The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: 09/29/11
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Mystery
Source: Personal Library

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 rooommate, 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. (Summary from Goodreads.com)

I've always loved the intrigue around the Jack the Ripper case. I read Patricia Cornwell's book, Portrait of a Killer, and I watch all the specials that come on the History Channel. Maureen Johnson brings a lovely twist to what might be one of the most well-known unsolved cases in history.

Rory starts out as your average American teenager. Her parents are both college professors who accept year-long teaching positions in England. Rory chooses to attend a boarding school in London. All is going well. Rory's making new friends and settling in nicely, and then she chokes in the cafeteria and sees the bright light. This incident has more of an impact on Rory than you might think. As "Rippermania" goes into full swing, Rory sees the murderer at one of the crime scenes. Not even the CCTVs (closed caption television cameras installed around the city) can catch the murderer in action. Because of this, everyone is more than a little skeptical of her sighting, except for a select few.

I love Maureen Johnson's writing. She can inject humor into any and every situation. You can find it in a character's quirks or observations on their surroundings. Even with murders happening left and right, there's a lighthearted thread that weaves through the entire novel. Johnson also has the ability to provide a lot of information without making you feel overwhelmed. She describes settings in beautiful detail and did meticulous research into the Ripper case. As one of her Twitter followers (a.k.a. one of her jars), I've seen her live tweet the Ripper tour in London more than once. Her descriptions of the scenes in London made me seriously miss this city.

Rory isn't really a kickin' ass and takin' names kind of protagonist. She's really something of an oddball. Her family is all sorts of backwoods crazy. The descriptions and stories about Rory's extended family were some of my favorite parts. As a Southerner, I will say that they were a little stereotypical Swamp People and I'm not sure how they really reflected the actual population of Louisiana. This did not make me enjoy them any less.

I think the book could have used a little more romance. There is some, but it's somewhat lacking in description and I missed that. I wanted to know more about the butterflies in Rory's stomach when she was kissing Jerome. Their first kiss is basically "so that happened" and I was more than a little disappointed because I like to share in the butterflies! It would have been nice to see the relationship grow a little more.  That being said, there are two more books, so why give it all up in the first one. Patience is a virtue that I clearly do not have. I just felt like there was so much attention to the development of Rory's "abilities" and events surrounding them that we lost out on the romance. I like the kissy parts, what can i say.

While this was not my favorite Maureen Johnson book (that spot still belongs to The Bermudez Triangle) it was a great read. I plowed through it in one afternoon and enjoyed every minute. I'm looking forward to more character development in the next couple of books. I think the arc of the trilogy has a lot of potential. I was really satisfied with the first book, but I'm looking forward the next one where we won't have all the explanation. We can just dive right into the story.

For more about Maureen Johnson, check out her website.
She also has a Tumblr.
You should be reading her blog. It's hilarious.