The Madness Underneath (Shades of London, #2)

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The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2)

by Maureen Johnson (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 2,857 ratings · 735 reviews

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory’s brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she’s become a human terminus, with the...more

Hardcover, 290 pages

Published February 26th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

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Mar 15, 2013 Tristan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am REALLY curious about what is going to happen in this book after what all happened in the last few chpts. of the first book. I am wondering if Rory is going to be considered a threat to society or something becasue of "what she did" in the last few pgs. of the first book. I'm really excited to see where it takes her and hopefully Stephen along the way! (For some reason I get a good vibe between her and him instead of Jerome, because Rory and Jerome's relationship doesn't scream unique to me...more

21 likes · like · see review

Apr 08, 2012 Bern marked it as to-read

What is it with this series and ugly ass covers? Thank god the blurbs are always awesome or else I'd shun this so hard it wouldn't even know what hit it

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Mar 01, 2013 Heidi rated it 2 of 5 stars

After loving Maureen Johnson from afar, largely via her very entertaining Twitter feed, I was thrilled that she was venturing into the world of speculative fiction by delving into the horror of Jack the Ripper, ghosts, and mystery via a London boarding school and secret police force. That’s much more up my alley than her usual contemporary route. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy The Name of the Star, I didn’t forget about it, and am still constantly recommending it to readers over a year later. N...more After loving Maureen Johnson from afar, largely via her very entertaining Twitter feed, I was thrilled that she was venturing into the world of speculative fiction by delving into the horror of Jack the Ripper, ghosts, and mystery via a London boarding school and secret police force. That’s much more up my alley than her usual contemporary route. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy The Name of the Star, I didn’t forget about it, and am still constantly recommending it to readers over a year later. Needless to say, I was very much anticipating the follow up, spurred on by the much approved cover makeover of the series to the creepy shadowy goodness you see above. And so, I am sad to report, that The Madness Underneath is the greatest disappointment of 2013 thus far. It may not be the most egregious offender of the second book slump scenario, but between the let down and my complete non-support of where Johnson is aiming to take this series, I’m afraid the Shades of London and I are at an impasse.

The Madness Underneath doesn’t lack for entertainment value. As with its predecessor, Rory’s story completely sucks you in. Johnson’s writing flows with ease and humor, and I honest to goodness had no idea how little was actually happening in this book until I was nearly 3/4 of the way through. I was kicking back and enjoying the set up so much, I didn’t realize that there wasn’t really much of a story. Once I did, I felt deflated–but this does spell promise for other reader’s ability to just enjoy and not pick at The Madness Underneath as I am about to.

So here are my issues with The Madness Underneath:

-What happened to the rest of that cast we loved? In book one, I had such a great time getting to know the Shades, the ghosts, and Rory’s frienimies at Wexford Academy. They’re still here in The Madness Underneath, but only in a very shallow surface sense. Rory is so self-involved for the entirety of this book, that these other characters are no longer players themselves, but mere props. Which brings me to the fact that…

-This book is largely angst disguised as character development. Yes, Rory goes through some growing pains in The Madness Underneath that are undoubtedly integral to who she will be as a character as the series continues, but I felt as if Johnson flip-flopped the proper ordering of things. In my mind, this development should have been an accessory to the plot, and not the other way around.

-The plot was scattered. Why bother giving us a preface that sets up a potentially awesome new creepy plot when you’re going to essentially solve this issue quickly and move on to something completely different and unrelated? When there are revelations later on in the story that were very loosely tied back to this beginning plot, it seemed an afterthought rather than well-planned. The first part of this book had only a very fragile connection to the second part, making it seem as if there really wasn’t the material here for a complete book–it’s just another strained stretch of a set-up for book three shoved into its own binding.

-The last 30% of the book…this is the section that sets up for book three rather than creating any sort of finalized story for book two (or rather, the only part of the book with a real plot). Rory goes from a girl struggling to deal with a jilting realignment of her personal expectations as well as the expectations of everyone she knows to an idiot who throws everything out the window on a whim. I realize that teenagers are impulsive and moody and make mistakes, but Rory’s path is baffling to me as it seems completely out of character, despite her angsty developments in this book. I felt Johnson created a convenient excuse for this rather than actually justifying it. Perhaps this wouldn’t be so upsetting if I felt there had been more of a build up or connection with the beginning of the book–unfortunately, there wasn’t.

