The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Review by Rachel, Rincon Valley & Central, Librarian

Rory grew up in Louisiana among some rather eccentric relatives (Cousin Diane reads auras to foretell the future and Uncle Will survived Hurricane Katrina only to keep 8 freezers full of emergency food in his upstairs bedroom).  Rory and her parents are the only "normal" people they know.  That is until Rory finds herself attending a boarding school in London.  The beginning of the school year marks the anniversary of the famous Jack the Ripper killings of 1888.  As Rory tries to adjust to life in England, London is rocked by a series of Ripper-style murders.  Rippermania overtakes modern day London.  The police have few leads and no witnesses, save one – Rory saw the man believed to be the Ripper copycat.  The problem is that no one else saw him.  Why was Rory the only one to see the killer?  And what does he plan to do next?

The Name of the Star is a modern thriller that traces the streets of an ancient city on the trail of an elusive killer.  Maureen Johnson writes an entertaining, edge-of-your-seat caper.  After reading this book, you'll be dying to visit London.  Just be sure to take some of Maureen Johnson's other great books (13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett) with you on the long plane ride.