#43--The Name of the Star

Bibliographic Information

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. Putnam Juvenile. (2011)

Price: $16.99 for hardcover; $9.99 for paperback

Pages: 384 for hardback; 400 for paperback

Plot Summary

Rory Deveaux can’t wait to start the equivalent of her senior year in high school as a foreign exchange student at an English boarding school. Even though England is crazy with Jack Ripper fever after a recent Jack the Ripper copycat murder, Rory manages to settle into her new life as an English scholar. She grows used to a school schedule filled with Saturday classes, double periods, and more studying than she has ever done before. She becomes fast friends with her roommate Jazza and even starts developing a crush on a boy. Soon, however, her life is disrupted when one Ripper-like murder turns into several, all of which are located in her school’s neighborhood. One night, while breaking curfew, Rory meets a strange man right near campus. While slightly frightened she shrugs off the incident until the next morning when she discovers that another murder happened fifteen minutes after her encounter with the man right in the middle of the campus green. With more murders occurring and few leads Rory finds herself involved in a chilling mystery unlike anything she’s ever encountered.

Critical Evaluation

The Name of the Star is a deliciously good read not just because of the intriguing premise but also because of the delicious twists and turns in both plot and characterization. Rory makes an excellent protagonist as she is someone to whom most people can relate. Although excited to attend an English boarding school she worries about fitting in. She must, as all students must eventually, reevaluate the way she spends her time and studies as she grapples with a demanding workload. While many of the people around her seem confident in their identity and work, Rory is continually thrust into new situations whether that be celebrating Guy Fawkes Day for the first time or learning about a secret group that policies London’s ghostly population.

Of course, Rory is not the only one that must come to terms with her new reality. Each member of the Shades, London’s secret police force, had to at one time reorient themselves after realizing they could see ghosts. Some certainly function better than others leaving readers fascinated by each of the Shades’ back stories as they are revealed little by little. Their journeys, along with Rory’s, make The Name of the Star more than just another murder mystery. Johnson not only understands how to create complex characters but how to pace a novel as well. In a brilliant move, Johnson does not reveal the paranormal side of her novel until readers are halfway through it. As such, readers can focus on Rory’s development as a student and teenager without the distraction of the paranormal element. It is only when readers gain insight into Rory’s character that the author introduces the paranormal and the subsequent characters that go with it. The Name of the Star is truly a wonderful book which makes it all the more fortunately that it is a part of a new series.

Reader’s Annotation

When Rory is the only one to spot a suspect involved in a string of Jack the Ripper-like serial killings, she becomes an important person not only to the police but to the killer as well.

Side Note

I realize that the cover of a novel does not necessarily accurately portray the contents within but having a beautiful cover certainly helps. Case in point:

 

The hardback cover, on the left, alerts the reader to the historical roots of the novel. It has a more Romantic feel to it than its paperback counterpart. The paperback cover, on the right, is quite a departure from the hardback cover. More gritty and dark, it looks more like a modern day horror novel rather than one whose premise has a basis in history. I’m glad I came across the hardback book first because otherwise I wouldn’t have picked it up!

About the Author

Maureen Johnson is a remarkable person. This is not only because she held a series of interesting jobs from bartending to working near tigers in Las Vegas but also writes about a wide variety of topics. She has written about serial killers, letter writing, movie stars, teenagers figuring out their sexual identities, and demons. Her next book, The Madness Underneath, is due to be published in February 2013. 

To learn more about Maureen Johnson visit her website.

Genre

Mystery, Paranormal fiction, Realistic fiction, School story

Readalikes

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

·         The sequel to The Name of the Star

The Diviners by Libba Bray

·         Also about a girl caught up in a series of murders. Contains a paranormal element.

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

·         Also about girl, a ghost, and a series of murders.

Tags

12^th grade, Boarding school, English culture, Ghosts, Jack the Ripper, London, Murder mystery, Private school, Secret police, Serial killers

Awards Won/Lists On

2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults

2012 Young Adult Edgar Award Nominee

Professional Reviews

Booklist
Kirkus Reviews

Locus Magazines

School Library Journal
The Horn Book

Booktalk Ideas

Add up the clues

·         CCTV cameras (p. 28)

·         Alistair (p. 56)

·         Man at pub crime scene (p. 71)

·         Veronica’s discovery (p. 78)

·         Guy outside window (p. 104)

Culture Clash

·         Lousiana

o   Use beginning of first chapter

o   Cheese whiz

·         England

o   Hockey

o   Little differences (p. 61)

o   Dealing with stress (p. 127)

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness

This book could be used to talk about cultural differences as well as methods to deal with stress. For example, how did members of the Shades’ handle their old worldview being shattered? How should we handle our own worldview being shattered and reformed?

Reading Level/Interest Level

Reading Level: 5^th grade

Interest Level: 6^th grade and up

These levels are according to AR Bookfinder

Challenge Issues

This book includes the following potentially controversial elements:

·         Ghosts

·         Graphic descriptions of murder victims

·         Making out

·         Paranormal powers

·         Serial killer

·         Slight swearing

·         Underage drinking

Librarians can point out that while this book contains paranormal elements it has many other wonderful parts. For example, it is full of little facts about English culture and history and contains sections that speak on how to fit into a culture that is not your own.

Why Was This Included?

I’ve picked up The Name of the Star and Ripper a few times when shelving at the library because the premise of both is intriguing. I love mysteries as well as books that include lots of historical facts and The Name of the Star includes both!