Thursday, March 14, 2013

Review: The Madman's Daughter

THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER
The Madman's Daughter #1
Megan Shepherd
Historical/Paranormal Young Adult
420 pages
Balzer + Bray
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (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.


MY THOUGHTS
Darkly thrilling, The Madman’s Daughter combines the things we know about the original telling of The Island of Dr. Moreau with the promise of new twists and slight deviations to keep us utterly riveted the entire way through. While we know more than Juliet does from the first page–her innocent hope that the rumors and accusations which drove her father to abandon her and her mother are unfounded temporarily blinding her–we still find ourselves nervously tapping our fingers and toes once she sets foot on the island, the truth of knowing her father is every bit the monster everyone thought him to be only serving to amplify our sense of unease. We find ourselves horrified, not only by the threat some of the island’s inhabitants present but more so from the man responsible for them, someone who proves himself to be more unnatural than any of those who so unluckily fall under his scalpel.

Juliet intrigues us from the very start, proving herself to be intelligent and more than capable of defending herself and those weaker than her, unafraid to resort to violence despite how it conflicts with her polite society upbringing. Once she reaches the island however, a few small issues arise, namely her perpetual habit of painting everyone there with her father’s brush. Her anger and disgust with him color her perception of all those who have done nothing but fall victim to Dr. Moreau's gruesome touch, causing her to group all of them under a single label with little regard for their status as innocents. We absolutely agree with her feelings toward her father as there is very little white threaded through all of his black, but Montgomery and the islanders all exist in varying shades of gray, as Juliet herself does, something she conveniently forgets when the painful reality of her father’s cruelty becomes indisputable and rips her hope for love and family away.

Those who read the synopsis prior to picking this first installment up will not be surprised by the presence of a love triangle, with Juliet earning the romantic interest of both childhood friend Montgomery and castaway Edward. Luckily though the triangle is not of the overly dramatic variety, Juliet’s preference clear early on (though it does waver ever-so-slightly at times), and she is not one to play games or pit her suitors against one another. The romance is also a very secondary element to the mystery of her father’s experiments and the murders taking place on the island, so while Montgomery and Edward are both very present throughout, their interest in Juliet is never the primary focus. We’re instead beautifully distracted by a truly grotesque villain and all the pain his inflated ego and delicate blade have caused.

Overall, The Madman’s Daughter is a book that will keep many a reader up late, the call of sleep no match for the haunting tale of Juliet and her island of monsters–both those in truth and those who have simply been mislabeled. Though this is the first book of a trilogy, it has an episodic quality to it wherein many of the questions we have and much of the action specific to this leg of Juliet’s journey is wrapped up, leaving us with plenty of room to move forward without causing us to break out in a cold sweat as we contemplate the number of days between now and the release date of book two.

Rating: 4/5

50 comments:

  1. I have heard a lot about this book and most of it was good. However I'm still unsure whether this is a book for me. I think that it's one that may be a bit hard for me to read and may actually be scary for me. I might be wrong though. I did pick up a copy for my sister in law so I might give it a try one of these days.

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    1. I didn't find this book scary in a sleep-with-the-lights-on-way, but it wad definitely terrifying in terms of Dr. Moreau and the way he thought. Humans are definitely the monsters of this tale:)

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    2. Or *was* if I could type:)

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  2. I love that even though this is a series, it still feels wrapped up. I love this... All this sequel cliffhangers are driving me nuts! I can totally stans a love Triangle were the choice is more or less clear. Seems like a great read!

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    1. I really liked that about it as well. We're definitely left with a wide open ending, I wouldn't quite call it a cliffhanger though it's close, but I also felt like I got a lot of answers before things came to a close.

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  3. This is the first time I've heard of this, and to be honest, I've never heard of the original one either (at least, I don't think I have.) It sounds thrilling, mysterious, just plain interesting. I love your review, and I definitely want to pick this up. Thanks for putting it on my radar :)

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    1. I haven't read the original, I remember watching the movie with Val Kilmer a long time ago, but I don't recall too many details. This book was just fascinating, and Dr. Moreau was a piece of work. So glad my review piqued your interest!

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  4. Uh Maja borrowed me this book a while ago and I can't get some time to read it!! Uhh.. Anyway I like the sound of it and I'm so happy to see you liked it. BTW love triangle? I had no idea. I'm not a fan but I can survive! :D Great review Jenny :)

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    1. Yes, there is a love triangle present, but it's not full of angst. At least I didn't think it was. She waffles a tiny, tiny bit here and there, but overall one guy has her heart throughout.

