[Review] The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Monday, February 04, 2013





 Title: The Madman's Daughter
Author: Megan Shepherd
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins

Purshase:
Amazon | Chapters | Book Depository

GOODREADS






Description
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.



My Thoughts
Where do I start with this one...let start with the cover. Not only does it look absolutely gorgeous but it also depicts the books perfectly. Set in the late 18th to 19th century(i believe), this books captivated you with its rich historical nature and its loveable and charismatic characters. Megan Shepherd does an extraordinary job at taking the story of Dr. Moreau Island and creating it into this epic story of love, loss and the pressures of family loyalty.

Juliette was exiled after her mothers death and her fathers very public reprimand for his gastly experiments. But when she find out that he is still alive, on a far away island, secluded from society she needs to see him. So she follows her childhood friend, and very handsome travel companion Montgomery to this very mysterious and CREEPY island. It is only when she arrives that she discovers the horrors of what her father is actually doing, and the consequences that come along with it.

I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. The narrative was fast paced and extremely entertaining. I found myself thinking I knew what was going to happen, and then to my surprise it would end up in a totally different direction. I loved each and every character and the way they were portrayed in the book. Juliette was nieve and blind to the man her father really was, but grew to learn and understand that the man she knew as a child no longer exists. Montgomery...oh Montgomery. I loved him so much. His love for Juliette was palpable and you could feel it through every page. I loved that their relationship was anything but perfect and that it felt real and emotional--the way it should be when you are a teenager. Juliette's Father on the other hand was the perfect bad guy. He was imposing and gigantic, yet at the same time vulnerable because of his love for his island. And of course we cannot forget the island inhabitants. This aspect of the story was my favourite because it was so unique and terrifying. I couldn't not image living on an island with these creatures...at all!

Overall I think this was one of my favourite books that I read in January (I am hesitant to say the year because really...its only February and I still have a lot of books to read). But in reality this books exceeded every single expectation I had going into it and I cannot think of a better book for lovers of Frankenstein and the amazing Kenneth Oppel series that includes This Dark Endeavour and Such Wicked Intent. Amazing read!

5/5 Stars

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1 comments

  1. I'm really excited to read this book. I'm a big H G Wells fan and I'm excited to see Megan's spin on the tale.

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