Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star is a fascinating and unique book! It is a bit different from her earlier, humor-driven work, but the writing is just as good as ever, and while the book isn't necessary serious, the mystery of the brutal deaths and the threat to Rory does have a bit of a sobering effect. That being said, there is still a lot of great humor in The Name of the Star, and some fantastic, quirky characters that entertain to no end. Rory is an excellent narrator—she's hardworking, funny, loyal, and when the going gets tough, she's a pretty noble person, even if the circumstances terrify her. The boarding school setting is a great one, with lots of fun and drama, and it's the perfect location for the Rippermania to take place. You'll learn a lot about London and the history of the Jack the Ripper murders throughout this book, and the combination of real facts and places with the special, secret police force Rory becomes involved in (which is a bit reminiscent of the early episodes of the TV show Torchwood) makes this book hard to put down. The Name of the Star is an intriguing, creepy mystery with an awesome setting and a great cast of characters. If the only complaint about it is the cruel cliffhanger of an ending, then you definitely need to pick this one up!
Cover Comments: I like the gray of the cover, the girl's bright hair, and the shadow of the man in the background! Very mysterious!
ARC picked up at BEA signing!
This one comes out tomorrow!
6 comments:
can't wait to read this one!! Great review! :)
Originally, I sort of wanted to pass this one up, but the more I read about it the more I'm interested.
Oddly enough, I don't like the cover, LOL.
But I do like your review
I love this cover, it sounds great, too.
Ooh, hints of Torchwood? I'm there (okay, I've already preordered this one and am waiting breathlessly for it to arrive). Great review! though I do agree with Alex. Not a fan of the cover.
I wasn't quite sure about this book-- I got an ARC of it recently-- because it seemed so different from the author's other work. But you've convinced me to give it a try! I'm sure I'll love it:)
I just finished reading this book today, and am somewhat troubled by the cover. I have NO idea who its depicting.
The protagonist has dark hair, and there are no male characters that look like or are dressed like that.
So I'm flummoxed.
It was a great book though.
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