Review: "The Name of the Star" (Shades of London, #1) by Maureen Johnson

I was provided an ARC of Maureen Johnson's latest book The Name of the Star while out to dinner with friends. I may or may not have squealed like a tween girl who had just been introduced to Justin Bieber. There also allegedly may have been some happy bopping and clutching of said ARC possessively to my chest. Allegedly. You really can't take me anywhere. I just make a scene.

The reason for my lack of anything resembling social graces or a sense of propriety could be traced back to Maureen's announcement of this project. Because this book is about Jack the Ripper. Only awesome could come of the combination of Maureen's quirky insanity and Jack the Ripper. Only awesome.

If you're unfamiliar with Maureen's new series Shades of London, here's the back cover synopsis for the first book The Name of the Star:

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.

Despite the build up in my own mind, this book manged to meet and exceed my high expectations. And I was expecting nothing short of the dark side of the moon wrapped up in a sparkly magenta bow. Of all the characters Maureen's created, Aurora "Rory" Deveaux is far and away my favorite. This girl is off-kilter, take charge, and Southern to the core. I've read other books with southerners as the main characters and they're missing that fundamentally southern mentality toward social interactions. Rory lacks nothing in this department and the voice it creates for the book is funny and quite enjoyable. The side characters are interesting, but none are anything particularly standout except for Boo, Stephen, and Callum and I need to know more about Stephen. Well, let me rephrase that. The side characters mentioned (who are rarely or never seen) are quite colorful (read: wack-a-doo insane), but Jazza and Jerome and Charlotte are fairly normal. Okay, and watch for Jo. She is bloody brilliant.

The choice to transplant a Louisiana girl in London provides a fantastic contrast of cultures and really introduces the reader to British culture. You can tell that Maureen spends a lot of time across the pond in her attention to detail in dialect and pop culture. Also, the Doctor Who reference made me giggle with glee. If you watch BBC America with any frequency, you'll get all her references easily.

This book falls under the urban fantasy banner, but not the type you might be expecting these days and it's really appropriate for the London setting. Really appropriate. Because as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, London is primed and ready for this mythos. The mythology that Maureen sets up by the end of this book makes me salivating for the next and this one hasn't even been released. The Shades of London is a series to join the ranks of Cassie Clare's Mortal Instruments & Infernal Devices, Holly Black's Curse Workers, and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series that I stalk in anticipation of the next installments.