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    The Madman’s Daughter
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    The Madman’s Daughter
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    The Madman’s Daughter
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Madman’s Daughter

    Written by Megan Shepherd

    Narrated by Lucy Rayner

    3.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    A dark, breathless, beautifully-written gothic thriller of murder, madness and a mysterious island…

    London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—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 rumours about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true.

    Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 27, 2014
    ISBN9780007579129
    Unavailable
    The Madman’s Daughter
    Author

    Megan Shepherd

    Megan Shepherd was "born" into the book world, growing up in her parents' independent bookstore in Western North Carolina. She is the author of THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER trilogy. When Megan is not writing, she can usually be found horseback riding, day dreaming at coffee shops, or hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains.

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    Reviews for The Madman’s Daughter

    3.5/5

    57 ratings51 reviews

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    • 4/5
      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.
    • 2/5
      To see formatting, please view on my blog.Book Info: Genre: Fantasy Reading Level: Young AdultRecommended for: People who enjoy YA paranormal esp. with romantic trianglesTrigger Warnings: murderAnimal Abuse: VivisectionMy 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, what a hussy, showing off her inner arm! Meanwhile, I'm reading this in a T-back tank top and shorts while sitting outside in the sun...What really bothered me about this is that despite her stated modesty and propriety in the story, she's shown on the front cover with her hair loose, and a loose gown hanging off her shoulder, and barefoot.Here's the thing. This was a tossed-across-the-room book. I finished it, which is the only reason it received 2 stars. Why did I end up throwing it across the room in a fit of pique? Because of Juliet. GAH! Juliet... Here's the thing. Remember last week with my “too stupid to live” heroine (see review linked here where formatting allowed)? Juliet is the same way. She would put herself into really idiotically dangerous situations and then she'd end up panicking and becoming absolutely useless. Or throwing a conniption fit and becoming absolutely useless. The only reason I finished the book was because I enjoyed The Island of Dr. Moreau and I enjoyed the other characters: Montgomery, Edward, Balthasar, Alice. Henri Moreau himself was a jerk, but the rest I just felt sorry for.It's really a pity, this book had a lot of promise. But I just ended up so annoyed by the end that I had to throw it to rid myself of some of that aggravation. If you like this sort of book, please don't let me stop you, but I will not be bothering with the rest of this trilogy, nor will I be bothering with the movie when/if it is made. PASS!Disclosure: I received a paperback ARC from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.Synopsis: 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.
    • 4/5
      I have a weakness for classics remade by a modern author. I have thoroughly loved reading books that take their inspiration from great stories and authors, and The Madman's Daughter does this beautifully by taking H.G. Wells's story The Island of Dr. Moreau, and putting a new, fresh spin on it. At times gruesome, other times horrifying, and sometimes spine-chillingly terrifying, Shepherd manages to still capture the attention of this skittish reader and I found myself reading until nearly 5am just to figure out what happens.Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Dec. 21, 2013.
    • 3/5
      I mostly enjoyed this one. It read a lot slower than most of the books I've been reading lately. It had a dark gritty feel to the horror aspect. I kept waiting for her to realize that she was the same as B and should stay on the island too if she thought all of her father's experiments should stay. Overall, not super fantastic, but I will read the next one.
    • 4/5
      I read this in just under 4 hours??????

      Why hadn't I read it before??? A re-imagining of "The Island of Dr Moreau". Creepy as hell. A lot more action than I was expecting, and it really sucks you along from one chapter to the next.
    • 3/5
      Haven't been able to quite wrap my head around how I feel about this novel... mc was annoying, simpering - can't choose between two men, but action was exciting.... hmmmm. Full review to come.
    • 3/5
      Even though I (mostly) knew what was coming the entire time, The Madman’s Daughter really built up suspense well. It’s the kind of book where there’s a lot of build-up in the middle of the book and it all culminates in a downright exciting last 70 pages. Even though I saw all the twists coming(which was a little sad, since I heard so many good things about the plot twists in this book), it was just such a heart-throbbing journey to get to that point. The plot is the best part of The Madman’s Daughter–well-executed, great timing, and thrilling.

      Juliet is a really bold female character for most of the book. She does things that are not taken lightly in her society. She’s shown to be smart, capable, and resourceful. She’s a character ahead of her time and it shows through. The other characters recognize this and sometimes chastise her, but she does what she wants anyway. Which is great. . . until it involves her love interests, which is where the book lost some of it’s great potential for me.

