The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter, #1) by Megan Shepherd

Jan 01, 2013 Emily May rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ya-na, historical-fiction, 2012, love-triangle, boring, coverly-love

I really feel like I gave this book a fair chance, I read it all the way to the end because I kept wanting to love it and get caught up in the atmosphere of this Victorian horror story - but it was not to be. Not everything I have to say about The Madman's Daughter is bad, so thankfully this will not be a wholly negative review, but there were a number of things I didn't like and those elements combined with long periods of slow, plotless boredom made me feel this was no more than a two-star re...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Blythe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favorites, 2012-reads, 2013-favorites, awesome-world-building, brb-biting-my-nails, caught-in-a-bad-romance, didn-t-see-that-coming, exceeded-my-expectations, freaking-brilliant, gimme-the-next-book, highly-anticipating-2013, i-totally-saw-that-coming, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, netgalley-edelweiss-arc, love-triangle, mind-blowing-ending, clever-plot-twists, creeeeepy, read-reviewed

You can read this review and others on my blog, Finding Bliss in Books!

See, I have this really annoying problem (yes, it's a problem. Others may call it a skill, but trust me, when you have it, it's a problem) where, if I go into something knowing that there's a huge twist in the end, I will introspect every little detail that I normally would have overlooked had I not known there was a twist, leading to me pinning down the twist long before it is revealed, which also leads to my enjoyment in th...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, gothic

Well... The Madman's Daughter is clearly its own kind of disturbing! It's cruel and grisly--I kind of loved it! If you enjoy bizarre "mad doctor" stories, if you enjoy Gothic novels in general, then this book is for you!

As a big fan of Gothic novels, I can tell you that they are much more than just a book. They stand out. Being able to write a good Gothic novel is an art in of itself. The biggest part of what makes them great is the rich atmosphere that they exude. If an author is able to create...more Well... The Madman's Daughter is clearly its own kind of disturbing! It's cruel and grisly--I kind of loved it! If you enjoy bizarre "mad doctor" stories, if you enjoy Gothic novels in general, then this book is for you!

As a big fan of Gothic novels, I can tell you that they are much more than just a book. They stand out. Being able to write a good Gothic novel is an art in of itself. The biggest part of what makes them great is the rich atmosphere that they exude. If an author is able to create a story that sends shivers down your spine, thrusting you into every sinister nook and cranny of its setting, then that author will have my heart, and Megan did just that! It's the first thing I noticed when I started The Madman's Daughter, and it's what I loved the most about it. I could vividly picture this dark, eerie world filled with secrets that you just know are bound to both disturb and astound you. A mad scientist with crazy ideas and a whole island isolated from the rest of the world to create experiments… It's a good sign that you're going to get a lot of bat-shit craziness! You have been warned!

The dark vibe in conjunction with a driven protagonist gives us the perfect combination for such a story. It would have been very unsatisfying had she been a damsel in distress; this story needed someone just like Juliet. Someone determined and intelligent. Someone who suspects that she, also, inherited a little madness from her father. Not batting an eye when you cut off the head of a (live) rabbit is a good sign of such a fact. But when she decides to go after the truth, she shows fearlessness and tenacity. Seeing her stand up to her father is exhilarating! I adored her character. I will admit I was not a huge fan of the romance, however. We do have a love triangle which I think was not especially necessary, but did amount to something at the end, at least. Neither boys were anything special to me, they never got into my heart as far as love interests. They were great characters though and I enjoyed the part they played in the story. Likewise, every side character in the book is wonderful and... unusual. They're either a scientific experiment or a little off in the head. Balthazar is my personal favorite. We meet him fairly early on and his disfigurement is only one part of his charm. What was the most disturbing for me, was how far my imagination would go when I started to think of these creatures. It's all kinds of messed up. I freaked myself out time after time! Get ready to meet some strange individuals!

Going hand in hand with a great Gothic novel is the underlying mystery throughout the book. How far has the doctor gone? What is his big plan? What exactly are they so afraid of on the island? I was both amazed and terrified by this madness that surrounds not only the doctor, but the whole island and their inhabitants. I wasn't even disappointed when I caught on to the bigger twists before I was meant to. Although one of them is the kind of obvious that makes me think we were supposed to know. Regardless, the highly secretive and cryptic atmosphere is maintained all through to the end.

With rich writing that propels you into this gloomy, unnerving island, separated from civilization without chance of escape, The Madman's Daughter is going to be a hit amongst those who love eerie Gothic thrillers with a side of grotesque!

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Jan 24, 2013 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: annoying-love-triangle, arc-2012, cover-lust, creepy-love-triangle, historical-fiction, edelweiss, open-ending, no-passion-whatsoever, reviewed-in-2013, sci-fi, ya

3.5 stars
Every girl wants to believe the best of her father, doesn’t she? I barely remember mine, but no one could convince me he was anything other than perfect. Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau, once a proper young lady and now no more than a servant, is desperate to learn the truth of her father, the man who abandoned her and her mother and left them to starve. When her father’s former servant and now assistant Montgomery shows up in London, Juliet talks him into taking her to her father, on a...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, other, other-favourites, historical, paranormal, science-fiction, romance

“Dead flesh and sharpened scalpels didn’t bother me. I was my father’s daughter, after all. My nightmares were made of darker things.”

Megan Shepherd’s debut novel is nothing short of imaginative. Admittedly, I have never read H. G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, the inspiration for The Madman’s Daughter, so the comparison isn’t one that I am able to make. But for my first taste of this author’s ingenuity, I am soundly impressed.

Let us begin with Juliet Moreau, the madman’s daughter and the st...more “Dead flesh and sharpened scalpels didn’t bother me. I was my father’s daughter, after all. My nightmares were made of darker things.”

