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

This book opened strong but lost a bit of steam along the way--a trend I found continued in the series. I immediately sympathized with the protagonist, who I felt struck a good balance between vulnerability and strength as she dealt with a very bad situation that although set in the past was one that any modern woman could relate to. I was still onboard as the main plot tension point took a slightly more fantastical and mysterious shape, however this is where things got a little messy for me. There seemed to be a lot of running around in the jungle for no apparent reason and some romantic tensions that didn't feel totally authentic. Still I enjoyed this novel, which was quite creative and unexpected in its blending of science, historical fiction, and romance.

Just read it, that's all I can really say. I don't care what genre you like or what you don't like in books, this one is a must read.

---The Run-Down ---
Juliet Moreau used to be part of the rich society unil the scandal that pronounced her father as a madman.
But that was many years ago. Now Juliet's mother is dead, her father thought to be dead, and she works as a maid.
But after discovering that her father might not be dead after all, running into her an old friend, and basically getting fired from her job, she gets taken to the island where her father has lived all these years.
But strange things are going on at the island...

---My Thoughts ---
Apparently, this is a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau Which I haven't even heard of until this book came out.
But I read this book anyway!!

I really did like this book.
I loved how it was written, I loved how it was put together...
To summarize, I basically loved it.
This book though is, well, creepy.
Strangely, I did not have a problem with that!

---The Romance ---
There's this unspoken rule that every YA book must have romance!
So, of course, this book had it too.
I was not a fan of the romance.
It seemed to take away some of the focus.
The story is mainly supposed to focus on the island, the madman, the creatures, and all that other happy stuff!
But the romance got some unnecessary attention.
There was also a teensy little love triangle.
Okay, maybe not a teensy one but the love triangle added to my annoyance.
Juliet would act like she completely chose one guy and then she will start thinking about the other guy or start doubting herself.
I usually don't have a problem with romance but it just didn't do it for me in this book.

---The Ending ---
I did not see any of that coming. Believe me when I say that the ending is full of surprises.
And a cliffhanger...

---In Conclusion ---
I believe the only problem I really had with this book was the romance.
There were some scenes that I didn't see the point of (Usually romance scenes) but everything else was AMAZING!
If it's not obvious by the 5 star rating, I really loved this book.
So do I recommend this book? Yes, yes I do. But if you're the type of person that avoids creepy/ horror stories? This book is not for you.

If you looked up the definition of "Gothic Novel", you might find a picture of The Madman's Daughter, but while this book may be just that, it is so much more... I will admit that when I decided I was interested in reading this book for review, I had no idea what it was about, or even which genre it fell into. I liked the cover. And I liked the little blurb on the cover, "In the darkest places, even love is deadly." Between those two things I was pretty much sold. It didn't matter that I'm not really into Gothic Thrillers or Historical Fiction. It didn't really matter to me that it was inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, a book I never really liked much. I gave The Madman's Daughter a chance because I liked the cover. That is something HarperCollins does so well; They lure me in with their gorgeous covers, making me want to read books I normally wouldn't pick up, and you know what? I've yet to be disappointed, and this book is no exception. The Madman's Daughter was phenomenal! I could not put it down, and now I am chomping at the bit for the as-of-now unnamed, second book in the trilogy, which will be based upon The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (which I did quite enjoy). So... What did I like so much about The Madman"s Daughter? Let's see...