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  5. I really liked Juliet but I just don't know what book two would bring to the table. Is it worth a read? Maybe -- I really liked the writing and the gothic feel but I'm ambivalent about a second and third book. *shrugs* Guess we'll have to wait and see, huh?

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    1. That's a question I have as well. Where will things go now? I don't know enough about the original to know if this first book just covered a piece of the story or if she's going to be greatly deviating now with the remainder of the trilogy. Still, I'm definitely interested enough to see what happens!

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  6. Oh, Jenny I've been wanting to pick this book up for a while now, but I'm not good with love triangles. It's good to hear that the mc doesn't play games and for the most part it's clear who she wants to be with, though. May have to bump this up on my tbr pile!

    Lovely review!

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    1. I'm not good with love triangles either Renu! But honestly, this one didn't bother me overmuch. There was a clear winner to me from the beginning, and the focus really isn't on the romance at all. Yes it's there, but it's definitely in the background.

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  7. I accepted a review copy of this one yesterday, so very glad to hear you liked it.

    I have a question: I've heard there is some gross stuff involving animals in this book. How bad is it on a scale of 1-10? I find it very difficult to read gross stuff involving animals!

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    1. Yay! Can't wait to see what you think! This one was dark and creepy and I just really liked it. Mostly because I love to get emotionally involved with characters, and I hated Dr. Moreau with epic passion.

      I have trouble with any brutality involving animals as well, so parts of this were hard to read. I would probably only rate it a 5 though, because aside from a scene with a rabbit in the beginning that's pretty awful and maybe one more later in the book (I'm a little fuzzy, I read this book a while ago), it's more an implied violence than an explicit one.

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    2. Thanks, Jenny. I might be able to handle a 5. Poor bunnies, though. :(

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  8. WOW ? A 4 ? I've been reading mixed reviews for this but now I'm definitely intrigued :)

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    1. I really liked it! It messed with my head, and any book that can make me hate a character so much that I want to tear the pages that mention him to shreds is a book worth reading:)

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  9. I didn't know that the book is part of the series. I really thought this is a standalone. But I'm still intrigue so I think I'll be moving this one from my wishlist to my to-buy list.

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    1. I didn't either actually! Not until I got to the end with the sort-of cliffhanger that I realized more books were to come:)

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  10. I'm just not sure about this one. I will admit that I'm not a big fan of the classics. I know, I know ... As a blogger and book lover it's practically blaphemous to say that, but it's true. This book just didn't hold a ton of appeal for me because of that.

    But I may give it a shot because you enjoyed it so much, and I trust your judgement (Valkyrie Rising, anyone?).

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    1. Wrote you a whole big long email. You're welcome ;-)

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  11. I am INTRIGUED. I've never read The Island of Dr. Moreau, so I don't have that back story, but this sounds like a delicious creepy (but not scary) story.

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    1. I only know the basics, I never read the original either. And this book was definitely deliciously creepy:)

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  12. Oh my this sounds amazing! While I haven't read the classic, I have seen the movie (which I know is NOT the same). That being said, I liked it and think this twist on the story sounds very promising.

    I tend to get nervous starting an unfinished series, but love that you let us know that it isn't an awful cliffhanger type ending.

    Adding to my GoodReads :)

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    1. I've seen the movie too. YEAH VAL KILMER! The ending is definitely wide open, but it wasn't the torturous cliffhanger type. At least I didn't think so. I'm content with what I know to wait and see where things go in book 2:)

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  13. OMG! Totally happy that you red this book Jenny! The ending! Right? I just about had a fit when I read that part! AHHH! Can not wait for the next book :)

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    1. The whole time I was reading I thought this book was a standalone, so we're getting toward the end and I'm all oh, this is going to wrap up nicely! And in a lot of ways it did, but then, the end. *sigh* I need book 2.

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  14. I have to agree with you about the love triangle, it's not nearly as torturous than most and Juliet is far less indecisive that I expected her to be.
    While the ending was a bit disappointing for me, I do undestand why it had to happen like that and it IS very well-rounded.
    I have no idea what the next book will be about, but I have high hopes.
    Beautifully written review as always, Jenny!

