Review- The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Madman’s Daughter

Megan Shepherd

Release Date: January 29, 2013

Hardcover: 432 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray  (Harper)

ISBN:  0062128027

Source: ARC from the San Francisco Book Review

Rating: Obsessed!!!!!!!!!!!

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From Goodreads.

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.

I never read HG Wells’s the Island of Dr. Moreau but I have seen many of the movie adaptations and I loved them all! The idea of a man playing God and creating these animal/human hybrids was creepy and very intriguing. So I was really excited when I got Megan Shepherd’s book The Madman’s Daughter! I couldn’t wait to see what the daughter of this evil monster could be like and I was not disappointed! Not in the least! This book was everything I thought it was going to be and more! Megan’s writing was beautiful and the love story was heartwrenching!

I loved Juliet’s character she was a brave and almost fearless in times when women should have been subservient. She has to deal with the truth of what her father has done and that of her very own nature. She had help along the way; her childhood friend and crush Montgomery and also a dashing stranger name Edward who survived a shipwreck. I absolutely loved both of the guys but in the end Edward did steal my heart. He was a tortured soul and I just wanted to heal his heart and wounds.

I promise if you love a historical story with a supernatural twist and a mystery that keeps you reading until all hours of the night you will love this one! Oh and the ending? That ending killed me! I can’t wait for book 2 in the series!

I chose a passage which I call “The Waterfall Scene” lol

In the morning Edward was gone. The coals were cold in the light filtering through the screen of water. The cave looked different in daytime, without shadows clinging to the dark corners. It was only a damp outcropping, bare except for clumping moss near the puddles and more spiders than I cared to notice.

The knife, which Edward had left by the fire while we slept, was gone too.

I peered through the gap in the falls. A young man’s naked form bathed in the shallows of the pool. I jerked back with a gasp, embarrassed to see Edward undressed. I’d never seen a man naked before. The memory of his body against mine all night and the brief, unreturned kiss made me feel suddenly very warm.

I splashed water on my face from a puddle. Went to check on my dress. Washed the cuts on my arms. No matter how I tried to busy myself, I couldn’t stop throwing glances at the waterfall.

“Oh, dash it.” I tiptoed back to the gap. My heart thumped in my ears.

He had his back to me. He waded up to his chest and ducked underwater, whooping as he came up, holding his hurt rib lightly. I’d never seen him so carefree. And I’d certainly never seen him so…exposed. He didn’t have Montgomery’s impressive physique, but there was something undeniably strong in his wiry arms. Arms that held me last night.

I fanned a little air onto my face.\

Make sure you check out the trailer!