Megan Shepherd’s debut novel is nothing short of imaginative. Admittedly, I have never read H. G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, the inspiration for The Madman’s Daughter, so the comparison isn’t one that I am able to make. But for my first taste of this author’s ingenuity, I am soundly impressed.

Let us begin with Juliet Moreau, the madman’s daughter and the star of this book. She is surprisingly relatable, for a young maid in a historical London setting. Being forced to fend for herself after her father’s scandalous disappearance makes her a remarkably durable and admirable character. We get interesting fleeting glances into her more brutal side – the side that defines her connection to science and her mad father – and for the vast majority of the novel, she is a brilliant heroine. After reuniting with a childhood friend and servant, she is quick to understand that her father is alive and working away on a remote island far from civilisation. A nauseating ship ride later, we meet the notorious madman and the story truly kicks into gear.

The island is a horrific place, with its deformed inhabitants and constant stormy weather. It is as far from Victorian England as is possible to get, making the historical setting almost irrelevant. Truth be told, I failed to appreciate the era in which this story was set, thinking that the potential here was not fully utilised. There is a distinct modern tone to much of the characters’ speech, one that failed to go unnoticed. Still, despite that, I thoroughly appreciated the faint gothic quality of the story and welcomed the thrill of the plot. Perhaps it helped that I had not read the synopsis immediately before proceeding with this book, as I found it wonderfully unpredictable and shocking. You can find out what Juliet’s father has been experimenting on from the book description, but I won’t mention it here. It is ghastly, almost difficult to believe possible due to the flimsy explanations, but a twist that adds a touch of gruesome creativity to the story.

Along the way to the island, Juliet and Montgomery – the servant who is now her father’s assistant – are joined by a castaway named Edward. There is a love triangle (surprise, surprise), but not one that is too pronounced. It is an unnecessary inclusion, however, and frustratingly transparent. Though, having said that, I enjoyed the romantic tension between Montgomery and Juliet and appreciated the direction it ultimately took. As characters, both Edward and Montgomery are wonderfully layered, imperfect young men. One thing I failed to understand, however, was Edward’s very sudden and mostly unfounded desire to protect Juliet. It was not too difficult to prefer Montgomery in the end.

There are a noticeable number of flaws to this book, several of which I have mentioned, but, surprisingly, I still greatly relished immersing myself in this story despite them. With the ending being undeniably cruel (not exactly a cliff-hanger, but not easy on the heart either), I have no choice but to beg for the sequel.

(This review also appears on my blog)(less)

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Feb 14, 2013 Bonnie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy, fairy-tales-and-retellings, ya, arcs-read, read-in-2013, edelweiss, the-love-triangle-of-doom

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
A copy of The Madman's Daughter was provided to me by Balzer + Bray/Edelweiss for review purposes.

'Dead flesh and sharpened scalpels didn't bother me. I was my father's daughter, after all. My nightmares were made of darker things.'

I feel the need to start off by saying I didn't dislike this book but obviously considering my rating I have some explaining to do. There was creepiness, there was a decent story line, but the pacing was so incredibly slow that it had an adver...more My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
A copy of The Madman's Daughter was provided to me by Balzer + Bray/Edelweiss for review purposes.

'Dead flesh and sharpened scalpels didn't bother me. I was my father's daughter, after all. My nightmares were made of darker things.'

I feel the need to start off by saying I didn't dislike this book but obviously considering my rating I have some explaining to do. There was creepiness, there was a decent story line, but the pacing was so incredibly slow that it had an adverse effect on my overall opinion on this gothic retelling.

Let me tell you guys, the beginning of this story had so much creepy going on it was amazing. I remember starting this book, finishing the first couple of chapters, stopping for a second and saying to myself, "This is going to be so awesome." Juliet seemed to be a very promising main character and I couldn't wait to hear her story. But the gothic thriller aspect seemed to be put on the back burner and definitely became less of a focus. What did it end up focusing on? Romance, of course.

There was so much emphasis put on the romance and her being torn between two men, her swooning and constant need to fan herself that I would go so far as to consider this 'historical-romance-lite'. If not for the creepy and exceptionally gruesome bits in this story I don't believe I would have finished this. As it was though, the romance didn't feel fitting in this type of story, like an irregular puzzle piece.

I had been forewarned that the middle dawdled but that the ending was a big shocker so that gave me hope. The pacing was definitely off for the vast majority of the middle portion and didn't actually start picking up until almost the very end of the book. The big reveal happened and it was definitely the most interesting aspect of the entire story but it happened a little too late for me. There wasn't a slow build-up to the grand finale which would have made this immensely better. Instead we received a storyline that plodded along, lacking in intensity, never quite gaining enough steam, and then we're hit with the big ending. The middle section certainly required something more for me to still be invested enough in the story to be excited for when the big conclusion finally did happen.

Oh, and there's a cliffhanger. Naturally. I think my response to that final page was something along the lines of, "Dude. For real?" Considering I was more than a bit bored through the majority of this story I was at least hoping we'd get some answers. I had still considered giving #2 a shot since sometimes it takes the first book to build the story (in a series) and book 2 is where we can finally get to the meat of the story. But my understanding was that this was a retelling of the Island of Dr. Moreau, however, the summary for book 2 states it was written: with inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson's 'THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE' and I'm not sure I feel about the mixing of multiple retellings.

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Feb 27, 2013 Jessica VA rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: listoftenv3

Had me at London 1894. If the apocalypse comes, I'm gonna be one unhappy obliterated person right here for not getting to read this...