-The ending. I’ll admit it, this one I can’t blame on Johnson so much as acknowledge that it’s personal. Some readers will love this unexpected turn of events, but I hated the ending of this book. Please someone else who’s read it contact me via Twitter or Goodreads so that I can complain about the absolute eye-rollyness of it without spoiling it for those yet to read. Note: It is not an open/cliffhanger ending for those who may be concerned since that is indeed what usually sets off my rage meter–it’s a twist.

Alas, I have to acknowledge that one of the double edged swords of book blogging is that it has caused me to become a much more critical reader. Had I read The Madness Underneath directly after finishing The Name of the Star a year and a half ago, I’m sure I wouldn’t have felt struck with the disappointment that I felt today. Yes, there were things I loved about it–the fact that Rory can have relationships that don’t have to be true love (heck, they don’t have to be love at all), the humor, the creepy edge of knowing and seeing what few others can. I can see many readers greatly enjoying this one, I, however, toss it unceremoniously onto the second book slump pile of series I have abandoned.

Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.(less)

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Nov 09, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-books-in-my-opinion

If you're like me, whenever you get invested in a book series/trilogy, you're worried the remaining books won't live up to the first one, right?. Well, you won't have to worry about that with The Madness Underneath. It is one of the rare ones. A sequel that is even better than the first one. It is everything you hope for in a sequel. This book has made me feel so many genuine emotions (scared, sad, worried and heart broken) and the ending is a whopper.

Rory is one of my favorite characters. I lo...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have an axiom that if a character in a book is engaging enough than even watching them chew oatmeal will be interesting. Maureen Johnson has found a strong, memorable voice in her protagonist/narrator Rory Deveaux, a Lousiana girl transplanted to London. Rory has a colorful personality, injecting random asides and humorous descriptions into everything, and telling embarrassing stories about her family when she gets nervous.

Some people don't enjoy the character because she's not very heroic, bu...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ghosts, audiobooks-i-own, ya-paranormal

I quite liked the first book in this series, 'The Name of the Star', but I REALLY, REALLY LIKED this one. And I don't want to take anything away from the story but I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was the narrator. Nicola Barber is without a doubt one of the best audio book narrators that I have ever listened to and I ended up even doing housework just so I could listen to this book!
Rory, who survived a Jack the Ripper attack has been sent away to Bristol with her parents but ends...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadult, paranormal, 2013, mystery, boarding-school

When we last visited our loquacious heroine Rory, she had been violently attacked by a mad specter hell-bent on recreating the Ripper murders (as he simultaneously pursued further motives of an arcane nature). If that wasn't traumatic enough, she had also been dealt a stunning, very secret, and possibly devastating super power. At the beginning of The Madness Underneath only three weeks later, Rory is still dealing with all of the feelings associated with that attack and from keeping secrets fro...more

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May 16, 2013 Elena Love rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: need-to-read

After the events that took place in The Name Of the Star,Rory goes back to Wexford.She can't wait to see her friends again and have some normal things happen to her after the Jack the Ripper incident.But nothing will ever be normal again because she finds out that she has a new ability.She can eliminate ghosts when she touches them.The old problem might be solved but there are more of them waiting.Because a string of murders,or better inexplicable deaths has shocked the area.Rory knows and has e...more

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May 19, 2013 albregia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy, mystery-horror, promising-series, march-2013, london-love, let-us-cry, actual-review

After reading so many negative/mediocre reviews about this book, I've finally realized I'm not part of the popular opinion (shocker!). I really liked this second installment from Maureen Johnson and had no qualms with the emotional journey Rory goes through. Her voice still felt real and interesting, and even if it did superficially cover some of the characters and settings from the first book, this feels more mature (and a little less gruesome/mysterious). But that's ok, because the foundation...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-jenny-reads

Well! Maureen Johnson did it again. The Shades of London series are such a far cry from Johnson's Suite Scarlett series, and I LOVE that. Not that Scarlett wasn't fun, but the mysticism, history, suspense & general creepiness of these books set them at a whole different level of which I'm much more fond.

