Ripper A Review

Ripper by Stefan Petrucha

Genre:  Young Adult Fiction

Publisher: Philomel

Source: Public Library

Book Description:

You thought you knew him. You were dead wrong.

Carver Young dreams of becoming a detective, despite growing up in an orphanage with only crime novels to encourage him. But when he is adopted by Detective Hawking of the world famous Pinkerton Agency, Carver is given not only the chance to find his biological father, he finds himself smack in the middle of a real life investigation: tracking down a vicious serial killer who has thrown New York City into utter panic. When the case begins to unfold, however, it's worse than he could have ever imagined, and his loyalty to Mr. Hawking and the Pinkertons comes into question. As the body count rises and the investigation becomes dire, Carver must decide where his true loyalty lies. Full of whip-smart dialogue, kid-friendly gadgets, and featuring a then New York City Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, Ripper challenges everything you thought you knew about the world's most famous serial killer.

Review

If you want a book that combines history, steam punk and adventure, then you’ll love this book.  Some people may be reluctant to read this because of the title, but it doesn’t go into gory detail on the murders. 

I love how Carver struggles to gain confidence as a detective and grows up and coming to terms with his desire to know who his father is.  As Carver gains confidence he also realizes that he isn’t alone and has people who care about him and are there for him no matter what. Carver also discovers that despite where you came from you can overcome it and become your own person.

This is a good read for kids 12 and up.  If you have a younger child that is not afraid of dark subjects, then they will enjoy this book.

Happy Reading!

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