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    1. Yes, I liked that Juliet wasn't a waffler, though there were times she was so judgmental of Montgomery and the islanders I wanted to shake her. Still, overall I was a fan of her:)

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  15. I'm not sure why, but this cover creeps me the hell out. Seriously. It's creepy in a really weird way and even though everyone loves this book, I know I'll not read it. Yeah, I'm shallow.. Unfortunately, but I can't even look at this cover anymore. It's just creepy, lol. As for your review, I feel like Juliet would be a great heroine in my eyes and the fact that she doesn't mess around with both of these boys is good, too. I ugh.. I hate cliffhangers, I really do. Gosh, I have major book hangovers from a few books I read this past week and I just can't wrap my head around them and imagine my despair that the sequels won't be out until fall and December. I just want 'em so bad :((((( And Maja took words out of my mouth: lovely, as always, Jenny!!

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    1. I think it takes on a far creepier feeling once you've read the blurb and if you know the basics of the original story. If I didn't know those things, I wouldn't necessarily get a sinister vibe from this cover. I'm currently nursing a hangover from THE RULES. I started it last night and thought I would just read a chapter or two. Nope. COULDN'T STOP READING SIIRI!

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  16. I'm glad to hear you liked this and felt it was riveting as I was kind of waffling. I'm really glad the romance is not at the forefront either...that is a plus in my eyes.

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    1. I really enjoyed this one Pam! It was so dark and disturbing and I loved it.

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  17. Have you read the HG Wells book? I've never even heard of it. The episodic quality sounds a bit off, but you do say it keeps you riveted so I guess it works.

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  18. I will have to recommend this to my friend Wendy. I think she would like the combo of a little scary, YA, and she doesn't mind triangles :)

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  19. wow.. this sounds awesome! I seriously need a book that will leave me reading till late at night! Lovely review, dear!
    - Farah @ MajiBookshelf

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  20. I still can't decide what to make of this book. The reviews are everywhere a lot of people liked it and others are very disappointed. I like that you enjoyed the creepiness and especially am happy to hear that it has an Episodic feel and wraps up many of the questions. I hate books that leave me hanging so I am thrilled that it really isn't a cliffhanger and that many issues are resolved, but of course, the love triangle.... I don't know if I can handle another one. WHY!? do authors keep insisting on using the love triangles?

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  21. This does sound like a fascinating read, but I am not sure it's for me. The Island of Dr. Moreau scared the crap out of me, so I am steering clear from this novel, but I can definitely see it's Gothic appeal. Glad to hear the love triangle isn't too dramatic--i've been getting tired of that lately. Fantastic review, Jenny!

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  22. This one sounds creepy and freaky :D Haha I do like the sound of that

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  23. Ah, I'm usually not into creepy books, but I've heard so many good things about this one. I'm a bit put off by the love triangle, but the chilling atmosphere pulls me in... I guess I'll have to read more reviews to decide whether I want to pick this one up or not! Wonderful review, Jenny! :)

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  24. Well at least the triangle doesn't sound too bad. I like the sound of the varying shades of grey. I also like the sound that it is creepy. I also love the growth of Juliet.

    HOWEVER, animal brutality? I don't know if I can take it. If I get this one I may have to e-mail you because I would have to know the extent before taking this one on. I'm wimpy like that. The rest of the book sounds good though. It also sounds like it takes on prejudice of a form.

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  25. Ah, I started this one and could tell from the gothic antiseptic hospital she worked in that I would like Juliet. I knew this was a good story. I just haven't finished it. I did meet Megan Shepherd. She wrote the majority of her novel at the bookstore that held the signing.

    Heather

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  26. I've been dying to read this book. I think I just need to bite the bullet and get to it. I am glad you liked this one so much. I don't know much about the original story other than what was said in the movie (which I saw ages ago).

    Thanks for the review,

    Sara @ Just Another Story

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  27. I haven't read The Island of Dr. Moreau but I've got this one on my wishlist as it sounds like a creepy read. I hope you don't have to know the original story to still appreciate this one.

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  28. I think I'd like this one! Especially if the romance takes a back seat. I'm very curious about these experiments and monsters and the villain!

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  29. Ooh this sounds so deliciously creepy! I'm very excited to hear that even though there is a love triangle, it's handled well, and that Juliet doesn't play games with the guys. Also, it's wonderful to hear that the book wraps up nicely and has its own resolution without a cliffhanger. So excited to read this one! Wonderful review!! :-)

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  30. I'm glad the love triangle wasn't of the overly dramatic variety, too, though I did complain about it at the time. ;) I suppose it could have been worse. I really enjoyed this too in the end! Great review, Jenny. :)

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  31. Great review. I have been really curious about this, but adding twists to things from The Island of Dr. Moreau sounds really interesting.

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  32. You made this book sound really interesting but theres no way i could read it. I read another blog that talked about how this book has vivisection. I made the mistake of looking that up. No thanks!

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