The Madness Underneath does it's second-book job well & throws in new elements that really keep the ball rolling for Rory & Co.

With less school & more paranormal, our cast of char...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rory Devereaux escapes her nearly fatal encounter with a vengeful ghost a changed girl. As she found out the hard way, Rory has become a human terminus, meaning that any contact between her and a ghost will destroy it. Rory isn’t too sure how she feels about her new abilities, especially since she’s no longer allowed to be in contact with her ghost-fighting friends, but she quickly puts all of this behind her once she’s allowed to go back to Wexford. But returning to school isn’t the return to n...more Rory Devereaux escapes her nearly fatal encounter with a vengeful ghost a changed girl. As she found out the hard way, Rory has become a human terminus, meaning that any contact between her and a ghost will destroy it. Rory isn’t too sure how she feels about her new abilities, especially since she’s no longer allowed to be in contact with her ghost-fighting friends, but she quickly puts all of this behind her once she’s allowed to go back to Wexford. But returning to school isn’t the return to normality that Rory hopes for, especially given the unexplainable deaths around the school’s neighborhood. Rory is sure that something sinister is at work here, but she’s not so sure she can tackle it herself.

After the spectacular Ripper-themed frenzy that was The Name of the Star, I was curious to see where Johnson would lead Rory’s story next. And even though The Madness Underneath is somewhat of a departure from the historically-steeped mystery of its prequel, I have to see that I am overall mostly pleased with the results. Johnson does present readers with another fascinating mystery, that of the new set of mysterious deaths, but she also shifts some of the focus of the plot to Rory’s personal problems, such as her inability to truly assimilate back into her routine at Wexford. I enjoyed being able to see that different side of Rory’s life, especially as it made her feel like a more vivid character. The only issue that I really had with this story was the pacing: while some of the plotlines wrapped up by the end of the novel, one major one actually began there instead; while this certainly makes me want to read the next book in this trilogy, it was still strange to feel like the story wasn’t even close to being over at its conclusion.

Fans of The Name of the Star will not want to miss its sequel in The Madness Underneath, nor will readers who also enjoyed Croak by Gina Damico, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, and Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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May 14, 2013 Samantha Clevenstine rated it 5 of 5 stars

2nd book in what is turning out to be a really terrific series by Maureen Johnson - The Shades of London series. The first book, "The Name of the Star" was left with a cliff hanger ending which the 2nd book picked right up on and continued smoothly from there. This book, "The Madness Underneath", also finished with a cliff hanger ending, but I'll have to wait to see what happens next - not sure when book 3 is being published.

I picked the first book in this series because it is a South Carolina J...more

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May 05, 2013 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a bit of a disappointment. I really loved the book that preceded it (and introduced the series). That first book was called "The Name of the Star," and it brought Aurora "Rory" Deveaux from Louisiana to London and a private boarding school. Her parents had taken positions in England as college professors, and she was basically joining them, even though she was not going to be living directly with them.

The really interesting thing is that as she arrives, a series of murders mirroring the...more This was a bit of a disappointment. I really loved the book that preceded it (and introduced the series). That first book was called "The Name of the Star," and it brought Aurora "Rory" Deveaux from Louisiana to London and a private boarding school. Her parents had taken positions in England as college professors, and she was basically joining them, even though she was not going to be living directly with them.

The really interesting thing is that as she arrives, a series of murders mirroring the original Jack the Ripper slayings starts happening in the vicinity of the school, which is right in the middle of Ripper territory. The whole city (as well as her school) is thrown into turmoil as everyone tries to find and stop the copycat.

The only problem is that the case is not really tied to a copycat, and Rory starts to learn about it as she gets to know more about a secret power she has. Due to a near-death experience, she can see shades, or ghosts, and this introduces her to another whole world that is imprinted on the real living world. Some of the ghosts, such as the teen boy in the school library are nice and friendly while others are crazy and need some help moving on to the afterlife.

