Ripper

by Stefan Petrucha

Book, 2013

Collection

Publication

Speak (2013)

Description

Adopted by famous Pinkerton Agency Detective Hawking in 1895 New York, fourteen-year-old Carver Young hopes to find his birth father, but when he becomes involved in the pursuit of notorious killer Jack the Ripper, Carver discovers that finding the truth can be worse than ignorance.

Media reviews

Goodreads.com
RIPPER by STEFAN PETRUCHA... some reviewers said the book plodded along. Others said the chapters were too short. Well, perhaps they were short but I am going to hazard a guess and say Stefan did that on purpose, for effect. The book moved along at a turtle's pace, I disagree. I think it barreled
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along like the steam engine near the last few chapters. I find reading anything about Jack the Ripper to be facinating, esp. fiction. The action takes place in the late 1880's, one of my favorite periods in history. The Steam Punk of the whole thing hooked me in. What a great combo. Including Teddy Roosevelt and his daughter Alice, ingenious, well-written fiction needs real people. Is there a sequel in there somewhere...perhaps. Don't let the one and two star reviews sway you from reading Stefan Petrucha's Ripper. I found the hard cover version very easy on the eyes.
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User reviews

LibraryThing member Bookswithbite
I am not at all in mysteries thrillers. But this book took me to a whole other reading level that I really enjoyed!!

What got me hooked on this book? Well the unique plot. I love stories about Jack the Ripper. To read a book based on a kid searching for clues to the killer is super cool! It's makes
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me feel all Nancy Drew again. With this book I just wanted to get underneath the covers of by bed with a flashlight, dash into the past and follow the clues of Carver Young. The plot, hand downs AWESOME!

The mystery of the book is super cool. I love it when an author can take me on an adventure of searching, questioning, accusing, etc. It's give me great joy to be in the loop with the characters going along with them. It's so much fun!

There was a bit of a crush interest. No love, no hardcore flirting just pure admiration. And that folks was enough to make me smile. I loved the loyalty they had to each other and the friendship they have is strong.

The ENDING! I mean wow! Really just WOW! I did not see that! Well done Mr. Petrucha. You certainly knock me off my feet with such a fantastic ending! I have no idea. The ending is a shocker. I can tell you that much.

Ripper is an engrossing thriller that leaves you chilled to the bone. The conspiracy driven-drama dives the reader deeper into a world of adventure that you never want to leave. Exhilarating and exciting, Ripper is a great read!
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LibraryThing member amandacb
This novel is more of a "what if" Jack the Ripper had a son who was interested in becoming a detective, and I enjoyed that rather inventive storyline. The novel is very heavy with detective work and interspersed with magical elements, but the ending, I felt, was unsatisfactory.
LibraryThing member tcgep
For a YA novel it was very well written. A fun read, a surprise twist at the end.
LibraryThing member SesquipedalianSays
Oh my wow! One of the most amazing reads in a long time! I would not, however, recommend that you start reading it at night. I did, and I was up until 3 am because I could not put it down. Brilliantly written and with a surprise twist at the end, Ripper will hold you in its death grasp until the
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very end. Very few books can surprise me the way this one did. I never saw the ending coming. One or two bad words though, and somewhat graphic descriptions of particular murder scenes but not too bad. Rating - 5 stars due to the excellent writing
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LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Carver, a 14-year-old orphan, wants to be a detective. When he is placed as the ward of a retired detective, his first "assignment" is to track down his father. But it looks like his father may be Jack the Ripper, and his investigation puts him and his friends in danger.
LibraryThing member lkmuir
Adopted by famous Pinkerton Agency Detective Hawking in 1895 New York, fourteen-year-old Carver Young hopes to find his birth father, but when he becomes involved in the pursuit of notorious killer Jack the Ripper, Carver discovers that finding the truth can be worse than ignorance.
LibraryThing member lillibrary
It’s been over one hundred years since Jack the Ripper terrorized the streets of London, yet he remains a fascinating and gruesome mystery. Who was he? What were his motives? And why did he suddenly stop? Questions like these have produced volumes of investigative books--some even claiming to
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have solved the mystery--and several movies. In his latest young adult novel, Ripper, author Stefan Petrucha mixes fact with fiction to offer up a new look at Jack the Ripper in a suspenseful blend of history and horror.
In 1895 New York, Carver Young is a fourteen year old orphan recently taken in by Detective Hawking of the renown Pinkerton Agency. Carver should be thrilled—he has a home and a means to learn detective skills alongside the very best, skills he needs if he is to find his father. Yet, home is a room inside a mental institution and the discoveries Carver is making are leading him to an unbelievable conclusion. Could Jack the Ripper be in New York? With the city reeling from the murders of high society women and Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt up in arms, Carver must decide how far he’s willing to go to learn the truth and how much he’ll risk to get it. Ripper is a fast-paced mystery filled with historical detail, new-fangled gadgetry, and the Pinkerton’s cool underground base. The clues and red herrings are numerous enough that even the best mystery reader may not guess the outcome. With a sequel hinted to at the end, here’s hoping that we won’t see the last of Carver Young and his fellow Pinkerton agents.
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LibraryThing member PatienceFortitude
This was terrific
LibraryThing member PatienceFortitude
This was terrific
LibraryThing member PatienceFortitude
This was terrific
LibraryThing member Sarah220
Fun adventure/mystery. An orphan boy learns his father may be a killer, is befriended by a detective, and races to solve the killer's puzzle before more women are killed. Entertaining read with interesting historical atmosphere with a few reasonable upgrades developed to fight crime.

Language

Physical description

8.43 inches

ISBN

0545614546 / 9780545614542
Page: 0.2443 seconds