The Name of the Star (Shades of London, #1) in Nerdfighteria

From the Bookshelf of Nerdfighteria …

The Name of the Star (Shades of London, #1)

Maureen Johnson

Why we're reading this: Again, Maureen Johnson is a friend to Nerdfighteria.
[close] Again, Maureen Johnson is a friend to Nerdfighteria.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Jun 11, 2011 Reut rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites-2011, exotic-locale, narrator-and-i-are-the-same, why-did-i-like-it, disappearing-parents-syndrome, boarding-school, girl-power, paranormal

Do you guys want to hear a really sad story? (Some background info: I HATED the LBE series, but when I heard about Jack the Ripper being involved I was all: GET ME THIS BOOOK.) I know you do. Okay, I coveted TNotS for a looong time. Then I got it from the library. I was all, HELLS YEAH! ...then I didn't read it for a long time. Eventually I wanted to finally read it, when I realized it was due on Sunday, and it wasn't renewable. Not a problem, but I'd be going to NYC until... you guessed it--Mon Do you guys want to hear a really sad story? (Some background info: I HATED the LBE series, but when I heard about Jack the Ripper being involved I was all: GET ME THIS BOOOK.) I know you do. Okay, I coveted TNotS for a looong time. Then I got it from the library. I was all, HELLS YEAH! ...then I didn't read it for a long time. Eventually I wanted to finally read it, when I realized it was due on Sunday, and it wasn't renewable. Not a problem, but I'd be going to NYC until... you guessed it--Monday morning. So I had four choices--speed read and return it finished before the trip, read as much as I could and leave it for my mom to return, not read at all, or take the 25-cent late fee for one day.

Guess which option I chose! If you guessed 2, 3, or 4, you're wrong! Anyway, I tried to speed-read... which inevitably didn't work. I then decided to leave it for my mom, but then forgot to tell her to return it. So yeah, I had to pay the fine and I didn't even get to finish it. As soon as it checked back in, I put a hold on it again. When it finally came in for the second time... I devoured it.

It's a testament to how good this book is that it was so聽worth all that.聽

The Name of the Star is part mystery, part horror, part hilariousness, and a pinch of kissing. And I LOVED IT. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

Rory, our MC, is a girl after my own heart; smart, funny, brave, and just fantastic. Her inner thoughts were a pleasure to read. I loved her a lot.

Pacing, the horror aspect, and the mythology were all excellent too. I was so dang creeped out after reading this the first night I slept with a night light on.聽I couldn't even stop thinking about this book for the weeks I was without it. And Maureen has developed this not-that-original-idea into something all her own. I liked the logical thought behind the lore too.

And about the ending? So well done. Kind of heartbreaking, almost--did I mention the pressure towards the end? I felt it closing in on me like I was Rory. Yet the ending was so good it wrapped up so amazingly well that even though it is a cliffhanger, I still feel complete, you know? I can't wait for the next book, but I'm just so overall happy with this one for now.
...more

3 likes · Like · see review

May 25, 2011 Andrea rated it really liked it

Shelves: youngadult, mystery, boarding-school

Rory is an American teenager beginning her senior year as a new student in a London boarding school. Unfortunately, she arrives the same day that someone starts re-creating the Jack the Ripper murders. Rory becomes tied up in the case as the only witness, and things turn dangerous.

I read the first 78 pages in a preview, and then couldn't wait to get my hands on the rest of the book while I waited for it to come out. Maureen Johnson's witty one-liners made me laugh out loud several times, and it' ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 John rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, young-adult, england

Spooky, vivacious and enjoyable. The main character Rory was witty and smart and awkward in an engaging way, driving the narration along briskly. The plot was fairly conventional, but tightly conceived and consistent. Most of all I enjoyed the setting, and the set up for the continuing world building we're likely to get in a sequel. Four stars - glad I read it, and would recommend it for fans of supernatural mystery and humor, but probably won't reread it. ...more

Like · see review

Jul 12, 2013 Riv rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1st-of-series

Pretty good premise, but I wasn't such a fan. This was my first Maureen Johnson, and I was kind of overwhelmed. Weak characters, not particularly funny. Decent dialogue, though, and definitely well-written. ...more

Like · see review