And that is the role taken on by a secret unit of the Metropolitan Police that take Rory under their wing. This becomes even more important as she is dealing with the terrible consequences of actions at the conclusion of the previous novel. She has been both physically and emotionally wounded, and it is not easy getting back to normal. Even as she heads back to London and school, she finds herself struggling with the horrors of what she saw ... and what she can do. She has learned she is actually a tool that can be used to to send ghosts along just by mere touch, either intentional or not.

The story does get bogged down quite a bit. I guess that makes the story more realistic in the fact that Rory does need a recovery, but it is not enjoyable storytelling. It reminded me so much of the wasted 70 pages of pining that Bella does for Edward at the start of the second "Twilight" novel. It could totally have just been described in a sentence or two and jumped the book ahead a bit more in time and had the same informational effect.

Rory does find herself getting more involved in the paranormal "Torchwood" group, which is interesting, as it allows the reader to get to know her teammates on a much higher level. Sadly though, this aspect is lost as Rory is dealing with going to classes and trying to play catchup while not being able to do work and trying to handle counseling that seems inadequate to her needs.

I am probably not going to bother with continuing this series since it seems to have lost its focus. The characters are interesting, but there was not enough plot to really support an almost-300 page book.(less)

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May 01, 2013 Blackwatch_vw rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

In short : the strength of this second book is in my opinion Rory's path, from the Ripper's victim to a young woman struggling with her new abilities. I am more sceptical about the story's link with ghosts, but it won't stop me from reading the third and final instalment in this series!

Full review (in French)

http://callioprofs.com/CallioWiki/ind...

Après les évènements traumatisants du premier tome, Rory se retrouve seule à Bristol, avec des parents surprotecteurs et une psychologue à laquelle e...more In short : the strength of this second book is in my opinion Rory's path, from the Ripper's victim to a young woman struggling with her new abilities. I am more sceptical about the story's link with ghosts, but it won't stop me from reading the third and final instalment in this series!

Full review (in French)

http://callioprofs.com/CallioWiki/ind...

Après les évènements traumatisants du premier tome, Rory se retrouve seule à Bristol, avec des parents surprotecteurs et une psychologue à laquelle elle ne peut se confier. Comment trouver les mots, en effet, pour décrire à cette étrangère sa capacité non seulement de voir les fantômes, mais en plus de les faire passer de l’autre côté ? Impossible. La jeune fille porte en outre les cicatrices physiques et mentales de sa rencontre avec le Ripper. Tout change cependant quand soudain, on lui donne l’opportunité de revenir à Londres et en particulier à Wexford. Car, si le Ripper a disparu, d’autres phénomènes inquiétants continuent de se dérouler dans les environs de l’école...
Ce deuxième tome se consacre surtout à l’héroïne et sa capacité à surmonter ses traumatismes. C’est une évolution qui n’est pas souvent décrit en YA, les héros ayant tendance à ne pas garder de séquelles. Aussi, j’ai apprécié de voir le parcours de cette ado qui souffre, qui tente de reconstruire sa vie, même si celle-ci a changé du tout au tout, ce qui la rend d’autant plus attachante à mon sens.
Pour autant, ce tome 2 souffre des travers habituels : on sent la difficulté de l’auteur à poursuivre son exploration d’un Londres peuplé de fantômes et ce ne sont pas les quelques attaques décrites qui changent la donne. L’intrigue à ce niveau est disparate, les liens entre Rory et les évènements développés semblent ténus et certains rebondissements paraissent cousus de fil blanc. Si ce roman reste une lecture très plaisante, grâce au talent de l’auteur et à une fin coup-de-tonnerre (préparez vos mouchoirs !), ce deuxième tome ne se hisse pas au niveau du premier.(less)

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Apr 11, 2013 K rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

At the end of the first book, Rory’s parents took her out of Wexford. She survived a serial killer so their decision is warranted. Except now she’s not doing much. She’s cut off from the super secret ghost squad that she was a part of, from the friends she made in the short time at her new school, and from her normal life back in Louisiana. She also has a new ability—she’s a human terminus, which is pretty significant after all the other devices were destroyed. In order to save their division, S...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, because-sarah-said-so, fantasy, humor, mysteries, series, young-adult

