The Name of The Star

by Maureen Johnson

Reviewed by Aayushi Jain

Fall 2016

REVIEW: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

ISBN#: 0142422053

THE STORY:

Rory Deveaux is a teenager from Louisiana who has only recently started school at the Wexford Academy in London for her final year of high school. On edge because of the recent return of somebody resembling the “Jack the Ripper” killer from a century ago, Rory is unsettled by the several murders taking place around her school and in the city. On the day of yet another murder, this time one that took place on the school’s campus itself, Rory comes across a man who she soon assumes to be the killer. After spending days with the police,

contributing to the growing hysteria in London, and facing a media frenzy, Rory realizes nobody else saw or recognizes the man she saw because he is in fact a ghost, which makes her the sole witness. One of her roommates realizes that Rory too can see ghosts, and that they along with a select few are the only ones who can stop the copycat killer. Being the only person who knows what the knock-off Ripper looks like, an alarmed Rory becomes his next target and has to stop him before he goes on yet another killing spree. Throughout the story, Rory discovers the chilling secrets of London’s ghost police force and through her recently exposed capabilities, she works with the top secret government forces of London to save the city of London from the terrors of the Jack the Ripper imitator. In the last few chapters, the thrilling closure and unexpected twist lead to Rory gaining more than only her health back, and the story finishes with the reader contemplating Rory’s future. (271)

MY OPINION:

Opening up this book, I expected a high school level murder mystery novel, and this story met those expectations with only a few exceptions. The strongly developed characters were created through exceptional imagery and powerful word choice throughout the story. However, the storyline strays from the theme and plot quite often, and distracts the reader from the important details. Random flashes into other people’s lives and unnecessary details divert the reader’s attention and prove to be a minor issue. The word choice, though strong, is more sophisticated than I think middle schoolers can comprehend, and that’s why I recommend the book to high schoolers and young adults. Experiencing the story through several different points of views adds to the intriguing plot that unfolds very subtly. Throughout the story, important characters are introduced before the reader even knows what they have to do with the actual conflict. As a result, the reader has to keep reading to know why every hint the author is giving them is important. The crafty writing leads to the reader not knowing what is going to happen next, but wanting to know desperately, and for these reasons, I give this book nine out of ten stars. I would definitely recommend this novel to any older friends for it’s imaginative plot, storyline, and strong word choice. (219)

STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

FIRST SECTION

1. What does Claire do for a living?

1a. Claire is a hospital nurse and she works the early morning shift. (pg 2)

2. Why is Rory going to London?

2a. Rory moved to London to complete her senior year of highschool at an academy. (pg 8)

3. What sport does Rory want to play, and which is she signed up for?

3a. Though Rory wants to play netball, Claudia persuades and then forces her into taking hockey. (pg 17)

4. Who is Jazza?

4a. Jazza, whose real name is Julianne, is Rory’s roommate at Wexford, and is a sociable teenage girl. (pg 30)

5. What does Rory learn about the Wexford School and England as a whole?

5a. She learns that the Welsh language is an actual, currently spoken language. She also learns that the English consider beans very important in their meals, that the English will play hockey rain or shine, and the geography of England.

cowed (pg 23)

prefab (pg 24)

dais (pg 25)

chastised (pg 34)

vernacular (pg 66)

MIDDLE SECTION

6. Who is Rory’s new roommate?

6a. Boo. short for Bhuvana, is Rory’s third roommate. She is athletic, has bad study habits, and Jazza is fascinated by Boo and her behavior. (pg 147)

7. Why can Rory see ghosts?

7a. Rory can see ghosts after she encounters a near-death experience of almost fatally choking on her food in the dinner hall. (pg 180)

8. Who is Boo in reality?

8a. Boo is a twenty-year old undercover cop who is acting as Rory’s roommate to protect her from a ghost murderer. (pg 175)

9. What does Rory learn about Jack the Ripper from Jerome?

9a. Rory learns that the Jack the Ripper craze is mostly a myth, linked and enhanced by the media after several murders that took place all around the same time and to similar people. (pg 198)

10. What do Rory, Jazza, and Boo do for the school’s fancy dress party?

10a. The three girls go as the Zombie Spice Girls, each dressing up as a member of the singing group. As there are only three of them and they are “zombies”, the girls claim that they have eaten the other members. (pg 217)

bollard (pg 186)

mollified (pg 190)

magnanimously (pg 208)

corporeal (pg 209)

vestigial (pg 213)

censure (pg 218)

LAST SECTION

11. Why does Rory have to be extremely careful on the Tube tracks?

11a. Rory has to be careful when walking on the Tube tracks because each of the three rails she is walking near has the potential to electrify and kill her. (pg 266)

12. What experience gave Stephen the ability to see ghosts?

12a. Stephen’s near death experience incident was a boating accident that he barely survived. (pg 270)

13. What is a terminus?

13a. A terminus is a device that Rory and her friends use to “kill” ghosts. It comes in the form of any device, but because phones are easily transportable and inconspicuous, terminus devices are generally built into low-tech phones. (pg 275)

14. What do Rory, Boo, Callum, and Stephen find out about the Ripper?

14a. They find out that his real name is Alexander Newman, and that he died at the King William Street Tube station. (pg 290)

15. How did Stephen actually gain the ability to see ghosts?

15a. He tried to hang himself after not being able to bear with a family death anymore, but was interrupted and saved. However he lied about this to everybody because he was embarrassed of his actions. (pg 319)

cobbles (pg 263)

palpably (pg 267)

vicar (pg 269)

carrels (pg 279)

languid (pg 279)

schtum (pg 305)