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sin_flore's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
sam_hartwig's review against another edition
3.0
"The Name of the star is what you fear"
I have wanted to read this one for such a long time! A Jack the Ripper story sounds really creepy and I like a good creepy tale. But I was a little disappointed. The blurb promises: edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance but all of this was on the slight side.
Yes, there were moments of suspense and humor but the romance was on the cool side and there were small amounts of gruesome horror. I hadn't really read any reviews about this book and didn't know what the mystery behind the story was. Unfortunately that's what let the story down a bit, I was able to pick up on what the mystery was very early on in the book. I don't know if I'm getting better at figuring out the mysteries in books these days or it wasn't hidden very well. I guess after reading that blurb and seeing what the series is called could make you figure it out quite quickly but I never read the blurb. All I knew was that it's a book about Jack the Ripper, so I was expecting lots of horror and suspense.
Rory was a pretty cool character though. She's from Louisiana, so her trying to get used to British slang and sayings was quite funny. I realised that England & Australia have quite a few things in common, like calling it 'Maths' instead of 'Math' and drinking lots of warm tea, not iced tea. I also liked how the book gave us plenty of time to really get to know Rory and the place she spends a lot of her time, it helped develop who she was and let us as readers make a connection with her.
I read this a few weeks ago and I'm finding it hard to bring any feelings back to me, which is probably a bad thing. It shows it was a little forgettable. I did enjoy this and plan on reading the others as it turned out to be a good story, I was just a little let down because it wasn't what I was expecting. So if you're a gore, horror fan then you may want to sit this one out.
Also on my blog
I have wanted to read this one for such a long time! A Jack the Ripper story sounds really creepy and I like a good creepy tale. But I was a little disappointed. The blurb promises: edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance but all of this was on the slight side.
Yes, there were moments of suspense and humor but the romance was on the cool side and there were small amounts of gruesome horror. I hadn't really read any reviews about this book and didn't know what the mystery behind the story was. Unfortunately that's what let the story down a bit, I was able to pick up on what the mystery was very early on in the book. I don't know if I'm getting better at figuring out the mysteries in books these days or it wasn't hidden very well. I guess after reading that blurb and seeing what the series is called could make you figure it out quite quickly but I never read the blurb. All I knew was that it's a book about Jack the Ripper, so I was expecting lots of horror and suspense.
Rory was a pretty cool character though. She's from Louisiana, so her trying to get used to British slang and sayings was quite funny. I realised that England & Australia have quite a few things in common, like calling it 'Maths' instead of 'Math' and drinking lots of warm tea, not iced tea. I also liked how the book gave us plenty of time to really get to know Rory and the place she spends a lot of her time, it helped develop who she was and let us as readers make a connection with her.
I read this a few weeks ago and I'm finding it hard to bring any feelings back to me, which is probably a bad thing. It shows it was a little forgettable. I did enjoy this and plan on reading the others as it turned out to be a good story, I was just a little let down because it wasn't what I was expecting. So if you're a gore, horror fan then you may want to sit this one out.
Also on my blog
cutenanya's review against another edition
4.0
What I like:
1) The setting of the story, with a new Jack the Ripper in the modern era mimicking the original one in the 19th century.
2) The idea of a squad with young people dealing with the shades of London.
3) The majority of the characters.
What needs improvement:
1) Case Plot: I think it probably would have been better had the conclusion to the Jack the Ripper storyline be less predictable. Even though the case in this book is a standalone mystery, I feel it serves more the purpose of introducing the series and the characters. As I was initially drawn to this book by the keywords: "Jack the Ripper", I am slightly disappointed by the turnout of the case.
N.B. I also find some of the actions taken by the characters illogical if not plain out stupid.
2) Romance: I seriously couldn't really follow the romance (if we could even call that romance) in this book. It's more like chemical reaction than romance in the first book. Given the way the first book ends, I'm hoping we get REAL romance in the next book.
3) Wait time: Since this book ends in a cliffhanger, I really think it's a crime to force readers to wait until 2013!!
1) The setting of the story, with a new Jack the Ripper in the modern era mimicking the original one in the 19th century.
2) The idea of a squad with young people dealing with the shades of London.
3) The majority of the characters.
What needs improvement:
1) Case Plot: I think it probably would have been better had the conclusion to the Jack the Ripper storyline be less predictable. Even though the case in this book is a standalone mystery, I feel it serves more the purpose of introducing the series and the characters. As I was initially drawn to this book by the keywords: "Jack the Ripper", I am slightly disappointed by the turnout of the case.
N.B. I also find some of the actions taken by the characters illogical if not plain out stupid.
2) Romance: I seriously couldn't really follow the romance (if we could even call that romance) in this book. It's more like chemical reaction than romance in the first book. Given the way the first book ends, I'm hoping we get REAL romance in the next book.
3) Wait time: Since this book ends in a cliffhanger, I really think it's a crime to force readers to wait until 2013!!
chelseatm's review against another edition
5.0
What a great book! It was exciting, edge-of-your-seat kind of exciting.
inook_u's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed the book, I loved the most of the characters.
Full review will be on my blog.
I really enjoyed the book, I loved the most of the characters.
Full review will be on my blog.
jessiriegs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
goodem9199's review against another edition
4.0
Ok. Well, now. I devoured this book. It was one of those reading experiences where your're eyes can't move fast enough to just see what was coming up ahead. I was just in love with the whole she-bang...the story, the characters, the writing. And then. You know how something happens in a book that seems to come out of left field and you wish that it wouldn't have gone in that direction? But then you keep reading, and you think, well, ok, this might work after all. And then...BAM...you're hit again with some tidbit that you just wish hadn't made it's way into the story, but you've come this far...That's sorta kinda what happened here. There is an aspect to this book, ok, really just an "accessory" that I didn't like. I want to give this 5 stars, but I just want that tiny piece to go away. Since it won't, I'll stick with 4. But it's really 4 3/4 stars. Please, friends, read it so we can discuss. Aside from that, this was one that I greatly enjoyed. I didn't realize until just now that it is the first in a series...and I can't wait for the next. I will say that I am now ready to move to London and embrace all of the rain and polish my Cockney accent. Really.
fayesfate's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
chuskeyreads's review
4.0
A bit of a slow start, but it picks up after the first couple of chapters and doesn’t slow down until the end.