Rory Devereaux, Louisiana transplant in Britain, has just had a couple of Very Bad Weeks. Friends were killed. She was almost killed.
Being a paranormal, that Very Bad Time led to Rory becoming something quite amazing (beside the fact that she could see and talk to ghosts). So, although she's been recuperating in Bristol, her Ghostbusting crew (they're not called Ghostbusters, but a friend called them that, so now it's impossible not to.) somehow manages to get her back to London to help with a n...more

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Mar 29, 2013 J.C. Phillipps added it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I love Maureen Johnson. I just love the way she writes. So even through I felt like The Madness Underneath was less of a stand-alone story, and more of a bridge between The Name of the Star and whatever the third one is, I still enjoyed it. It simply lacked drive.

The story sort of paralleled the MC, Rory. Rory came back to school kind of wonky and off. She wasn't sure where she was going and what she was going to do. The plot in The Madness Underneathe was a bit of the same. There was kinda a pl...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Lexie Robinson Austin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Synopsis:
After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades--the city's secret ghost-fighting police--a...more Synopsis:
After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades--the city's secret ghost-fighting police--are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before its too late.
In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated THE NAME OF THE STAR, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

This book. THIS BOOK.
I think the best way to describe the experience of reading this book is via metaphor. Reading this book is like going on a Roller Coaster ride. You’re not exactly sure what all it entails, but you know you’re going to love it. So you hope on the Coaster. It starts to slowly climb the first big hill. And while you’re climbing you notice things. Like the beautiful scenery. And the lovely people in your car. And the beautiful way they are speaking. In fact, you are so distracted by all of this that you don’t realize that THREE QUARTERS OF THE RIDE was a climb! Finally, finally, the coaster drops over the edge. You do a couple of loop de loops and then, while you’re upside-down, the ride suddenly ejects you out of your seat and onto the grass below where you land very roughly on your bum. And you sit there stunned, bruised, and wondering “What the frack just happened???”

That is what reading this book was like.

Okay, so the climb: I loved the writing in this book. In fact, I enjoyed the writing and the character of Roary more than I did in The Name of The Star. There were some excellent quotable moments. Favorite quote? "You can't curl up on the sofa and deny life forever. Life is always going to be a series of ouch-making moments, and the question was, was I going to go all fetal position, or was I going to woman up? I went into fetal position on the bed to think about this. Fetal position turns out to be very comfortable."

Love it. This book is much less about solving ghostly murders than it is about Roary’s personal journey in recovery from the events in Book 1. So I guess that’s why we spend so much time mulling around Roary’s head. And it’s fun, it really is. But you basically realize you’ve been distracted by the fun writing when you’re 75% through the book and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.

Then the loop de loops come in. Johnson throws us a couple of plotlines to keep things moving and shaking. One of them in particular (no spoilers here!) seemed really unnecessary. But maybe it’s important to Book 3? Dunno. Anywho, so finally there’s some ghost hunting/action going on. And smooching! There is smooching!

And then. THEN IT HAPPENS.

You are tossed out of the ride and thrown on the ground. And you sit up, scratch your head and read the last page thinking “What the bleep just happened???”

Yep. Reading this book was like that. So I’d only recommend you pick it up if you love Maureen Johnson’s writing, loved The Name of the Star, or are a total fan of masochistic fiction. Because this book will chew you up and spit you out in the last 40 pages.
(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Paigeewa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

God, I was so disappointed with this book! So very disappointed.

I adored The Name of the Star and I thought it was really cool to read Maureen Johnson's version of speculative fiction and urban fantasy/paranormal/what-have-you since the majority of her books have been of the contemporary fiction variety. TNotS was refreshing, but still had the MJ signature writing style.

