The Name of the Star

Title: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Published: Sept., 2012
ISBN: 0399256601
Page number: 372
Price: $17.99
Other Books in the Series: The Madness Underneath
Reading Level: 7th grade
Interest Level: 9th grade and up
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal 
Awards: Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adults (2012)
Plot Summary: Rory is following her parents to England to spend time abroad while they take a sabbatical. Rory is attending a boarding school in the heart of London and soon after she starts classes she finds herself at the center of "Rippermania". It seems that someone is recreating the Jack the Ripper murders and Rory's school is near all the murder spots. Then one night when Rory sneaks out to spy on the Ripper she sees more than she bargains for. Rory sees a man that her roommate doesn't and soon after a body is found near the spot where she saw the mystery man. Rory soon becomes the only eye witness in a serial killer case but why can no one else see him. Is Rory just crazy or is something else going on.
Review: The story is an interesting one in that the supernatural element is not introduced right away. This keeps the story interesting as Johnson adds an element of mystery and interest with the introduction of a ghost serial killer. The story is creepy and scary without being overly terrifying. It balances the gore and scare with great characters and some humor. 
Reader's Annotation: Some one is recreating the Jack the Ripper murders in London. Rory is an American going to school in London but being a part of "Rippermania" is not what she anticipated. The killer is striking very close to Rory's school and when Rory becomes the only witness to the possible serial killer Rory gets dragged into "Rippermania".
Book Talk Ideas: Jack the Ripper was a huge media sensation so perhaps using old articles about Jack the Ripper to introduce the story would grab the audience
Issues: The book is violent and features a serial killer ghost.
Bibliotherapeutic usefulness: Serial killers are terrifying and when that serial killer is a ghost bent on destroying you it's even more terrifying. Teens can experience the terror that Rory feels but also the triumph as she helps stop the ghost from killing more people.
Main Themes: serial killers, London, boarding school, ghosts, mystery
Read-alikes: The Diviners by Libba Bray and The Monstrumologist by Richard Yancey
Author Website: http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com/index1.html
Professional Reviews: Kirkus Reviews
Why this book was chosen: The book is a great combination of horror, mystery and the supernatural. This combination of genres is a great way to pull in new readers.