historical details, and includes the author's typically awesome characters with unexpectedly quirky backstories.
It's the little details: snippets of background on Rory's kooky extended family back in Louisana foreshadow her strange experiences. Her friendship with her adorable roommate Jazza feels genuine, and neither of them make excuses for being smart and studying hard - they aren't boy crazy. There's an underworld of investigators looking into the Ripper murders for completely different reasons than the police - and I'll leave it at that to keep this spoiler-free!
The Name of the Star is the first book in The Shades of London trilogy. The ending has a great little twist and I'm looking forward to the next book.
I really enjoyed this one too. I felt like the atmosphere really made this book and I'm looking forward to more of it :-)
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of this one. Is it set in present day? I don't know why, but the first quote made me think of wartime.
ReplyDelete@Sarah: it's set in present day but has a lot of historical references b/c of the Ripper case.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked this one! It's been on my to-read list for ages. I love books that blend present-day and historical references.
ReplyDeleteI looooved this book. Can't wait for the next one! :)
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