THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER by Megan Shepherd
Hardcover, 432 pages Published January 29th 2013 by Balzer + BrayISBN: 0062128027 (ISBN13: 9780062128027)Source: PublisherSimilar reads: This Dark Endeavor, Such Wicked Intent Rating:
"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.
MY THOUGHTS:
THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER BY MEGAN SHEPHERD IS A BEAUTIFULLY TERRIFYING READ PERMEATED WITH MOMENTS OF MYSTERY, MADNESS AND INTOXICATING PASSION. I WAS SEDUCED BY IT'S DARKNESS.
WHEN READING, IT ISN'T OFTEN THAT I AM LEFT CRINGING WITH HORRIFIED FEAR WHILE BEING EQUALLY ENCHANTED WITH ROMANCE AND MYSTERY BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I BECAME SEDUCED BY THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER. THE DARK MYSTERY OF THIS NOVEL BEGINS WITH JULIET MOREAU, A MOST UNUSUAL PROTAGONIST: SMART, CURIOUS AND DETERMINED. THE BULK OF THE STORY CONCENTRATES ON JULIET'S JOURNEY IN REUNITING WITH HER LONG LOST FATHER WHILE TRYING TO SORT OUT HER FEELINGS BETWEEN THE TWO SEPARATE MEN IN HER LIFE.
ONCE JULIET REACHES HER FATHER'S ISLAND SHE REALIZES THAT HER WISH TO BE REUNITED WITH HER FATHER WAS AN ILLUSION OF FANTASY BECAUSE WHEN FACED WITH THE REALITY OF HOW INSANE HER FATHER HAS BECOME. SHE IS HORRIFIED. YET, JULIET CANNOT SEEM TO TEAR HERSELF AWAY FOR SHE IS INEXPLICABLY DRAWN TO THE MEDICAL ABOMINATIONS THAT HER FATHER HAS CREATED AND WHEN SHE UNCOVERS THE MOST UNFORGIVABLE ACTION OF THEM ALL IT WILL LEAVE YOU SPEECHLESS.
THE GRUESOME PROCEDURES THAT ARE A BIG PART OF THIS NOVEL ARE MESMERIZING BUT WHAT REALLY CAPTIVATES ME IS JULIET'S INNER STRUGGLE WITH HER DARK NATURE AND HOW IT DRAWS HER TOWARDS BOTH OF THE MEN THAT ARE A PART OF HER LIFE. I COULD NOT SEEM TO GET ENOUGH OF THE JULIE/MONTGOMERY/EDWARD TRIANGLE FOR IT WAS VERY EVOCATIVE AND I COULD UNDERSTAND HER STRUGGLE TO DETERMINE WHICH MAN WOULD BE THE ONE FOR HER. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OBVIOUS FROM THE START IT WAS STILL ADDITIVELY AMAZING TO WITNESS. AND AS THIS STORY REACHED IT'S TUMULTUOUS END I WAS NAIL BITING IT SO HARD I COULD NOT SEEM TO RELEASE THE TENSION THAT HAD PERMEATED MY BEING AND NOT UNTIL THE LAST WORD WAS CONSUMED AND MY HEART WAS TORN DID I FINALLY BREATHE A SIGH OF BLESSED RELIEF.
IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS NOVEL TO ANYONE WHO ENJOYS A WELL WRITTEN READ THAT PUSHES THE ENVELOPE OF SANITY. IF YOU ARE A FAN OF KENNETH OPPEL'S THE APPRENTICESHIP OF FRANKENSTEIN SERIES THEN THIS NOVEL WILL BE A WELCOME ADDITION