First off, the characters were great! I really liked Juliet. She was strong and independent, and she had a lot of spunk for a girl living in the era that she did. As for the love interests, I adored everything about Montgomery. It seemed like Megan wanted us to have mixed feelings about him, but I never did. As for Edward, I just always knew there was something off about him, but I never expected him to be the man he turned out to be. Juliet's father, Dr. Moreau was brilliantly written as well. His descent into madness (well, further descent, as it becomes clear that he has always been a bit mad) was an awesome ride. I would have to say that the "natives" of the island were the most interesting characters though. They were so key in the unfolding of the mystery and the pace of the story, that collectively, they were a single character, in addition to their own individual stories. Which brings me to the next reason I loved this book! The story- it was creepy as hell. The world building is so good, that even the parts in London had me feeling like there was something lurking in every shadow, but London was nothing compared to the island. Then there was the fact that Megan Shepherd is really a master at writing suspense. I spent much of the time reading this book with knots in my stomach, ready to jump at the turn of the page. All that aside though, it was the story that made this book. It starts out by painting a picture of what Juliet's life has been like since her father had been run off with accusations that he performed a number of unnamed medical atrocities. First she lived with her mother, who out of necessity, became the mistress of a wealthy man- basically a high-class prostitute. When Juliet's mother died, she was turned out onto the streets to fend for herself, as her extended family wanted nothing to do with the daughter of a madman. She got a job cleaning at the university and a room at a boarding house, but things were far from easy for her. While spending the evening out with some students at the university, she inadvertently comes across one of her father's drawings, and this sparks the hope in her that he is still alive. She traces the drawing back to a pub where she finds not her father, but the now grown house boy from her childhood, Montgomery, who is in town getting supplies to take back to the island inhabited by her long-lost father. After a situation occurs that puts Juliet on the run, Montgomery is forced to take her along with him, to the island in the Pacific, where her father is staying. Well, the island is full of surprises and oddities, with the natives being the only a small fraction of it. The story unfolds with surprising fluidity given the fact that this is Megan's debut, and I found that even the unbelievable ended up appearing completely plausible. There was action, romance, mystery, and intrigue, and I could not stop turning the pages. In the end, I was left, mouth agape, wondering what had just happened. Then I experienced a bit of denial, looking for more pages that HAD to be there. Then I was just heartbroken... I do hope for resolution in book number two, but something tells me it will take a totally different direction than I expect it to, and that I will be singing its praises because of it...

EPIC Remake!

OH MY GOODNESS. I loved the crap out of this book. I loved everything about it, from the characters to the plot to the plot twists and even the love triangle (it was an excellently written love triangle). I especially loved how Megan Shepherd managed to capture the feel of Victorian England and make Juliet seem strange as such a free thinker. And I seriously loved the way Juliet was dirty in that way stuffy British people are (she has some wickedly funny thoughts about her two love interests). It was just fantastic.

So, Juliet and her mother were forced out of their high-standing, society positions when Juliet's father was run out of England because of some scandal. He went missing, and so did the family's servant, Montgomery (we shall come back to him. Because he's sexy). Dr. Moreau was presumed (or hoped) dead by most. When Juliet's momma died, she had to take work as a maid. She ends up having to leave town, soon after she runs into the aforementioned Montgomery, and learns that her father is alive and goes with Montgomery to her father's island (i.e. the Island of Dr. Moreau). On their way there, they pull a young man out of a life boat who appears to have miraculously survived a shipwreck. (This is where the love triangle begins) The three of them end up together on the island and there are a lot of delicious plot twists and dark descriptions and character development and romance and other wonderful book things. And the ending was the biggest twist of all, because I so didn't see it coming. I was all, "Oh this book is totally predictable, I know what will happen!" but then... no. It was amazing.

I love Juliet with every ounce of my being. She's brave and wonderful and selfish and analytical and I just love her so much. I did in fact say selfish. It made her human and believable. She wants both boys' affections, even though she leans towards one much more than the other, because she couldn't get enough of having a man be interested in her for her (something that hadn't happened... ever). And I so couldn't blame her. She had a crazy-as-all-heck daddy and needed some normalcy in her life. She was just such an amazingly created character and I can't wait for more of her in the next books.

Montgomery was always my favorite. Sexy, blond, smart, shy, sweet, harsh, bold- did I say sexy? I just... can't control my feels toward this guy. From the first page he's mentioned, I was rooting for Montgomliet (Juligomery?)... anyways, I wanted them together. He's just wonderful. Even if he's done some bad stuff, he's still perfect, because he's imperfect. That's one thing I really loved about this book. All of the characters were so perfectly real and human that I was in love with all of them. Each had their own demons, some bigger than most, and each dealt with it. I didn't like Dr. Moreau per se, but he was incredibly well-written.

I do like Edward, too, but he was clearly the Jem of the situation (for the Infernal Devices fans), some girls are gonna love him, but I prefer the one with the potentially dark past and who isn't the nice, proper gentleman. Edward was nice and protective and huggable, but not my type.

The Madman's Daughter is perfect in every way possible. It combines my favorite things in YA (the writing, the love triangle, the strong heroine) into one creepy-as-heck book that I just couldn't put down. I have to give it 5 stars!!

Review to come...

