The Madman's Daughter Review

The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter #1)

By Megan Shepherd

Published January 29th, 2013 by Balzer + Bray

432  pages

4 stars - Terrifyingly Awesome!!

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

Review:

I read The Madman's Daughter in one day and, as the day turned into night, I became increasingly terrified yet intrigued. This book is a thrilling one, filled with many dark secrets, romance, and danger. It was awesome! I haven't ever read the classic, The Island of Dr. Moreau, but I did find this novel to be something different than what I've read in the past. 

Juliet is a character with a complex mind. It seemed like she wasn't really sure of who she was in the beginning and as she learned more about her father's experiments, even less sure as the end of the book drew near. She almost thought in two different ways, like her mother expected her to and like her father was scorned for. It was definitely interesting to read from her point of view and to read about the struggles in her mind. It was almost like reading this book, while terrifying and violent at some parts, it was also intriguing and mind blowing. It really had you thinking about the kind of dangerous experiments Juliet's father created. All the characters seemed to have secrets of their own and many layers to them. I loved Montgomery and Edward. In the beginning and middle of the book I had a difficult time deciding which I liked better but then secrets were spilled and everything I thought I knew wasn't entirely true. I loved it! There were twists and turns and not one moment where I was bored. I felt bad for Juliet, Montgomery, Edward and all their island friends. Each one of them had different issues and struggles.

The Madman's Daughter is a book that won't want to leave your mind and will keep you reading through the night. Make sure to leave some lights on though. The only part I didn't like...the ending. It was a cliff hanger in a way and just kind of unfair, at least to me. But I cannot wait for the next book because I really want to know what happens with Juliet and the rest of the characters. This book is one you shouldn't miss out on. I recommend it for any science lovers, goth lovers, or anyone in need of a bone chilling book that has a great blend of adventure and romance. So check this one out today!!

Vanessa