Shades of London The Name of the Star, Book 01, (Paperback)

Publishers Weekly,In Johnson's supernatural thriller, Rory Deveaux, a teenager from smalltown Louisiana, arrives at a London boarding school just in time for a resurgence of Jack the Ripper-style serial killings. Soon, Rory finds herself the target of a mysterious murderer as she attempts to navigate the complex social circles of boarding school and uncover London's ghostly secrets. Nicola Barber strains to create a believable American accent for Rory's first-person narration and delivers her dialogue as if the young protagonist were constantly on the verge of a swoon. Additionally, Barber often fails to capture Rory's teenage flippancy, opting instead for breathy enthusiasm. However, the novel boasts a colorful supporting cast of British characters, and in rendering their voices Barber shines, breathing life into everyone from the coach of the school's field hockey team to the "queen bee" of a clique at boarding school. Ages 12-up. A Putnam hardcover. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.