The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

I am officially creeped out. I stayed up late reading The Name of the Star under the covers with a flashlight, getting creeped out along the way. But hey, at least I finished it! Even though I kind of got a nightmare later... but it was amazing! And I came to a great conclusion: reading > sleep. 3.5 out of 5 bloody stars.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
3.5 out of 5 stars
Published
Summary from Goodreads: 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.

Best thing about this book? The plot. Oh wow, I am in plot heaven. (Literally...) Maureen Johnson has crafted a splendorific plot including, but not limited to, twists, turns, surprises and just a huge dose of creepy. And not to mention all the ghosts and all. I absolutely love the idea of turning Jack the Ripper into a YA story! And I also loved how I couldn't predict the ending! I was so shocked at the outcome!

I also loved the setting. I mean, who doesn't love London? London is the place to be when you write about ghosts or anything else. London is simply the place to be. Now, even though Rory doesn't get to actually see London as a tourist should, it's still a remarkable setting. She does get to tell you about all the cameras though...

However, I thought the romance was a terrible part of this writing. The guy, Jerome, is a very plain character with no charm or personality. In other words, he was okay. But he's not really in the story much, so I didn't see why Rory would be all over him (seriously, she was all over him...) I thought the romance was not necessary. It would have been better off without it.

The only other problem was that it took a long time to hook me. By the time I was hooked, The Name of the Star was already 79% finished. I had to force myself to turn the pages in the beginning. And I don't like to force myself...
But when you do get hooked, you have to flip the pages! Like crazy! (explanation for reading in bed)

So this book was worth the read. Definitely worth it. Just don't get too creeped out and you'll be fine...
Maybe...
Warning: There was a lot of death and gore and creepiness in this book. It's really overwhelming at times. So don't read this book if you get creeped out easily.