Hardcover, 420 pages
Published January 29th 2013 by Balzer + Bray
ARC Provided by Publisher for Honest Review
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.
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Megan Shepherd was "born" into the book world, growing up in her parents' independent bookstore in Western North Carolina. She is the author of THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER trilogy (Balzer+Bray/2013), and THE CAGE trilogy (Balzer+Bray/2015). When Megan is not writing, she can usually be found horseback riding, day dreaming at coffee shops, or hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. She is represented by Josh Adams at Adams Literary.
Hmmm...Where do I start with this review? The Madman's Daughter was unlike anything I have ever read before. I devoured it in a matter of days and was left in a state of awe. I wanted more....immediately.
I also have a weakness for a beautiful cover....and this cover is breath-taking. It is simple and yet has so much meaning. Juliet is beautifully portrayed in a white gown with red ribbons , her long black hair wild and windblown and is walking barefoot along the shore. She looks captivating and lost all at the same time...
The synopsis of the story states that this is somewhat of a retelling of The Island of Dr Moreau. So this told me immediately that there would be plenty of creepiness and secrets involved in this book and WOW was I right. The creepy factor is HIGH in this book and is exactly what makes it so good.
The main character, Juliet, is so strong and intense. She is a heroine who has the skills and the want to survive in a world unlike any other. She is orphaned at a young age and placed into the work system in order to survive. Her father was a world renowned surgeon who is found to be "psychotic" and disowned from his life and the people around him. Her mother died of a illness while Juliet was still young. Juliet watched her father perform surgeries and learned everything that she knows about the medical field from his teachings.
"When I cleaned those rooms, late at night after the medical students had gone home to their warm bed, the sound of my hard-bristle brush echoed in the operation theater, down the twisting halls, into the storage spaces where they kept the things of nightmares. Other peoples nightmares, that is. Dead flesh and sharpened scalpels didn't bother me. I was my father's daughter, after all. My nightmares were made of darker things."
Juliet uncovers the fact that her father is still alive and so she sets off on a journey to the mysterious island where he has taken refuge to try and get some answers to her past as well as her future. She is accompanied by her fathers assistant, Montgomery. I absolutely adore Montgomery. He is kind, compassionate, and yet dangerous in his own way.
"I knew what he wanted to say. He loved me. He loved the half-mad, filthy girl standing in a pool of formaldehyde."
Juliet discovers so many mysteries and horrors when she arrives on the island. This is such a high-paced book and I could not stop turning the pages. Every chapter is a new adventure and a new secret come to life. It was just phenomenal. It was everything that I love in a book...survival, romance, mystery, and action...LOTS OF ACTION.
I literally cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel to find out what is in store for Juliet next...I mean I can seriously only imagine...Megan Shepherd is an author to watch for..She is a phenomenal writer and knows how to write in order to keep the reader attached to the story till the very last page...WOW....Just incredible...
The sequel to The Madman's Daughter releases January 28, 2014. The blog tour for Her Dark Curiosity is being held by Rock Star Book Tours! (One of my favorite Book Tour Hosts)
Check out the Tour Schedule and Page!!
Hardcover, 400 pages
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