While The Madness Underneath still retains that same style, it does not do the premise of its predecessor justice. Where th...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Rosalyn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed the first novel in Johnson's The Shades of London series, about Rory Devereaux's encounter with a Jack-the-Ripper type serial killer while she attended Wexford Academy. The sequel begins with Rory struggling to put her life back together. The first few chapters are understandably slow, as Rory tries to care about anything. When her therapist suggests Rory return to Wexford, the story picks up. Rory picks up the threads of her old life, including her involvement with the Shades (an elit...more

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Mar 13, 2013 meeners rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

somewhat of a disappointment compared to book 1, which brought something quite familiar (johnson's wry sensibility and adept handling of teen characters) into the more unknown territory of suspense and murder. the problem i had with book 2 is that the plot (or what loosely passes as plot) overtakes the characters, devouring them and then spitting them back out as puppets. this is the all too common curse of the middle book in a trilogy: things seem to happen simply because the author needs to ha...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Erika Gill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed at Deus Ex Pagina

I honestly feel there is no way to write a review on this book without referring to THE THING which is very spoiler-y, but I am going to try.

The Madness Underneath is the sequel to Johnson's 2011 The Name of the Star, which was very good! The Madness Underneath was good, but not quite as good as the first, which was about a copycat Jack the Ripper murderer in present-day London — lots of history, mystery, and thrills. And ghosts!

I definitely recommend you pick up a cop...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Isadora rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Maureen Johnson is a good writer. I've read quite a few of her books, and they are always fun, light-hearted reads, the kind of book you finish in a day. The Shades of London series tries to be a bit darker, while still holding on to Maureen's trademark humor. I think the first book managed to straddle that line between hauntingly atmospheric and "fun boarding school in another country" much better than this one, however. Perhaps because of the great villain in the first book, who was really ski...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Shannon Duane rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 04, 2013 Jeanne Izzy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Admittedly, I had high expectations for this book, as I couldn't get my hands on it for the LONGEST time, or some reason. BUt I feel this book, while reasonably interesting, fell short.

I loved the first book. Screw that, I LOVED the first book. It was amazing. I was rooting for Rory from the start. her relationship with Jerome was adorable and her sense of humor was amazing as always. But the story arc was curious. In the Name of the Star, Rory leaves almost immediately after becoming acquainted...more Admittedly, I had high expectations for this book, as I couldn't get my hands on it for the LONGEST time, or some reason. BUt I feel this book, while reasonably interesting, fell short.

I loved the first book. Screw that, I LOVED the first book. It was amazing. I was rooting for Rory from the start. her relationship with Jerome was adorable and her sense of humor was amazing as always. But the story arc was curious. In the Name of the Star, Rory leaves almost immediately after becoming acquainted with the group, but when she returns to Bristol, she's like, "They're the only ones I can talk to."

When did Rory develop such an intimate relationship that she could say that? Well, when she finally moves back, she finds she can't really talk to them much too. That was an odd point.

Another major issue I had with this story was: What happened to the other characters? I mean, a lot of the story was Rory's internal monologue and she had very little interaction with the other characters. Characters that were vividly described in the first book were flattened in this book. For example, Jazza. She was a funny character in the first book, and Rory's best friend. But in this book, she barely makes an appearance and her role is diminished significantly. WHAT HAPPENED??? Also, her relationship with Jerome. I mean before they got together, they always had easy conversation. Even when Rory was in Bristol, they remained friends over the phone. But from the beginning, when Rory tuned out Jerome on the phone, you had to have noticed that something was wrong. But when she returned to school, they got together officially. I know things can get awkward, especially if you've been friends for a long time, but I would like to have seen more of their easy banter that was there before. Another character, Charlotte. What happened to her??? She became a very flat character, only there to gush about the therapist to Rory.

And a lot I liked about the first book was Rory's humour and her school days. How she would go out with her friends, insult Charlotte and enjoy the little happy moments in between the action. But all of that was cut out in this book. Barely anything happened in that area. Rory keeps sneaking out of school to go on ghost hunting trips and doesn't spend time bonding with her classmates anymore.

The last thing: What's up with Stephen? I mean, Stephan was introduced as the leader of the ghost hunters, and while he did confide in Rory what really happened to him, I never really saw him as anything more than a close friend to Rory, and never as a love interest. When she decided to kiss him and he reciprocated, my reaction was: ????? I didn't think there was enough emotional buildup between the two for the kiss to have been contextually credible. And did Rory ever even think of Stephen that way before? I really don't think so. Also, the wasy Rory is so quick to hang out with Callum was another ????? point for me. When did she have the time to build such a close relationship with these characters? I feel as if major plotlines are missing.

