The name of the star

Name: The name of the star
Author: Maureen Johnson
ISBN: 9780399256608

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

Shades of London: Book One

by Maureen Johnson

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

What if you moved to a new city on the very day a scary mystery begins? Rory arrives in London ready for adventure but soon finds herself caught in the middle of eerie murders copying the infamous Jack the Ripper. Why is Rory the only one who can see the suspect, and what danger is heading her way?

Themes

MysteryParanormalFriendship Adventure Coming of Age RomanceHorror & Ghost Stories

Quick Assessment

Rory, a Louisiana teen starting boarding school in London, becomes the only witness who saw the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders modeled on Jack the Ripper, and she soon becomes his target. Expect frequent suspense, creepy ghostly elements, and descriptions of brutal crimes, along with humor and a light romance. It suits mature young teens who enjoy scary mysteries, and parents may want to know it leans into horror and peril more than gore.

Why we rated The name of the star ME (Moderate)

The name of the star is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 372 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate The name of the star as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.

Thematically, The name of the star explores mystery, paranormal, friendship, adventure, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, paranormal, friendship.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Mild

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.

Data confidence: high

Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?