Article Title
Keywords
Excellent, Young Adult, Matthew J. Kirby, Ghost Stories, Jack The Ripper, London, England, 19th Century, Joseph Carey Merrick
Document Type
Book Review
Abstract
Evelyn must escape the merciless London streets for her survival. Hiding her disfigured face and hungering for asylum, Evelyn seeks employment at the London Hospital. The hospital has a position working for someone else hiding from the world: Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man. Evelyn is scared by the hideous being, but she grows to love and respect the childlike man inside the malformed body. After a few months, she and Mr. Merrick are visited by several female ghosts, the recent victims of the new serial killer Jack the Ripper. These visits sap Mr. Merrick’s strength and he begins to decline rapidly. If Evelyn doesn’t resolve the final wishes of these women, Mr. Merrick will die. As Evelyn appeases each victim, Mr. Merrick improves. However, the latest victim has other intentions. Using Evelyn as a vessel, they follow the Ripper’s tracks and find that the killer is really a psychopathic midwife. During their pursuit the midwife is killed in an accident and the ghostly visitations finally end.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
McMillan, Tessa
(2017)
"A Taste For Monsters,"
Children's Book and Media Review: Vol. 38:
Iss.
7, Article 57.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cbmr/vol38/iss7/57