And the ending was just: ??????????????
What happened with the therapist and Stephen and suddenly they want to bring him back as a ghost what. I mean their job is to get rid of ghosts but now Rory wants to bring him back? What kind of sense does that make?

So to sum it up, I had MAJOR problems with this book. I mean, the story itself was, in it's basest sense, alrght, but EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING THAT MAKES IT A BOOK WAS JUST

NO. (less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kat's Review

This second novel in the Shades of London series doesn't disappoint. While the Ripper copycat is gone, the crack opened up by his destruction is causing new problems with ghosts. After a particularly gruesome murder close to Rory's school, she realizes that she must embrace her new powers as a terminus and join with her friends from the Shades to stop more murders from occurring.

I found that this book read more quickly than the last. Rory's difficulty fitting back in at Wexford despi...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Whatchyareading added it · review of another edition

Shelves: caitlin, christine, series, young-adult, paranormal

Warning: There might be spoilers from The Name of the Star in this review.

Caitlin: It’s going to be so hard to talk about this book because all I want to do is yell and scream and rant about the ENDING.

Christine: Yeah, I’m pretty much going to be huddled in the corner, sobbing, during this entire review.

So. Where to start. I guess the beginning? The Madness Underneath picks up with Rory a couple of weeks after the end of The Name of the Star. She’s holed up at her parents’ home when all she want...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Crosby Bradford rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this second book in the Shades of London series. I always love the different voices that Maureen Johnson gives her characters because each of them is so witty and distinct in their own special ways. This story sucks you in and makes it very difficult to get out of. Rory is coping with the aftermath of the Ripper incident and trying to figure out what being a terminus will mean for her and for the barely hanging on squad of Stephen, Boo, and Callum. There are plenty of returning character...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must admit I'm a bit disappointed in The Madness Underneath. I had high expectations after enjoying The Name of the Star very much.

Rory is sent back to her school in London, hopefully to get her life more back to normal after what happened in The Name of the Star.

So she's back at school, and trying to fit in with her friends. She's feeling overwhelmed because she's so behind in her studies and exams are coming soon. She also reconnects with Stephen, Callum, and Boo, and that's pretty much the...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really, REALLY liked this one, especially for its tangential exploration of trauma, recovery, and mental illness in general. (I took issue with some of the characters' views of therapy, but it was pretty accurate as teenage reactions to counseling go.) Aside from that, though, I thought it was an imperfect but highly entertaining and impressively written sequel to The Name of the Star, and I think I actually liked it marginally better than the first book, having found the Ripper story slightly t...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Ending...contains spoilers	9	66	Apr 30, 2013 04:32pm
Huntsville-Madiso...: Staff Picks: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson	1	9	Mar 20, 2013 12:04pm
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About Maureen Johnson

Maureen knew from an early age she wanted to be a writer. She went to high school at an all-girls' Catholic school and graduated from University of Delaware with a degree in writing. She now lives and writes in New York City.

Many of the adventures Maureen's characters face in her books are based on real-life stories. Maureen has traveled all over Europe, and is a Secret Sister to vlog brothers Han...more

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Books by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope, #1)

The Name of the Star (Shades of London, #1)

The Last Little Blue Envelope (Little Blue Envelope, #2)

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Quotes from The Madness Underneath

“Do you ever sing in the car?"
"Generally not. But I am driving a police car."
"I think people would like a singing policeman. Makes life seem more like a musical. Like Foot-tastic."
"You can talk for a long time about nothing."
"I certainly can, you charming man!” — 19 people liked it

“I remember how, at first, I had felt the tension in his lips, as if he was trying to make a barrier between us - then they had relaxed, parted slightly. And that's when I had known he wanted to kiss me, wanted to give in. That little parting of the lips, the little sigh that came out... I would hear that sigh forever. That little, little sound when the whole world seemed to open up.” — 17 people liked it

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The Madness Underneath (Shades of London #2)

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