      There’s a love-triangle in this book, and it is not done well. I’m of the rare opinion that I actually do like love triangles if they’re well-done; so much so that I have a Goodreads shelf dedicated to this. The Madman’s Daughter did not end up there. I see no merit to the love triangle at all. The two love interests just weren’t different enough for me, and while I enjoy some book’s romance, the entire time Juliet was kissing either one of them or thinking about it I was thinking, “Enough! Stop kissing! You have a whole island of horrifying/exciting around you. I want to get back to that!”.

      At one point I thought I was going to have to put The Madman’s Daughter back on the shelf because of the horrifying factor, but once I got past one particular part it was definitely do-able. I will admit to skimming certain paragraphs to cut down on the blood–because there is a lot of blood in this book. It isn’t all that scary or gross, but it’s just. . . everywhere. I have a really weird thing with blood. I don’t mind giving blood or seeing my own blood, but I really hate seeing/reading/hearing about other people’s blood, so that’s definitely something I picked up on and something I’d be aware of if you have a similar feel as I do.

      The best part of this book was the last fifty pages–excitement abounds and the ending is . . . I don’t know what it is, but it’s the type that sticks with you. I saw the twists coming, but I did not see the ending coming and it’s the kind of ending that makes you want more immediately. A cliffhanger, but not one that felt overly gimmicky to me.

      Final Impression: The Madman’s Daughter does a pretty good job of maintaining a Gothic feel. I enjoyed Juliet’s character and her force of will, but I thought the love triangle was by far the weakest point in the book and brought it down a lot. It takes up too much time, it’s not well-done, and the book would have been more exciting without it. The plot was well-executed and left me wanting more. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the sequel, but hoping that the love triangle disappears all together(unlikely, but I will continue to hope). 3/5 stars.
    • 5/5
      The Madman's Daughter is a new imagining on H.G. Well's's classic novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. I first read Dr. Moreau a few years ago and really enjoyed the book. It's a historical science fiction novel with heavy focus on the science aspect. In Madman's Daughter we get a retelling of the original story but from a new perspective. The book starts out in London and introduces us to a teenage Juliet Moreau, daughter of the famed Dr. Moreau. We learn of Juliet's fall from high society after her father's exile for his experiments. We find her working as a low cleaning woman at the college. She is flailing in poverty and constantly threatened with inappropriate advances and disrespect from those around her. Her life continues to get worse and worse but then one day she finds her father's servant Montgomery. She's known Montgomery since she was a child since he was also a child in her home and was treated by the family somewhere between servant and son.Juliet persuades Montgomery to take her with him on the return voyage to her father's island. He is very reluctant and warns her of danger but she insists and they take the voyage. The original Dr. Moreau story is narrated from the point of view of a castaway named Edward who was found adrift at sea by Moreau's servants as they return from London. They carried him back to the island with him where he then narrates the original book. In this book, while Juliet travels on the ship, she provides a narration similar to that of the castaway in the original novel. We learn of her interactions and opinions of Montgomery, her father's other servants, and the strange collection of equipment and animals they carry with them. We are reminded that this novel is aimed at a teenage audience and there are hints of a romantic interest between Juliet and Montgomery, but more of that comes later. As Montgomery and Juliet near the end of their sea voyage, the castaway appears and is brought on board. While we don't get the story from his point of view, many of the actions both on the boat and on the island are similar to the original novel though sometimes they happen to Juliet rather than Edward.Having Juliet as the narrator of the book brought a new level of thought and insight that wasn't there in the original novel. The stranded castaway provided a unique and distanced viewpoint from which to observe and chronicle the actions of Dr. Moreau. He still faced with horror the truth of Moreau's experiments and behaviors but the castaway wasn't invested in Moreau in the same way Juliet is. Because Juliet is Moreau's daughter, she is generally conflicted about what to suspect or believe about the things she sees and hears around the island. Even though she had a somewhat estranged childhood with her father and has some strong resentment for the way he left her, she still cares for him and wants to believe the best of the man who is her father. But as the truth becomes more and more undeniable, she begins to worry about how much of her father's madness and behavior is restricted to him and how much might have passed to her through genetics.Beyond the conflict Juliet feels with her father, she is also conflicted about her feelings towards Montgomery and Edward. Early on in the book it is clear that she is infatuated with Montgomery and thinks fondly of him not only as a childhood friend but as a comforting presence and attractive prospect for her life now and onward. At the same time, she is thrust into intense situations with Edward. Seeing him as a helpless castaway, she immediately feels some compassion towards him. As time passes, she finds herself attracted to him beyond simple compassion. By the end of the book, a nice love triangle has formed that adds romantic tension. There are some passages of romantic commentary and swooning but to those who don't "go in for that sort of thing", I think you'll find that the balance is well struck and you should be able to carry on with the story without worrying too much about the "sappy romance." And yet, for those who appreciate romantic interludes, you should find the tension and suspense compelling as Juliet tries to weigh her emotions and her feelings while both Edward and Montgomery respectfully proclaim their love for her. Admittedly, the romance is a little sappy and the dialogue is a little sappy at times, but I'm not a big reader of romance, so I can't really comment on the quality. :-)For those not interested in the romantic elements, there is also plenty of adventure and suspense to keep you turning the pages. As you might expect from a book surrounding Dr. Moreau, there are some biologically disturbing sequences having to do with his experiments both in the process of operating on his subjects as well as the events that take place outside of the operating room. The pacing of the first half (or more) of the novel is rather measured and meanders through mystery and suspense at a moderate to slow pace with bits of action scattered throughout. The last third of the book is an intense chase around the island as our various characters try to find safety for themselves and others.The writing in this book is solid, elegant and well crafted. The details and research are well done and everything felt very correct and believable (at least to me, a non-expert in the world of late 18th century history). Some of the dialog and actions felt perhaps a little too modern, but I let them pass and generally felt like the novel was written very well in such a way that it bridged the centuries…remaining true to the tone and feel of a book written and set over 100 years ago while still feeling compelling, fresh and interesting to readers of the 21st century.There were many things I enjoyed about the original book, The Island of Dr. Moreau and I was pleased that many of those themes and elements persisted into this book. But with The Madman's Daughter there are new themes and ideas to deal with. The transition of narration to Moreau's daughter is a wonderful change that cast the entire story in a new light and added a new psychological tension to the already troubling situation. The love triangle was an intriguing new element that helped bring in a different sense of humanity and kind emotions that certainly wasn't as present in the original book.Overall I really enjoyed this book. Having already enjoyed the original story, I wasn't surprised to find myself eagerly devouring this retelling. I was very pleased at how true it felt to the original while still being a fresh new work. I am even more intrigued to learn that this book is supposed to be the first in a trilogy. With the way this novel ends, I'm a little confused and definitely curious to see what happens next. Unlike some other "first in a series" book's I've read, I felt like this one really answered most of the key questions and issues that needed answering. So rather than setting up an obvious sequel, it leaves the reader with a complete ending. I will grant that the ending may not "satisfy" every reader in the same way. In a tragic story such as this one, it's difficult to have a wholly "happy" ending. But the ending is satisfying and I felt good about the way it ended. At the same time, I'm definitely interested to see what the next book brings.*****4.5 out of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      Brilliant Doctor or Mad Scientist?? If you've ever read H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau, then you'll recognize this book as a spin-off from it. The Madman's Daughter is told from the point of view of Dr. Moreau's daughter, Juliet. The story focuses on how Juliet deals with her fall from high society after her father's scandal and subsequent disappearance. Juliet was very young when the scandal happen so she doesn't really know what to believe and isn't sure exactly what happened to him so she sets out to find out for herself....

