The Name of the Star Book Review

So the reason I bought this book was because I’m going to a signing in London next weekend for Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson so I thought I’d check out some of the latter’s works. This will actually be the second time I’ve seen Johnson, the first time was because I was in the area and nearly got run over by a fire truck, so I was sat at the back of the room (this was October 2011, maybe some of you were there?) listening to her talk about ghosts and not really knowing what was going on. I had intended to try and get a copy of The Name of the Star there but there was a veritable flood of eager tweens so I slipped away.
It has to be said horror and paranormal isn’t what I usually go in for, the last time I read a ghost related series it was Meg Cabot’s Mediator series which I can remember liking at the time but I couldn’t tell you anything about it now, apart from the fact that the girl falls in love with the ghost and it ended happy because it wasn’t going to end sad.

The Name of the Star is written from the first person perspective of Aurora ‘Rory’ Deveaux who goes from Louisiana to Wexford, a mixed-sex 6th form college (-college here meaning “school for seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds.”) with two houses (dorms), Hawthorne for the girls and Aldshot for the boys. Rory touches down in London on August 31st in the wake of a murder ‘in a manner emulating the first Jack the Ripper murder of 1888…’

Now I went to a school like Wexford so I’m sure you’ve had that feeling reading a book that’s set on familiar turf and comparing the experience. I think Johnson managed to capture the atmosphere and explain it and make it relatable for anyone who hasn’t had that experience. You’re also reminded just how current this book is when one of the characters, Charlotte, wears Amy Pond’s kissogram outfit for the fancy dress party. She’s only been a companion since 2010.

Back to the book, Rory nearly chokes and it’s explained that a near death experience combined with a pre-disposition has left Rory with the ability to see ghosts. On September 8th, the date of the second Ripper murder, Rory and dorm-mate-turned-best-mate-Jazza are sneaking back into Hawthorne and Rory sees a man that Jazza can’t.

After this Rory and Jazza gain a new roomie, Bhuvana ‘Boo’ Chodhari. Shortly after Boo arrives Rory finds herself getting mixed up in a world she never knew existed and on top of that, the ‘Ripper’ turns his attentions on her.

Although an interesting idea I personally found the book a little slow to start, not that we weren’t getting a feel for Rory and there was plenty of information and facts about the original Ripper murders that even someone who hadn’t heard of Jack the Ripper could follow, but once Rory did get in on the behind the scenes action she was met with a wall of ‘classified information’. Being from her perspective that means the reader doesn’t get a lot of answers until the other characters decide to hand them out.

Then we have Stephen, Callum and Bo, Johnson’s answer to the ghost busters armed with the terminus disguised as phones instead of large back packs. We get near death experience back stories for Stephen and Callum and glimpses of their personalities and how they interact as a group but I wonder if we saw too little of them to really get to grips with them or real feel the suspense when the action hit. That said, a sequel novel is set to follow, The Madness Underneath.

Then there’s Alistair and Jo. Alistair appears to haunt the library and has read every book at least twice, well most of them, and seems to be there to provide dry wit and homework assignments while Rory gets herself into trouble. Jo is Boo’s friend and the British army’s last active soldier from the Second World War, still in her uniform, still defending the East End.

It’s not very well explained exactly what ‘ghosts’ are or how they come back and this is swept under the ‘we don’t fully understand it yet but we know we have to deal with it’ rug but not necessarily in a bad way. The science behind this fantastical element is somewhat brief but that could just be because Johnson plans to expand on it, no need to play all your cards too soon. However the public reaction and the reactions of those close to Rory, even of Rory herself, to the Ripper-madness is very realistic, believable and relatable. It helps to keep the story grounded and the reader finds themselves believing it could all be possible and that it’s happening to them right along side Rory.

On it’s own The Name of the Star isn’t enough but it definitely works as the opening to a series. Johnson has lined up a diverse and intriguing cast, with one or two last minute surprises thrown in at the end of The Name of the Star that have set up The Madness Underneath to be a truly can’t-put-it-down read.

A note on the cover art, I have the cover on the right and I really like it, it has an eerie feel to it and draws you in. Although the cover on the left confuses me, the only red-head I remember was Charlotte, head girl at Wexford and veritable pain in the ass, unless I missed something? Though I believe Rory was described as dark haired and I’m assuming it is her on the right hand cover, I’m not sure what the left hand cover is meant to convey about the book? I’ll never know, oh well.

If a glimpse into the paranormal brushing up against every day life is your thing, with a little bit of suspense, horror and history thrown in then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this book.