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd
ARC received from HarperTeen
Release Date: 1-29-2013
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Maniacal, Morose, and Magnificent

“I had an overwhelming feeling that the island wanted to sink its thorns into us, to bind us to this place.” ARC, pg. 318

Fueled by the incessant need to discover the truth, terrified by the uncontrollable madness that could be flowing through her veins, and quashed by the longing for the her savagely handsome old friend; Juliet travels to her father’s island, only to discover that some nightmares should never be brought into the light. Megan Shepherd’s world is gruesome and terrifying, filled with macabre creatures, obsessed madmen, and broken love.

This is the second gothic romance I have read in the past month, and I must say, this is definitely my new favorite genre. It’s eerie and beautiful, holding secrets best left buried. When I think of gothic romance, I think of the moors, thick with humid, with a layer of fog dancing diabolically over them; a place where you can feel the fear, the secrets, and the danger. And with this book, it’s like Megan took that scene, bottled it up, and then poured it out into her novel. All those same feelings came to me as Juliet fought through to the truth of the island. Megan’s world leaked from the page, and I felt like if I looked up, I would no longer be on my couch, but instead in the confines of a grisly laboratory bearing witness to unspeakable evils.

While the world remains my favorite part of this novel, I also really enjoyed the characters. Megan did a wonderful job of bringing them to life—even the minor characters. Their dialogue and actions made them unique and realistic, and I never felt like they were static and unknown. My favorite character was Edward, the castaway. The entire time I knew he was holding a secret (and disappointingly I guessed his secret too soon), but that just made him all the more intriguing. He was sweet, caring, and you could just tell he loved Juliet and wanted nothing more than to keep her safe. Megan wrote him perfectly—from physical appearance right down to the dirty secrets.

I enjoyed Juliet as the female main character, but unfortunately, she didn’t blow me away. I felt like there were times when what her father said was true—that she was weak and a victim to her own urges. She was strong one moment and then weak the next, and I wanted her to pick a side and stick with it. I wanted more of the Juliet that didn’t take any crap, and less of the Juliet that was weak-willed and too absorbed in what her father or London society might have said. I mean, she had already skipped out on the law in London, so why still feel like using London’s societal rules?

And then there’s Montgomery, the childhood friend who takes her to her father. He’s also got this savagely mad quality to him, but it’s in an entirely different way than the Doctor. He’s headstrong and brusque, but with a side to him that is vulnerable. I liked Montgomery because he was neither good nor evil—he was lost in the foggy grey, and truthfully, I don’t know if he would ever choose one life or the other. I kind of like that about him—he goes against London society and the island’s society. Watching him mature and discover where his loyalties lie was intriguing, and I am excited to see what is next for him.

Besides the few times that Juliet irked me, the only other thing that bothered me was the ending. I won’t say much other than I was disappointed in the character’s actions, those weaknesses (at least I think they are weakness….other’s might see them as strengths) finally getting the better of them. But, other than that, I loved this one!

Dark and unforgiving, Megan’s world will definitely keep you on your toes, and if you’re like me, you won’t be able to read it at night. Seriously, I was hearing scratching on my windows and things on the roof, so I had to put it aside to make sure I didn’t drive myself as mad as the Doctor! This books was gritty and beastly and unlike anything on the YA market right now. I highly recommend it to gothic horror and gothic romance lovers.

Um, Miss Shepherd, can you explain what you were thinking when you wrote the ending? Because really, that's just cruel. Now, it is a series, but I'm not really sure where things can go from here. I'm curious to see where Shepherd takes the story next.

Enough about the future of the series, though, let's talk about the story itself.

For some reason I have this idea in my head that all historical books are always really slow and boring. The Madman's Daughter is yet another in the genre to prove me wrong. It did move a bit slowly, but not in the boring sense. It was maddening when mysteries were hinted at and answers felt just within grasp, but in the most delicious way. And don't fret about the aforementioned ending, you get all the answers it's just heartwrenching.

Characters
Juliet is pretty badass especially considering the setting. Here she is in a world where women are thought to be delicate, ignorant creatures and she's not afraid to do what needs to get done. She works scrubbing laboratory floors so she can survive without prostituting herself, she studies medicine, she stands up to her father, she chooses a guy for herself, among countless other things. She's not afraid to ask for help, either, which is an awesome thing on its own. One of the things I truly loved her for, though, was how confused she was. She knew her father was mad and found the things he did sickening but was drawn to them as well. The internal struggle was both wonderful and terrible.

