Mundie Moms

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Book Review: Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves


Published by: Flux
To Be Released on: April 8th, 2012
Source: Signed ARC from ALA, Midwinter
3.5 stars: I Enjoyed It
Pre-Order from: Flux | Amazon

In 1888, following her mother's sudden death, 17-year-old Arabella Sharp goes to live with her grandmother in a posh London neighborhood. At her grandmother's request, Abbie volunteers at Whitechapel Hospital, where she discovers a passion for helping the unfortunate women and children there. But within days, female patients begin turning up brutally murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper -quoted from Goodreads

Amy Reeves debut takes readers into a dark, gritty victorian London with her story about Jack Ripper. This is a story brimming with romance, murder, mystery and a unique paranormal twist. The element that hooked me with this story the most was Amy's richly detailed setting, and the way she wrote Ripper. The time she put into researching not only Jack the Ripper but this time period was evident through out the book. From the descriptions of 1880's London, to the way the characters talked, acted and dressed and the hysteria that Jack the Ripper was caused was so well written. It's the historical part of this book that really drew me in and held my attention. I loved feeling like I was getting a glimpse back in time with this book.

Normally it's the characters that draw me into a story, but with this story it was my fascination with Jack the Ripper and what it truly must have been like during this time in London that kept me reading. Amy created a very creepy story with a setting that really came to life for me and fueled the creepiness, and darkness in the story. She also did a fabulous job at creating the emotionally side of this story with her various characters. By creating a hospital setting where all the main characters work together, we not only see how they each handle what's going on, but we also meet Jack's victims. I had my suspicions about who Jack was and I have to say I was a bit shocked when Jack the Ripper's identity is revealed, along with what his motivations for killing are. Being a paranormal fan, I liked her paranormal twist she threw into this story. 

I'm torn on how I feel about the main character, Abbie. I loved her feistiness, how stubborn she was, and the fact that wanted to be in control of her own life, something that wasn't deemed "unsuitable" for a young women during this time. After her mother's death, she's forced to live with her Grandmother, whom is in high standing in their society and constantly reminds Abbie that she's offering her a life of privilege. Having the connections her Grandmother does, it also lands Abbie her job at the Whitechapel Hospital. It's there she not only mets Jack the Ripper, his victims, but she meets her romantic interest in the story and is thrust into a world of evil. My problem I had with Abbie is I wanted her to be a more in-depth character. While I reading her story I didn't get to connect with her like I had excepted to until the end, and if I had had that connection with her sooner I would have loved her story more.

One of the characters whom I felt was well written was Abbie's love interest, William. He was intelligent, treated Abbie respectfully, and he even does a few things that I excepted someone of his standing would do during this time period. While the romance doesn't play a huge part in the story, I still liked how the romance between the two was written. Jack the Ripper was by far the most fascinating character for me. I felt like he had this split personality, because when I first met him in the story I didn't think he'd be this monster who brutally killed his victims. Seeing the killer side of him made him seem unstable, even though he was in complete control of this side of himself. It's the unique paranormal twist on his story that fueled his need to kill. 

There's a scene towards the end of the book with Jack and Abbie and where I felt like I got to see the real Jack the Ripper that Amy created in this story. It's also the same scene I felt like I finally connected with Abbie emotionally. I felt her fear as well as her desire to not let Jack see how much she feared him or let him get the best of her. Though out the course of the book I liked how Amy played on the air mystery that surrounded who Jack the Ripper really was, and why he did what he did. This fueled the realistic portrayal of the unease, the mystery, the fear, and the worry the characters felt. Overall I thought Amy did a great job with the way she blended together the different elements that make up this story. If you're looking for a story with a well written Jack the Ripper lore, a solid historical setting, mystery, romance and a touch of the paranormal  element, than I'd recommend picking this book up. I'm hoping there's a sequel, because I need more after that ending.

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