Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco // Book review

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

Published: September 20th 2016 by Jimmy Patterson

Genres: YA, historical, mystery

Number of pages: 326

Summary: 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.

REVIEW

It's always complicated to read hyped books months after their release day. I've been excited for Stalking Jack the Ripper since it was announced, because I'm obsessed with Victorian era and I find the mystery behind Jack the Ripper completely fascinating. So, I tried not to listen to the hype – almost impossible – and to finally read it. 

From the beginning, we discover the world of forensics in Victorian era and I found it so interesting. Before I realized I wasn't really into science, that's what I actually wanted to do with my life, so of course I loved that part. The atmosphere Kerri Maniscalco created with her novel, which is definitely in the vein of gothic novels, was so fitting to the time period, I felt like I was actually there. She definitely captured the essence of the time period and while I wasn't scared, I felt the darkness and the tension involved while the characters were trying to find Jack the Ripper. 

However, I found that the pacing of the novel was a bit off. Indeed, while I was very excited in the beginning, I lost interest a few times, which is a bit sad, considering this book was only 326 pages long. I'd say that the first two thirds of the novel are good, but not mind-blowing, while the last hundred pages are truly stellar and makes the whole book worth it. Well, I had guessed the identity of Jack the Ripper because of one small detail the author probably didn't think of, haha. But despite guessing it, it was so well done! 

Now, I'll tell you about what actually bothered me in this book. Like most of us, I'm always happy to see a character that challenges social constructions of her time and that doesn't want to live according to them. Obviously, when I saw that Audrey Rose wanted to have her own career and to be an independent woman, I was there for it. Then, I realized something was bothering me and it took me awhile to discover what it was. In the whole novel, when Audrey Rose talks to other women, it's always about men or parties. There is one exception when she sees another woman because she's here to see her father, but that's about it. I'm sorry, but to me, it means it's failing the Bechdel Test. Not completely, but at 90%. 

Moreover, during the whole novel, Audrey Rose feels superior to the rest of women. I don't mean that she feels superior to prostitutes because of her social class, no, but to her peers. She's judging them and saying that they're shallow and uninteresting, because they accept what society want them to be. Every time she's with them, she's complaining. There is only one time a woman finds grace in her eyes and is deemed interesting, but it's at the end of the novel. I consider myself a feminist but I don't think that judging women – who have no choice and rebel in other ways – is the way to go when you're a feminist.

Audrey Rose does think society has it wrong, regarding women (and she's right), but she doesn't get to feel superior because of that, and to judge other women in the process. It feels like the author was trying to make Audrey Rose better than all these women to make me like her, but it only angered me. I know some people won't agree with me, but it's a trope we see a lot in young adult but almost never discuss, and it's making me sick. (I'm done with my rant part I guess.)

Despite being mad at the main character, I really enjoyed the whole cast of characters. Indeed, they were multidimensional and I liked to see how the author showed that you can never know someone completely, because we all have secrets. I also loved Thomas Creswell's sassiness when he was interacting with Audrey Rose, I laughed quite a few times. 

Overall, Stalking Jack the Ripper was a good enough book and I can see why people loved it so much, because of the atmosphere, the mystery and the sass. But, I thought the pacing was a little off, and there was this huge business with Audrey Rose that made me mad. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure I'll read the sequel, to see if Audrey Rose changes for the better, but also because it involves Dracula and discovering a country I've never been to.