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May 05, 2012 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist added it

Shelves: release-january, ya-kids-teen

would be a perfect idea if not for the blasted love triangle.

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Mar 27, 2013 Scarlet rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chills-n-thrills, disturbia, impressive-debuts, lame-romance, psycho-freaks, shocking-endings, 2013-releases, annoying-characters, triangle-alert

3.5

---Immediate Reaction---

I haven't read The Island of Dr. Moreau so I had no idea what to expect going in, but this was surprisingly good - in a dark, twisted way. The last few chapters were a thrill ride. I wouldn't have guessed the plot twists in a million years.

I have my reasons for the somewhat low rating (more on that later) but for now, I just wanted to say this: The Madman's Daughter is a very strong debut in the horror genre.

---Full Review---

An intriguing start and an amazing end, marr...more

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May 13, 2013 Kate Weber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, owned-books-read

The Madman's Daughter was one of the best books I've read so far this year! I LOVED it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irt2fo...

NOOOOOO! THAT ENDING!

So, anyway. Just finished. Feel like I'm going to cry. It was incredible, very well written and had one of those damn ending that just make me want to die.

This was a wonderful novel, you guys. Wonderful.

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Mar 19, 2013 Jen (A Reading Daydreamer) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-arc

My goodness, you guys. This book is unlike anything I've ever read. The Madman's Daughter is full of grit, savagery, and intensity. Because of this, it's memorable and terrifying at the same time. This book is absolutely unput-downable and totally addicting.

The prose itself is one thing that I have to mention: lush and beautifully written, it adds more to the already mysterious and hypnotic mood to the story. From description to description of the island to the creatures, the visual images Sheph...more My goodness, you guys. This book is unlike anything I've ever read. The Madman's Daughter is full of grit, savagery, and intensity. Because of this, it's memorable and terrifying at the same time. This book is absolutely unput-downable and totally addicting.

The prose itself is one thing that I have to mention: lush and beautifully written, it adds more to the already mysterious and hypnotic mood to the story. From description to description of the island to the creatures, the visual images Shepherd creates are vivid and real, as if the reader is submerged in the world itself. Shepherd's writing style is juicy and just plain awesome.

My favorite part of this addicting story was the different and exciting characters. The character development and changes that they go through are incredible; from being civilized to savaged, Juliet slowly learns the horrifying truths about the island and her father. I couldn't help but feel for her-- I found myself gasping along with her revelations. Juliet is also a cautious character, and thank the lord for that or she would have died a long time ago. Yes, there is a love triangle. I wasn't terribly annoyed with this, but Juliet's indecisive thoughts were a little hair-pulling sometimes. I was a strong believer of Montgomery from the start, purely because he and Juliet shared a past together and his friendly nature was endearing.

And I totally have a love-hate relationship with the vivid descriptions of the creatures. I think it's completely terrifying and disgusting, but it's also kind of cool, if that makes me a terrible person for thinking that. The island setting and concept just works really well, and it's enchantingly intriguing. The story is captivating and is quite an addicting read; I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next.

The one minor issue I had with The Madman's Daughter was the ending to this story. Not going to spoil anything, but WHAT THE HECK. NO. You canNOT just end a story like that. It's not a cliffhanger, but it's just like, HELLO I WANT MORE. Sorry for the all-caps, but it was a bit disappointing. I suppose it inspires the reader to read book two, but still. However, it did evoke an emotion out of me, and it is unexpected. My heart kind of melted a bit. It's an interesting type of ending. I didn't like it, but I liked it. Yep. Best way to put it!

So as you can see, I highly enjoyed The Madman's Daughter. If you're in for a spine-tingling, great romance, and an awesome retelling, please check out this book, I'm begging you. Even if you don't completely enjoy it, I promise you that you'll be glad to have read a book with such a unique concept. I highly recommend it-- I'll definitely be looking out for book two!

4.5 Teacups for The Madman's Daughter!

*Thanks to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for providing me with a review copy!*

THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON A Reading Daydreamer:
http://a-reading-daydreamer.blogspot....

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Dec 09, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, yabc-reviews

My review style is, and always will be, to write up my review right after I complete the book, and I do mean right after. If I can't write the review, I will save the last chapter until I have time. Doing otherwise would allow me to slack off, and I would never get anything reviewed, as well as giving me time to forget the book. The downside of this reviewing method, one I just have to accept, is that occasionally I have to try to compose a meaningful, coherent review while shell-shocked by what...more My review style is, and always will be, to write up my review right after I complete the book, and I do mean right after. If I can't write the review, I will save the last chapter until I have time. Doing otherwise would allow me to slack off, and I would never get anything reviewed, as well as giving me time to forget the book. The downside of this reviewing method, one I just have to accept, is that occasionally I have to try to compose a meaningful, coherent review while shell-shocked by what I've just read. Bear with me, as The Madman's Daughter definitely left me feeling a bit dazed.

On a lot of levels, I'm really not entirely sure just how I felt about this novel. One thing that I do know quite for sure is that Shepherd writes well. Her syntax and diction dovetail with the historical setting, and never once threw me out of the book. Though much of the novel consists more of suspense than outright action, Shepherd kept the story tense and me on the edge of my couch.

Littered throughout The Madman's Daughter are literary references. Of course, the novel itself retells H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, which I have not read. However, my perusal of the Wikipedia article convinces me that Shepherd reworked the story with a deft hand. In addition to this, she sprinkled in numerous references to Shakespeare, including The Tempest, a very apt work to be brought up in this instance. There is even a reference to X-Men, though not, obviously, so overt of one, since it didn't exist back then.

