The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Source: Publisher

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.

I have always been fascinated in Jack the Ripper and I was definitely really excited to read The Name of the Star. I couldn't wait to see what Maureen Johnson would write. Rory is in a new place. She is trying to get used to a new place and find people to get along with. She isn't the most popular girl, but she doesn't hide who she is. I loved her sense of humor and overall her personality is easy to relate to and I liked her. Jerome and Rory were both cute together. I found Jerome's fascination with the murders to be reasonable and even entertaining as he speculated what would happen next. Jazza was a very sweet character and I loved how she genuinely cared about Rory. I loved Stephen, Callum, and Boo. They each have their own personalities and a different back story. Stephen is also very swoon worthy and I can't wait to read more about him as the series continues.

The plot is exciting and full of history and details about London, Jack the Ripper, and the culture. It didn't drag the book, but actually made it more interesting. The descriptions of the East Side of London are full of details and really helped me understand where the murders happened and were happening. The pacing of this book was spot on, I never felt that it dragged or felt rushed. The secret police were very interesting and I liked how the story was a balance between paranormal and contemporary fiction. This story is really unique and surprised me at times. Maureen Johnson's writing is fabulous as always and I can't wait to read more from her. This story is full of fascinating characters, a gripping plot, and a unique premise. I am so excited to dig into the next book in this series, when it comes out. I recommend this book to fans of Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly and Maureen Johnson's previous books. It comes out on September 27th.