Ripper, by Amy Carol Reeves

Ripper was recommended to me by a librarian friend, but I didn't realize that the author was from Columbia, SC, where I used to live! I wish I had read it before I moved away!

Ripper is, obviously, about London's infamous Jack the Ripper murders. The novel's protagonist, Abbie (short for Arabella) has recently relocated to London to live with her grandmother after her mother's death, and finds herself volunteering in Whitechapel Hospital, whose recently discharged patients are the target of the Ripper's violence. Abbie knows from the start that she's all too close to the murders - in fact, she has visions which predict their occurrence - but things take a unique turn, and she finds herself much more involved in the strange plot than she would have imagined. Along the way, she gains new insight into her mother's life and the lives of the doctors around her.

This book was the first in a series, and the ending was a perfect cliffhanger - I just have to know what's going to happen next in the series. I also loved the main character's medical aspirations, which were uncommon of a woman in that time period. Some parts of the novel, unfortunately, were pretty predictable, though. For instance, there's a significant part of the story surrounding Abbie's acquaintance Mariah. I predicted how this part of the plot would turn out from the beginning. Also, parts of the novel got a little dull; however, if you don't mind skimming through some parts, it worked out fine!

I am wondering though, what is up with the insurgence of Jack the Ripper novels?! I recently started the "Shades of London" series, which center around the Ripper, and there were a few students in my class last year who read a different Ripper, by Stefan Petrucha.

Also Try: The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson; Deadly, by Julie Chibbaro; Wrapped, by Jennifer Bradbury