What I found myself utterly unprepared for was how utterly dark, gruesome, creepy and horrifying this book is. Had I read Wells' work, I would have been better informed of the coming experience, but I knew nothing. Yes, the cover hints at creepiness, but this turned out to be one of the scariest books I have ever read. Of course, suspense has always been my weak point, as well as some other issues that I'll tackle next. Shepherd hits most of the staple varieties of horror: not knowing who to trust, fearing darkness with in oneself, mad science, gore, suspense, chases and more. Were I a big reader of horror, I do not know that I would have marked this as a must-read, but, let me tell you guys, you want this.

However, I know a lot of people, myself included, have a big issue with animal death in novels. For me, kill a human and I'm rarely bothered; kill a furry, adorable creature and I will ugly cry. An animal dies in an awful way in chapter two, and over the last half of the novel focuses on just vicious, awful things done to animals in the name of science. Again, were I familiar with Dr. Moreau, I would have known, but... If you're seriously concerned, my recommendation would be to read Wells' novel or a summary of it online, because I suspect Shepherd's is darker than the original, based on my sole Wells experience.

Juliet Moreau has a lot of sass and she made a delightful main character. I rooted for her along the way, which only made the horror that much more terrifying. Juliet's father, the infamous Dr. Moreau died, and, eventually, her mother did as well, leaving her to the charity of family. Unfortunately, her extended family turns out not to be at all charitable. Pulling on an old connection of her father's, she manages to obtain work at King's College as a maid, sunk low in prospects and station. At the college, Juliet is sexually harassed in the first chapter. I worried about whether she would have enough spunk to be an interesting main character, but, believe me, this girl holds her own once she is not trying to keep her job anymore.

Shepherd also excelled at Dr. Moreau, who fits the mad scientist role to a T. Not really a spoiler because obviously: he's actually alive. He also very much comes across as a man of the time period. So many historical novels depict most of the characters as rather modern with regards to women's rights, particularly those appealing to female readers. Dr. Moreau has no such conceptions, believing women are to be married to the men their fathers say, and that they should do nothing but needlework and piano playing until that time comes. Juliet, feisty and clever, struggles against how he wishes her to behave.

Sadly, I was not so fond of her love interests, Montgomery and Edward. Yup, a love triangle strikes again, though not one of the most annoying ones. I will credit Shepherd with not making it insanely obvious which man would be her choice, and with making both of them very obviously flawed, though neither one ranked as swoon-worthy for me. The love triangle reminded me somewhat of that in Griffin's Masque of the Red Death, though I felt a bit more sure in The Madman's Daughter which guy would win in the end. However, the ending did surprise me, so bonus points for that.

Do not let the lovely cover fool you: The Madman's Daughter is horror through and through. Though not for the faint of heart, Shepherd has constructed a well-written and clever retelling, sure to delight fans of creepy tales.(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who like these sorts of YA PNR love triangle things

Recommended to Katy by: Amazon Vine

Shelves: galley-for-review, vine-book, tstl-heroines

Book Info: Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Recommended for: People who enjoy YA paranormal esp. with romantic triangles
Trigger Warnings: murder
Animal Abuse: Vivisection

My Thoughts: It's so crazy how much things have changed since the time period in which this is set. Take this section:

He rolled up my sleeve, then brushed a finger against the sensitive skin of my inner elbow. My breath caught. I was alone in a young man's room, letting him touch me in places he shouldn't even see.
Oh my

...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-arc, reviewed, to-buy

Oh The Madman's Daughter did you surprise me!

I knew going in this book was suppose to be a "Gothic Horror," so duh I'm reading that, but I knew very little else about it. I was so happy with the horror portions of this book and of course the ending, that ENDING!

We first meet Juliet, a self proclaimed orphan after her fathers whereabouts become unknown and her mother dies, working for a University as some sort of maid/cleaner. Juliet's life took a turn for the worse when her father was accused o...more Oh The Madman's Daughter did you surprise me!

I knew going in this book was suppose to be a "Gothic Horror," so duh I'm reading that, but I knew very little else about it. I was so happy with the horror portions of this book and of course the ending, that ENDING!

We first meet Juliet, a self proclaimed orphan after her fathers whereabouts become unknown and her mother dies, working for a University as some sort of maid/cleaner. Juliet's life took a turn for the worse when her father was accused of some despicable acts as a doctor by some of his colleagues. Juliet does not know if these are truths and her father has run or if her father has simply died, which is presumed by the general public and generally accepted by her til one of his experiments shows up at the school.

After Juliet has an encounter with creepy doctor #1, she is fired from her job, leaving her with virtually nothing. That all changes when she sees an old face, Montgomery (suitor #1), a servant/ assistant to her father when they were living a rich, luxurious life. Montgomery knows what her father has been up to and after pleading, she is allowed to visit him on a remote island where the Doctor has apparently moved his work.

The beginning I thought was pretty simple and to the point. It got the story rolling in the right direction, and also surprised me. I had no idea that the majority of this book would take place on an island. I just figured it would be murderous chase after murderous chase on the streets of London. I was actually happy about this, it changed up the genre a little bit for me, and seemed inventive compared to other things I've read.

The problem with this book was definitely the middle. Juliet must travel on this, what sounds like a god-awful boat to the island. This portion of the book, as well as the introduction of Edward Prince (suitor #2) made for a less than fun part. This might also have to do with the start of the vaunted love triangle. I'm pretty sure Juliet was going on this boat to find what her father was up to, not on a romantic cruise into the Caribbean. The love triangle was not even really fun. You could pretty much see who Juliet really wanted to be with, and I think adding the other person's feelings into the mix was a waste of time. It made choices more difficult in the end, but I don't think the book overall needed it. On the boat, and on the island shortly after that, that's what the book seemed to focus on more so than her father's grotesque creations.I don't always hate love triangles either, this was just one I had very little interest in when there are human abominations running around!

