Ripper, by Stefan Petrucha

I've been waiting to read Ripper for a while - my interest in books about this subject was piqued after reading The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson, last year.

Ripper is the story of Carver Young, an orphan living in New York City. At the beginning of the book, Carver's orphanage is told it's being shut down, and he is hurriedly adopted by a man named Mr. Hawking. Despite the fact that Mr. Hawking is eccentric and not in the best of health, Carver is excited by this opportunity because Mr. Hawking is a detective,  and Carver has always been intrigued by detective work, especially with the recent "Library Murders" that have been going on.

Soon after his adoption, Carver is thrown into the world of the "New Pinkertons" - a world of gadgets, spying, and doing anything possible to stop a criminal. He's also been given an incredible test by his new "father" to find the Library Killer, but along the way he finds that he may be more connected to the murders than he originally thought.

Ripper really gripped me in the beginning, but I kind of lost steam in the middle of the book. The plot seemed to slow down a little bit, and there were lots of subplots that were kind of distracting. Overall, I enjoyed the book and some of the twists in it, but Name of the Star is still my favorite Jack the Ripper book!

Also Try: Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson; Ripper, by Amy Carol Reeves

Ripped, by Shelly Dickson Carr

Ripped by Shelly Dickson Carr makes the THIRD Jack the Ripper-themed novel I've read in the past few months. All three of the Ripper novels I've read have taken different approaches: The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson, explored a modern-day copycat of the Ripper killings; Ripper, by Amy Carol Reeves, was a historical novel that chronicled the murders as they occurred; finally, Ripped is a time-travel novel in which the main character, Katie, attempts to go back in time to solve the murders and change the course of history, hopefully impacting her life in the present. I really liked taking a look at this topic from such different vantage points! 

Katie is a recent transplant to London - she finds herself living with her grandmother following her parents' untimely death. Her older sister, Courtney, is part of a girl group rock band; this lifestyle upsets their grandmother and has alienated Courtney from the family. Katie wants nothing more than to have things back to normal within her family and be able to see her sister more often. When she discovers a family link to the Jack the Ripper murders - an ancestor of hers named Lady Beatrix Twyford was murdered by the Ripper - she goes back in time via a time portal in the London Stone in an attempt to change history and save her family. The plot is filled with twists and turns, and I honestly did find myself constantly guessing who the Ripper would turn out to be - the culprit wasn't as obvious as is sometimes the case.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel but found it a bit too long. I couldn't really tell how many pages it was since I read it on my kindle app through NetGalley, but Barnes and Noble has it listed at 520 pages. My favorite parts were the inclusion of Cockney rhyming slang and the theme of the morality and potential complications of altering the past. The Name of the Star is still my favorite Ripper novel, but I think those interested in the subject would enjoy this one as well. 

Also Try: The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson; Ripped, by Amy Carol Reeves; Wrapped, by Jennifer Bradbury; The Future of Us, by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (it explores similar themes of changing our past/future)

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

The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson

You always read reviews that say, "I couldn't put this book down!" and I always question the reviewer's honesty . However, this was truly the way I felt about this book. If you read my recent posts on Beautiful Creatures and Legend, you'd know that I'm growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of originality between novels and all the glaring similarities I see between books. This novel, though, was so wholly original and was based on such a unique premise.

Most people know the story of Jack the Ripper: famous serial killer in London, case went unsolved, first documented murders just for the sake of murdering. Well, The Name of the Star capitalizes on the famous murder mystery by presenting a recurrence of the Ripper murders - in modern day London. Main character Rory, a student from Louisiana attending boarding school in London, has special insights into the case and is the police force's only hope of capturing the villain.

With twists and turns along the way, this novel really kept me interested and made me want to learn more about Jack the Ripper. It was one of those books where, aside from being entertained, I felt like I was really learning something about history. It's a series, and I can't wait to read the next one because I honestly have no idea where the plot could go.

There are some minor scenes that are a little more mature - some kissing and some teen drinking.