Review: The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter #1) By: Megan Shepherd

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

Author: Megan Shepherd

Published: January 29th, 2013

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

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:

I have to admit I was really hesitant to read this book only because I am not a historical fiction fan, it always seems to bore me and I usually can't get into the story. But if you are like me and not a historical fiction fan do not let if shy you away from this book. Although it is a historical fiction it doesn't read that way and the historical setting was not the main focus of the book. Shepard has created an amazing story full of drama, horror, and darkness.

Juliet Moreau is 16 years old, a maid and trying to live her life in the shadow of her ruined reputation in society at the hands of her father. Her father is a doctor who for all Juliet knows is dead after he was run out of London for doing experiments that he scientific community was against. Everything changes one night when Juliet finds a piece of paper with one of her father's experiments, she connects it back to Montgomery, her childhood friend and a servant in her household growing up. Everything Juliet has thought was a lie. Her father is alive and living out the rest of his life on a mysterious island with Montgomery as his assistant. Juliet convinces him to take her along back to the island but, what she finds is not at all what she has been looking for. 

I really loved the character of Juliet, she doesn't want to be like other women of the time and she is torn inside herself with being fascinated by her father's experiments and repulsed at the same time.  The love triangle for me was a little bit weird, although I can't elaborate more because it's too spoilery but, yeah it was a little different to say the least. I do have to issue a warning some parts of the book are a little graphic and it involves animals, it didn't bother me too much but if you are a sensitive animal lover beware. Montgomery was a torn character that you could feel throughout the book. Juliet and Montgomery were very close when they were growing up and now that they have found each other again you can feel the chemistry that is between them but, he doesn't feel like he deserves her and he is just as guilty as her father with the experiments in his eyes. Juliet was so strong when she was on the island, if I was in her place and had to deal with everything she did, I would have been freaking out!

Overall, Megan Sheperd has created an amazing gothic thriller that is definitely an interesting beginning to a series. I am so curious where she is going to go with this one because it could have been good as a standalone as well and there wasn't any clue as to as where she is going to go with the series but, I for one cannot wait to see what happens.

Want some more thoughts on The Madman's Daughter, check out the fellow bloggers below!

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