Speaking of which, the creations. As said in the book's blurb, her father IS experimenting with animals and IS trying to make them lifelike humans. Gross. At first I was so confused how this could even happen, and disgusted that the author choose this route in terms of the creations..but then..the scary started to happen. Finally! The horror moments were so worth the wait, and in all honestly made the book for me.

I was genuinely frightened of the "monster" and pretty much anytime Juliet was in the jungle. There were more than a few edge of your seat moments, that you felt this thing was going to reach out and get someone. This is not the kind of book to read alone in the dark. Plus, I desperately wanted to know who/what the monster was. I guessed it before the ending (go me), but that doesn't mean I wasn't happy with how it played out. Shepherd was not afraid to do what some authors may have stayed away from, and I loved that. The ending was mass chaos, between trying to escape the island, finding out about the monster, and all while other creatures are running around, it made for some perfect moments of suspense and loyalty as well.

I really loved the intrigue between the characters in terms to their faults as humans and their involvement toward the creatures. Juliet dealing with the fact this is her father, and was she really her father's daughter? Montgomery dealing with being a part of the experiments for so long, but more importantly wanting to save/ be with Juliet at the same time. And of course the Madman himself. He wanted to create a civilization with his creations and wanted to make the perfect one, he was truly mad. The characters here were far from perfect, but that doesn't mean they aren't enjoyable. Montgomery in particular was incredibly delicate for being such a part in all the madness. He knew it was bad, but this was basically the person that taught him everything he knew in life. The addition of Juliet to the island really was an eye opener for him.

Shepherd for a debut author really told a great story by creating these interesting morally torn characters. There were a few things that I felt could have been left out, but overall the book worked for me. I'm interested to see how the rest of the series will play out, based on how things left off. Shepherd didn't shy away from scary/creepy moments and the book really benefited from that. Really it's impossible not to like a book that combines horror with a generally great ending.

I wanted horror and I got horror. I can't complain. This is one to check out if you want something different fer sure.

An ARC was made available via Edelweiss. (less)

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Jan 05, 2013 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, aaw-yeah

The first third? It was all kinds of awesome. It pieces together creepy places with people doing dumb things despite knowing better; plus laboratories and scary, scary moments with furry little things. This is all beside, creepy men and younger boys who really should know better. It was almost too much! Except I wish I hadn’t said so because in came the second part… which had me wondering, WHY? Love triangles have gotten so dull! However, set it aside as I did and accept it for what it was then...more The first third? It was all kinds of awesome. It pieces together creepy places with people doing dumb things despite knowing better; plus laboratories and scary, scary moments with furry little things. This is all beside, creepy men and younger boys who really should know better. It was almost too much! Except I wish I hadn’t said so because in came the second part… which had me wondering, WHY? Love triangles have gotten so dull! However, set it aside as I did and accept it for what it was then read on because things do get interesting, with a girl and her secrets and love interests with secrets of their own. It’s the last third part when the living are getting torn to bits by god knows what. That and the big twist in the end upped my rating two stars over. Yes, the ending was just that good.

Things start all angsty and sad with her living as she was, remembering things in the best possible light, recalling the positive and the good that there was and trying to set aside the less than savory details. But beyond her memories, there’s her day to day as well. Alongside, we’ve got Montgomery, the boy who knew her and more plus Edward, the mysterious one. So you can probably tell with that set up: love triangle, right? Them vying for her attention and snarling at each other over her (in a respectable gentlemanly way, of course) I could have done without ... especially with Juliet starting strong and smart and aware then going on to this person swinging from one boy to the other in her head with little time to pause in between.

Beyond the three, we’ve got her father and host of other secondary characters who bring home the point that things in this tale could get dark and twisted, and thus fantastic. Who they were? How’s they come to be? I was with Juliet: aware of the answer but unsure if I wanted to go there, but when there, slightly repulsed, but hesitantly awed.

Clever twists fill this one, too Sure you can predict them, but most of them are handled all so…cleverly that you let slide the things that mark them for what they are… and get carried along anyway, that ending especially!

Thank you Edelweiss!
Start: 4
Middle: 2-3
End: 4.5

And since I suck at math… 4.5/5 it is!

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Feb 11, 2013 Skyla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, abuse, annoying-characters, based-on-another-book, beastiality, best-world-building, books-i-own, book-throwing, cover-matches-book, dark-subject-matter, father-figure-daughter-bond, first-time-author, first-time-reading-this-author, friend-gave-it-to-me, fucked-up-science, historical, info-dump, insta-love-tastic, love-triangle

This review and more can be found at my blog: http://happygolucky-skyla.blogspot.ca/

I originally read The Island of Dr. Moreau, on which this book is based, about 10 years ago so the specifics of it are a little bit fuzzy.

Coming into this retelling I was a little bit scared because I honestly wondered if it could live up to the original and whether I would spend months having nightmares like I did upon reading the original...I haven't had a nightmare yet. Maybe it was because of the love triang...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, fantasy, science-fiction, read-2013

Had I known this was a young adult novel and/or the beginning of a (as yet unfinished) series, I probably wouldn't have read The Madman's Daughter, but I'm glad I did. It was a strangely compelling gothic horror story that opens in London in the dark halls of King's College, where young Juliet Moreau works as a maid to clean up the blood and guts from various surgeries and other fearful things. The stuff of nightmares. Other people's, anyway. Juliet is the daughter of the infamous Dr. Moreau, a...more Had I known this was a young adult novel and/or the beginning of a (as yet unfinished) series, I probably wouldn't have read The Madman's Daughter, but I'm glad I did. It was a strangely compelling gothic horror story that opens in London in the dark halls of King's College, where young Juliet Moreau works as a maid to clean up the blood and guts from various surgeries and other fearful things. The stuff of nightmares. Other people's, anyway. Juliet is the daughter of the infamous Dr. Moreau, a man all of London proclaimed "mad" for his radical (and unethical) science experiments. Years before, on the heels of social persecution, Dr. Moreau disappeared, leaving Juliet and her mother to fend for themselves. Juliet believed he was dead until one night she discovers a blood-spattered clue that leads to her father and into the heart of his madness.

