The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Rory is over the moon for her year at an elite boarding school in London. Born and raised in Louisiana, she knows she's in for some culture shock. What she didn't anticipate was a Jack the Ripper copycat murder practically the same day she arrives! It has all of London in the grips of "Rippermania," especially when the police can't see the killer on security cameras. It almost seems like a doctored video, with the victim's body being pulled into the air seemingly by magic.

Her boarding school, Wexford, is a pretty insular community, and for a while Rory is able to avoid all the Ripper drama. Her crush, however, is both a Ripper fan, and an aspiring reporter. He convinces her to sneak out on the anniversary of the night of the final attack. To date, the copycat killer has followed the Ripper's original pattern. Sneaking back into her dorm with her roommate, she sees someone. Rory can't explain what it is about him that unnerves her, but he is definitely giving off the "creepy vibe." The weird part comes in when her roomie Jazza says she can't see him.

After a body is found on campus the next day, both Rory and Jazza realize how close they came to real danger. Rory decides she has to tell the police what she saw, even if it means getting in trouble for breaking curfew. Initially she answers their questions, and nothing comes of it, but another officer follows up. This officer strikes Rory as someone wearing a costume. There's something about him that tells her he just isn't a real cop. He's asking weird questions too...questions the other cops didn't ask. He even seems to believe that Jazza didn't see the strange man. What does it all mean?

Soon the twosome becomes a threesome when Jazza and Rory get another roommate. Boo almost follows her around! It's Boo that first alerts her to the idea that she may have an ability that allows her to see something others can't...but just what does that mean? There's something really weird going on... Does Rory have a way to help catch the Ripper killer?

It starts slow, and focuses a lot on Rory's personal life. If you are hoping for a fast-paced thriller, you'll have to get through half the book first. It's a fun read, but it struggles to fit into a specific genre. There's a lot of school, and some romance before you move into the paranormal thriller.

*Library Link*

“Fear can't hurt you," she said. "When it washes over you, give it no power. It's a snake with no venom. Remember that. That knowledge can save you,” Maureen Johnson, 2011.

If you liked this, check out:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson (The Shades of London, Book 2)
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Anna Dressed in Blood, Book 1)
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle, Book 1)

Johnson, Maureen. (2011). The Name of the Star. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.