I suppose you'd like me to talk about the boys as well? I honestly don't consider it much of a love triangle. There are two guys and only one girl, yes, but Juliet states from the beginning who she wants,. She does get a little confused, yes, but I think it's pretty fair given the circumstances. Plus, she doesn't go about stringing them both along. She ends up kissing both, sure, but she clearly tells boy B that she has feelings for boy A.

Juliet's father is absolutely terrifying and I felt anger, hatred, fear, and pity for him. Sometimes all at once.

Story
If you're squeamish you might just want to back away now. The animal dissections were described so vividly I found myself wanting to wash my brain clean of them a few times. That's not to mention how I felt for the animals themselves. Maybe it's the vegetarian in me, but I can't stand to see animals abused. I mean, those damn ASPCA commercials make me want to cry and go adopt them all. So reading about vivisection? Not exactly awesome. It was, however, an important part of the story and meant to disturb the reader.

The mysteries here are crazy. I mean, we have Juliet trying to figure out whether her father is truly mad or a misunderstood genius, weird-looking islanders, unexplained deaths, and just general shady personalities. It was practically torture at times, but you'll get all the answers in due time. And I promise I do mean all (unless I missed something.)

The Nutshell: the Madman's Daughter is historical fiction/fantasy, but it's definitely not all busy London streets and corsets. The bulk of the story takes place on the island and they don't exactly sit around having tea parties. The romance is a nice addition to the story, but the mystery and horror is what will keep you turning the pages.
Hit/Direct Hit

Originally posted at : http://perrytheplatypus1102-3daydreamer3.blogspot.com/

My Review:

Rating: 5 0f 5 stars

**I received an ARC of this book from HarperCollins through Shelf Awareness in exchange for an honest review**

The thing with me and historical YA fiction is that either I really like it,or really hate it.My feelings towards that genre has no consistency.I know,I am a pretty weird person. **sigh**

ANYWAY,as you can already guess from my rating,I LOVED The Madman's Daughter.While it may be the part of a series,it can be read as a stand-alone as well,with no MAJOR cliffhangers.And yes,there may be a love triangle alert in this book,though it does not drone on and on about how the heroine does not know what to do with her feelings,making me want to whack her on the head.This problem had made me put down so many books in the past that I'm really glad for not having to face it again.The story-line was a lot more fast-paced and action packed,and by action packed I mean the "mad scientist on the loose" sort of action.I would say that this is one of those books which,without reading,your life would not be complete,like the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson series.

Right now,all you need to know is that you'll absolutely love it if you're into three things:
*Gothic England
*Eerily disgusting and creepy stuff.Example: Frankenstein.
*A story with a unique premise.

On my ARC it says that the book is inspired by THE ISLAND OF DR.MOREAU but I wouldn't know the similarity because I've never read that book before.I might actually pick it up someday to compare it with The Madman's Daughter,but just not today.And guess what,the sequel of this book is inspired by THE STRANGE CASE OF DR.JEKYLL AND MR.HYDE!Eeep!! xD **Happy Dance**

Maliha's Review:

Rating: 4 0f 5 stars

The Madman's Daughter is a breathtaking multi-theme novel. It has sweet romance on one side, reluctant friendship and a dark touch as well.

Juliet’s father was a pretty predictable character. Apart from being a madman crazy about his work, he made crazy decisions for Juliet as a father. Their reunion was sweet, though, with him being protective and all. His reaction to Edward, the first one we see that is, was hilarious.

For the love-triangle fans out there, you’ll be satisfied. Both Edward and Montgomery are all about Juliet’s safety, and who doesn’t like a protective guy?

All the mystery also kept me turning pages. The mysterious island, mysterious island dwellers were well described. And I was obsessed with Edward’s secret as it wasn’t revealed until the end.

Montgomery was sweet. He tried to convince Juliet how he had changed, how he wasn’t the doc’s servant anymore. But he made mistakes of his own and tried to correct them. Edward was, well, a typical yet different ‘Edward’. You’ll see what I mean when you read it.

Juliet was an interesting heroine. She’s brave and daring from the first page to the last. She’s smart and beautiful. Even after the shocking revelations, she remains sane and saves herself.

It may not be a real cliffhanger but definitely a heartbreaking ending, that will leave readers in enough suspense and anticipation for the sequel.