I haven't read The Island of Dr. Moreau so I can't make comparisons between the two books. I didn't even realize this novel was inspired by the earlier classic until I was halfway through The Madman's Daughter, but it's just as well because I liked not knowing what was coming next. I haven't read a lot of gothic horror stories, and though I think the author under-utilized the gothic aspect of the London setting, the later portions of the novel set on the island were suitably creepy. I actually had chills during portions of the story, and I'm not usually one to have a physical reaction to reading, so I felt that was well done.

The story could have benefited from more explanation of the mechanics of the science experiments and less explanation of the love triangle. The science was vague, really vague, and maybe that's because this is written for young adults, and not a skeptical adult with a background in science? Still, with a healthy dose of "willing suspension of disbelief," I enjoyed the drama - even the romantic drama, though I have to admit that the main character's romantic indecision slowed the pace of the underlying horror story. The narration of the audiobook was superb, though, and maybe that's part of why i enjoyed the book. The twist at the end of the story had me wringing my hands with anxiety, and I'm looking forward to the sequel, even if I have to wait another year for it.

(3.5/5 stars)
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Jan 08, 2013 Katrina (Kindred Dreamheart) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, blog-review

"To me blood smelled like home..."

I have a love/hate relationship with anything goth-emo-horror. I love to read it, but hate to be scared or creeped out. Terrify me and I resent you. But do nothing and I shall call you "bunny". See you can't win.

I remember The Island of Dr. Moreau movie when I was little. My older brothers were obsessed with it and kept it on repeat in the VCR. While I was usually around when it was playing, I can only remember snippets from covering my eyes. When I heard this w...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 08, 2013 Danielle (Devourer of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-liked-it, annoying-character-s, beach-reads, covers-that-make-you-jizz, i-really-hate-love-triangles, mind-blowing, read-in-2013, religion, romance, historical-fiction

2.5 stars

This is going to be very hard to write only because I don't know where to begin. I've been jotting down my notes/thoughts/opinions and it's four pages. Soo.... I'll do my best. I liked The Madman's Daughter. I really did. This was intricately written with scenes so vivid it sent chills down my spine and instantly felt like I was being haunted.

"He lowered the blade to the table. The scalpel pressed against firm flesh, which gave, opening like butter . . . A flap of skin, pale and stil...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Christal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, arcs, 2013-nbrc, female-lead, historical-fiction, horror, mystery-and-thrillers, gothic, 2013-rlftci-book-count, 2013-rlftci-covers

The Madman's Daughter was a wonderfully creepy read! I was surprised by just how much I liked this book and now I can't wait to read the sequel. I don't really remember the original The Island of Dr. Moreau, but it didn't affect my enjoyment at all. Megan Shepherd is a writer to watch and I know I'll be keeping my eye out for her future works.

This book is a retelling of the H.G. Wells classis, but from the point of view of Juliet Moreau -- daughter of the infamous doctor. She believes he is dea...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bought-feb-2013, kindle-books, 2013-a-z-challenge, 2013-debut-author-challenge, 2013-prn-fantasy-challenge, read-in-2013, ya-fantasy, ya-pn-horror

The Madman's Daughter is based on the novel The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. This main character in this version is the young Juliet Moreau, daughter of the aforementioned 'madman'. I confess, I have never read the original, but having seen the two most recent movie adaptations, I am passingly familiar with the story and the setting so was looking forward to this book.

Juliet Moreau is a young girl living in Victorian England. Juliet has been forced to live a life of drudgery ever since t...more The Madman's Daughter is based on the novel The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. This main character in this version is the young Juliet Moreau, daughter of the aforementioned 'madman'. I confess, I have never read the original, but having seen the two most recent movie adaptations, I am passingly familiar with the story and the setting so was looking forward to this book.

Juliet Moreau is a young girl living in Victorian England. Juliet has been forced to live a life of drudgery ever since the scandal of her father's inhumane and cruel experiments forced him to flee England, never to return. Juliet does not know what happened to her father, only hearing vague rumours of his demise. Juliet has been living a meagre existence, trying to survive amidst the scorn and contempt of her former peers, the only legacy her father has left her with. Only one step away from selling her body on the streets of London, Juliet's life is a miserable one, one she despairs of ever escaping from.

One night though, everything changes for Juliet. After sneaking after hours into the University where she works as a cleaner, Juliet stumbles into a brutal experiment being conducted by some of the medical students. Recognising her father's telltale handiwork, she follows a set of clues which eventually lead her to Montgomery James, her childhood friend and former servant. Realising that Montgomery knows where her father is, Juliet convinces Montgomery to take her with him, back to her father, who has been living on an Island on the other side of the world. Juliet travel with Montgomery by ship but before they reach the Island they come across a young man called Edward, a survivor from a shipwreck who has been floating on a dinghy, lost at sea since his ship went down.

It is when they reach this Island that the story really starts to pick up. What has her father being doing on this Island out in the middle of nowhere - is there any truth to the vile accusations against him back in London? Just what are the strange and somewhat deformed Islanders? Who is the mysterious Edward and what secret is he keeping? And just who or what is responsible for the string of vicious murders that have started happening? Juliet is determined to find the answers to these questions, all the while contending with her fractious relationship with her father, and fighting her attraction to two very different young men.

