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Ripper, by Amy Carol
Reeves, presents itself as a time-period thriller with a supernatural twist.
After a family tragedy, main character Abbie moves in with her grandmother in a
posh section of London. She soon begins work at Whitechapel Hospital, but
within days victims of a malicious serial killer begin turning up around the
area; the work of now infamous Jack the Ripper.
Abbie’s association with
the killer runs deep, as she begins to experience vivid visions of his victims
moments before he strikes. Mystery and thrilling plot lines ensue as she must
decide whom to trust and find a way to unmask the Ripper before he claims more
lives.
Reeves begins her book
slowly, reiterating the main themes and building up to the action that will soon
follow. Although this can make the beginning seem plodding and trite, it is
easy to read through.
Often Reeves passes over
plot points that could be better explained, and presents character development
that frankly seems lacking. Abbie’s grief over the death of her mother, for
example, seems to get little attention, and many coincidences occur to allow
for easy plot progression. This seems to be the biggest fault of the book. Many
times Abbie or other key characters seem to go against their nature, or simply
appear rather static in high stakes situations in order for the story to go
more smoothly. The addition of a supernatural aspect as well, through Abbie’s
premonitions and visions, can be seen as a played out theme in many young adult
books. Reeve manages to just barely work it into the plot, wedging it in
somewhat awkwardly.
However, when Reeve writes
to thrill, page turning sentences are abound. Any scene which depicts the
Ripper or a moment of fear is carefully crafted to provoke the proper emotions
from readers. Reeves also pays close attention to the gory aspect of her
subject matter. The Whitechapel Hospital scenes in particular are written with
brutal and sometimes cold detail.
This is a book obviously
aimed at young adult readers and it is well suited to that crowd. Younger
readers may find it too gruesome and explicit, while older readers may bore
easily with the somewhat static characters and plot. However, if you delve
deeper into the story line and allow yourself to be caught up in the thrilling
mystery that surrounds Abbie’s quest for the truth, you will not be
disappointed with Ripper.
By Jenna Haskins
