Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco; a Review
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco; a Review
By Isa H.
This week, I'm writing a short, much calmer blog about a book I actually like as a tribute to the short and (hopefully) calm break we have coming up:
Stalking Jack the Ripper is a gripping, fast-paced novel written by first-time author Kerri Maniscalco. The novel follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth, a young woman apprenticing with her Uncle in a mortuary deep within the alleyways and public houses in 1800s London. Wadsworth is soon caught up in a dangerous set of mass murderers as a killer—deemed ‘Jack the Ripper’— wreaks havoc on women in the dark of the night. Audrey Rose, along with her friend Thomas, steak away into the London night to try and halt Jack the Ripper and imprison him for his crimes. However, as Wadsworth delves deeper into the mysteries that plague darkened corners in the middle of the night, she will realize that the true nature of this barbaric killer might just be closed to her than she ever thought.
I read this book for the first time a few years ago, and I still thoroughly enjoy it. As a girl who consumes too many horror movies, creepy podcasts and dwells on YouTube conspiracy theory videos, I knew I had to take this book to the counter and buy it immediately. Jack the Ripper had always been a focal point of interest for me, and there are a myriad of novels that cleverly hide monsters and magic in the streets of archaic London.
One of the driving forces for the novel’s success was our protagonist. Audrey Rose Wadsworth is a silver-tongued heroine with no time for nonsense. Readers are sure to pick up on her courage and intelligence. Throughout the novel, Wadsworth continues to defy the stereotypes associated with women at the time. Wadsworth is the only woman working alongside her uncle, and continues to shut down men who deem that the job of autopsy is in no way a job for a woman. Wadsworth’s attitude towards this makes for a perfect heroine.
Another positive remark on the novel was the fact that, even though there are elements of romance sprinkled throughout the novel, it is in no way a central point, and readers are sure to be able to distance the romance subplot from the actual narrative. Time and time again, we have seen young adult novels narrated in the first person by girls in which romance is the central focus; however, in Stalking Jack the Ripper, this certainly is not the case. Wadsworth constantly displays her independence and intelligence without men needing to aid her, making her a strong individual, as well as being interesting to follow on a literary journey.
All in all, this novel was a great success. The characters were fantastic, the use of literary devices was spectacular, and the novel on the whole kept me up for several hours at night wanting to devour each chapter. For a début novel, this book certainly ranks high on my list of suspenseful books.
Characters: 10/10
PLOT: 8/10
OVERALL: 9.5 / 10
Hey! This is a great review! I really enjoyed your intro sentence. Nice job tying your review to our break. I'm not much of a horror junkie, but I like the mystery factor of this book. I might just pick this book up the next time I'm at the library!
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a genre I tend to read or am particularly fond of, but I your review was really well done. I enjoyed how you focused on the characters rather than the plot. You did a great job describing Wadsworth as independent and empowered, and I like how you noted that the romance was not front and center and instead was reasonably distant from the main plot.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read this book but I didn't know too much about it. After reading your review, it looks like I'll have to go to Barnes and Nobles today. I really like horror and creepy podcasts, and a strong intelligent female main character ties me in even more. Great blog post!
ReplyDeleteThis blog post is definitely different in mood compared to your other blogs, and it was really well written. You described the genre and the plot of the book well, and I'm intrigued. I'll make sure to read this book soon.
ReplyDeleteGreat review Isa! Like you, I am a big fan of horror, and I have listened to and read about a fair share of true crime. This book sounds like my cup of tea -- historical, mystery, and a strong heroine. The plot and its ties to Jack the Ripper sounds super interesting. This book definitely makes the top of my must-read list, and I am looking forward to binge-reading this book late into the night.
ReplyDeleteI like horror and true crime books, and this book seems like a good book for me. I like how you described the character and how she made the book better. Overall, great review. Let me guess, Jack the Ripper is her uncle?
ReplyDeleteNo, b̶u̶t̶ y̶o̶u̶'r̶e̶ p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y̶ c̶l̶o̶s̶e̶.
DeleteNice article! Usually I'm not the type of person to be interested in horror books, but after reading your review, I want to read this book more than ever. I loved that you described the plot and the subplots without giving away major details. This seems like an interesting book and look forward to reading it one day. Great review!
ReplyDelete