I really enjoyed this book. Juliet was an interesting main character, one who was easy to relate to despite the doubts she held about herself. Juliet shares some of her father's fascination for science, and she is constantly at war with herself over it. She feels that she should not have this draw to his inhumane practices but her logical and analytical side finds what he is undertaking fascinating. However, she also feels a sense of horror as well, which sets up an interesting dichotomy.

I liked the character of Montgomery quite a bit and could see why Juliet was drawn to him but I have to admit, the love triangle element was a bit wearing. It seems to be the staple of a lot of ya fiction, but I am starting to find love triangles irritating and an unnecessary addition. Although both Montgomery and Edward were interesting characters, I would have preferred to not have them pitted against each other as possible love interests for Juliet. The story really didn't need it and I hate it when a main character spends far too much time waffling being one potential suitor to the other. It diminished Juliet's character slightly for me, which was a shame because I really think she was a strong and capable heroine in her own right.

Apart from the dreaded love triangle though, this was a strong debut from Megan Shepherd. Creepy and atmospheric, this gothic tale of the macabre was an engrossing read. The Island itself was suitably horrific, and there was an ever-present feeling of dread and tension throughout, even when things seemed to be normal.

The book was bogged down slightly by some slow parts but when it got going it didn't halt to let me catch my breath and the ending...well let's just say there were some major twists and turns and the ending itself was jaw-droppingly good. Suffice it to say I cannot wait to read the next instalment.

Overall, the story was sufficiently creepy and tense. The characters, especially Juliet, were well drawn and interesting. The only thing that is stopping me from giving this book five stars is the inclusion of the love triangle. However, I have high hopes for book two!

Four stars ****

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Jan 30, 2013 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, january-2013, arc, for-review, disappointing, love-the-cover, love-triangle, paranormal, paranormal-romance, review, scary, ya-romance, young-adult

*A copy was provided by Harper for review purposes*

Oh Shepard, this book could have been so good! I was loving it, and then you blew it! GAAHHHHH!
Unfortunately, this book was horrible. It was wrong on so many levels, suffered from a severe bout of insta-love, and had one of the worst main characters I’ve ever seen. The writing and story line was REALLY good, and I loved the idea of vivisection and making humans out of animals. The book was fast-paced , creepy, dark, and thrilling throughout, and...more *A copy was provided by Harper for review purposes*

Oh Shepard, this book could have been so good! I was loving it, and then you blew it! GAAHHHHH!
Unfortunately, this book was horrible. It was wrong on so many levels, suffered from a severe bout of insta-love, and had one of the worst main characters I’ve ever seen. The writing and story line was REALLY good, and I loved the idea of vivisection and making humans out of animals. The book was fast-paced , creepy, dark, and thrilling throughout, and the story line and staging was awesome. Then page 30 rolled around (or somewhere around there) and it went downhill – fast. Just as fast as the romance happened, and that was pretty quick. Literally 10 pages after Juliet was introduced to Montgomery, one of the love interests, she was obsessed with him and wanted to kiss him and have him touch her and blah blah blah. Insta-love. For the record, I hate insta-love. In my opinion, love is supposed to be introduced, then grow over the course of the story, making it really sweet to read about. The love in this book, however, was the complete opposite! Also, there was a horrible love triangle that was painful to watch play out. Now, I can handle a well-written love triangle, but this one was just atrocious. There were two insta-love moments in this book, which I didn’ t think was ever possible in a book, and it wasn’t that I didn’t like the guys, it was just that it was introduced so horribly.
There were several things that I found deeply wrong about this book. One was Juliet, but I’ll get to that rant later…actually, I’m going to talk a bit about her now. Let me explain this situation: Juliet’s father dissects animals and makes them human, and Juliet finds out by snooping. So she’s in the operating room, her dad isn’t there, and Montgomery walks in. So what does she do? She makes out with him on the operating table, where her dad tortured animals. I know that this is kind of a stupid thing to be upset about, but I’m an animal lover, and I hate it when animals are hurt. Not to mention, there’s got to be blood on that table. Why on earth would you make out with someone on a blood-soaked torture table?!
Another thing was Montgomery and the father’s relationship. When it suited Shepard and the book, the father treated Montgomery like “a son” and called him that too. But then, 10 pages later, Montgomery is no longer “his son” and the father hates him. This was so annoying because it just went back and forth, love, hate, son, not son, and it was so obvious that Shepard just manipulated that relationship as it suited the story.

And then we get to the characters. *deep breath*. I’m going to save Juliet for last and am just going to talk about the love interests. For the record, I’m Team Montgomery! I don’t have anything against Edward, I just think that Montgomery is a nicer guy. He’s nice, caring, gentle, and you can tell that he really cares about Juliet. I just didn’t get those vibes from Edward, and he wasn’t very attractive in any way. Honestly, I don’t understand why either of them put up with Juliet. Montgomery DEFINITELY didn’t deserve to be treated the way he was.
And now we get to the manipulative bitch that used these two innocent guys for absolutely no reason. Can’t figure out who that is? Well I’ll tell you – Juliet. If Juliet was to introduce herself to you, she might say something like this: “Hi, my name’s Juliet. I’m a madman’s daughter – and I’m a bit loony myself. I’m a bitch who used two guys just for the run of it. I’m annoying, clueless, and am super proud of my father for torturing animals.” You said it Juliet, not me. She is easily in the top three of my Worst Female Characters list. She was weak, annoying, helpless, and a user. She went back and forth between Montgomery and Edward –“ I love this one, no I love this one.” And even though she loved Montgomery, she was still fantasizing about kissing Edward! AND, as if that wasn’t enough, she was proud of her dad for murdering animals. And all Shepard Juliet blamed it on her dad’s madness being passed down to her because she had “his blood running through her veins.” God, I hate her.

