Book Review
First book on my Fall TBR and it’s a brilliant start!
Stalking Jack the Ripper -Book #1 (Release Date: September 20th, 2016)
Presented by James Patterson’s new children’s imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion…
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.
Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.
The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.
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My Thoughts…
Before I get into it, I feel like I have to provide a good excuse as to why I am only reading this now. So here it is, I have read many accounts of “Jack the Ripper’s” atrocities both fictional, and non fictional, and the one constant is that the material is ALWAYS very explicit and gory. I mean, how can it not be when you consider how these poor women were ripped apart?
Call me a skeptic, but I wondered how good this retelling could be, when it was marketed as YA?
Well, I was wrong! It can be done, and it can be done really well, because I loved this book!
What makes this book so special isn’t the subject matter, because as we all know, there are a billion books about the White Chapel murders. No, what makes this book so amazing is ‘Audrey Rose’.
I adore this woman. She is a girl after my own heart and she made this story for me. I love that she chooses to be smart and beautiful, that she can like pretty things but still want to be immersed in science. I especially liked when her humanity is illustrated time and time again, despite her self-proclaimed inurement to cadavers etc…
Really, I can go on and on about her, but I want to discuss the other elements of the book briefly as well.
This book is exceptionally written, with entertaining dialogue, and interesting characters. It also contains an appropriate amount of horror and gore. More than I expected which added to the sinister atmosphere necessary for the story.
I really enjoyed and I look forward to the next one! If you’re one of the few people left on the planet who has not read this book, then I encourage you to treat yourself to a copy. You should splurge on a hardcopy too, as there are lots of creepy photos included in the book.
Rating… A+
Reads & Reels 