Book Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd,
international paperback edition cover

The Madman's Daughter

by Megan Shepherd

Series: The Madman's Daughter #1

Genre: YA, historical, mystery

Editions available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle, ebook, audiobook, international

Published January 1st 2013 by Balzer + Bray

Source: Paperback from the publisher (Harper Collins International)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble * Book Depository * Indiebound * Amazon

Blurb (Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London, working as a maid and trying to forget the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumours about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he's alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she's determined to find out if the accusations were true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward, Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the secret of her father's new life: He experiments on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. 

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.

My Thoughts:

Have you heard of animals turning into humans--in a not-so humanistic appearance--from an operation? A vivisection? Never heard of it. It sounds totally creepy and unrealistic, but Juliet found out that this was her father's "project" and has been part of her life ever since. Why, in the world, would a sane person do that? Sure, he is genius, but also a madman. She is truly a madman's daughter. But how can she erase her father in her life? How can she live with all these inhuman creatures and unhumanistic doing?

I don't think I've ever read a historical fiction before--creepy historical fiction, I may add. But I got myself into reading this book and there's no turning back. The first chapter already showed a potential of how good this book will turn out to be. I wasn't prepared on what happened next, though. It freaked me out. Kinda. :D

Dr. Moreau, Juliet's father, is real crazy, I hated him myself. He wants to think of himself and others as a god and he wanted to make his people. Everything he did and said in this book was unbelievable and just insane. Juliet, however, didn't get the insane genes from her father, though there are times that she doubted herself. She is a beautiful girl with strong personality that captured Montgomery's (her father's assistant) and Edward's (a castaway) heart.

The Madman's Daughter is based from the book The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G Wells. I didn't know there was an original book until I read the author's acknowledgements. There was even a movie! Even though I have not read the original book, I know that the author wrote her version of the book that's new and thrilling for the younger audience. The romance was not an exception. Megan Shepherd had a way of telling a romantic story even in a dark and twisted set-up, and didn't failed to make me like it.

The pace was enough to unravel mysteries still had me guessing. It was then I remembered this is a trilogy. I think the author revealed a lot in this book that left almost nothing to reveal on the next two books. Even after the I-Cannot-Believe-That-Just-Happened! ending, I think a sequel would do but not a trilogy. But who am I to talk? Megan knows how to do her magic! 

* Huge thanks to Christine of HarperCollins International for sending me a review copy of The Madman's Daughter!

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