This book had everything going for it! I’m genuinely sad that I didn’t like this book, but Shepard just wrote the insta-love love triangle and Juliet so horribly that I just COULDN’T like this book :(
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Feb 09, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

You know I've read a lot of agent/query stories for buzzed-about books and I've never felt the same way as the agents and the publishers. But with THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER? I got it. Sure I rolled my eyes at the love triangle (of sorts). There were other things, though, that captured me and made me twirl (figuratively, of course, a little hard to twirl and read. We're not all Belle.).

Other things... like the way Megan got the setting and the world building just right. I freaking LOVED that Juliet...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Dani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: based-on-a-classic, horror, mystery-thriller, favorites, sci-fi, there-be-monsters, own-for-kindle

Taking inspiration from several classic gothic horror, mystery, and romance novels, this story is disturbing, darkly romantic, unsettling, and grotesquely beautiful. Juliet is a fantastic, self-sufficient, strong, independent heroine who, orphaned to the harshness of the world and tainted by scandal, struggles to survive in a society ruled by Victorian convention. When an old friend from her past resurfaces with news that her father may not actually be dead but instead living on a remote island,...more

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May 14, 2013 Katherine Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, 2013-new

So in preparation for The Madman's Daughter, I read The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells to gain understanding of the setting and background. Honestly, I'm not sure whether I'm glad I read Dr. Moreau first or not...

In Dr. Moreau Wells creates a very dark and creepy scenario based upon the latest science and research of the times. Shepherd stayed true to the gothic feel of Wells' original while changing some story lines and adding new characters. Yet somehow, I feel like the vivisections and a...more

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May 10, 2013 Fred rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-favorites

I'm... I...

This book was utterly FANTASTIC. It reminded me of the Monstrumologist in some ways, with all of these creepy and dark scenes and creatures and sciences. This story is SO surprising, and the love triangle actually ended in MY favor. Sort of. That ending was just so... open. I really want to know what's happening next. LOVED the characters!! They all had so much depth, and there weren't any characters I didn't like, surprisingly.

There were some really creepy moments in this one. It t...more

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May 08, 2013 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical, middle-school-books, high-school-books, romance

Seriously? This is going to be a series? This is a creepy, but overlong thriller based on The Island of Dr. Moreau. Juliet's privileged life was ruined years ago when her father disappeared following accusations of performing scandalously inappropriate animal experiments. At 16, when Juliet learns that her father is alive on a tropical island, she accompanies his assistant, the family's former servant Montgomery to the island. Along the way they rescue the enigmatic Edward, who is half-dead from...more

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May 07, 2013 Kandice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, books-read-in-2013, ya, suspense

Shepherd's first book is an extremely entertaining introduction to this author. Based on "The Island of Dr. Moreau," this book is both chilling and action packed. A lot of romance probably doesn't hurt either since this book is aimed at the young adult market.

Juliet (our heroine) has essentially lost everything after her father's fall from grace due to horrible rumors regarding his medical experiments. After losing her mother as well, Juliet is facing a life trying to survive on the streets unti...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Growing Up rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-reviewed-books

My Rating: 3.5 stars (unsure of how to show that above...)

It isn’t often that I will read a book that falls under the Young Adult or New Adult genre but the synopsis caught my interest and I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised.

The main character of the book is Juliet Moreau, 16 years old, living in London England, working as a maid, after her family fell from high society because of a scandal caused by her father. Her father had been rumoured to be carrying on gruesome scientifi...more My Rating: 3.5 stars (unsure of how to show that above...)

It isn’t often that I will read a book that falls under the Young Adult or New Adult genre but the synopsis caught my interest and I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised.

The main character of the book is Juliet Moreau, 16 years old, living in London England, working as a maid, after her family fell from high society because of a scandal caused by her father. Her father had been rumoured to be carrying on gruesome scientific experiments and soon after the scandal broke, he had disappeared. Everyone shunned Juliet and her mother, all their friends closed their doors to them. Her mother dies shortly after of consumption. Juliet believes herself to be an orphan.

Juliet learns that her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island. Juliet needs to find out if the accusations against her father are true. Is her father a genius or a madman? She travels to the remote island and discovers her father is experimenting on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Juliet is curious and torn between the horror of his experiments and her own scientific curiosity.

There is also romance – a love triangle… between a prior servant named Montgomery whom Juliet has known and adored since her childhood and Edward, a Prince, who is rescued from the sea by the boat Juliet travels to the island on. Juliet is attracted and drawn to both of them. Montgomery and Edward are both drawn to Juliet and both claim to love her, but in very different ways.

This book is 420 pages but goes quickly! It is fast paced and will keep you up reading into the night. The ending is unexpected and I love that, especially when it comes to romantic plot lines. It is well worth reading.

Favourite Quotes From The Madman’s Daughter

I’d come all this way to find out which man he was – the madman or the misunderstood genius – but already I could see that it wouldn’t be so simple. This was a living person, not some theory I’d decided to test. (pg. 106)

I realized that he had charmed me, just like he charmed everyone. I’d thought I was so clever. I thought I could see past his manipulations. But I’d heard only what I wanted to. (pg. 170)

If you liked this book review be sure to check out my blog:
http://growinguplittle.wordpress.com/
It has a ton of great book reviews and lots of other fun stuff!
Adults only please, as it does contain adult material!
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