      I thought it was a pretty good alternative to the original story. It has a dark, gothic feel to it with a little romance and a little gore. What really got me though was the ending. It was one of the biggest twists I've read recently and it hit me like a ton of bricks because I did not see it coming at all. I also didn't realize this was a trilogy when I started reading it but I'm glad it is, after that gut wrenching ending. Thankfully, my hold on the second book, Her Dark Curiosity, is ready for pick up tomorrow. My stack just keeps getting bigger and bigger instead of smaller.
    • 5/5
      Juliet Moreau is the daughter of Dr. Moreau. Dr. Moreau is a brilliant doctor and was considered a respected member of the community. That is until his latest science experiments were discovered. Now, Juliet is part of a cleaning crew at the university. After an incident, Juliet needs to make a new start and quickly. After learning that her father is alive and experimenting on an island, Juliet makes her way to the island. Once there Juliet is met face to face with her father’s projects. Juliet must make a decision…stay or leave?I absolutely love when a book actually turns out to be just as great as it promises to me. That book is The Madman’s Daughter. I devoured this book. I both was upset in horror by Juliet’s father and also intrigued by him. Mad because his “science projects” were more inhumane then just for science. Yet, I was very intrigued by what Juliet’s father was doing and the strange combinations that he put together. As the story progressed, it got more entertaining. Megan really painted a vivid picture of the story she was telling. It was like I was there on the island and could picture the strange creatures. I am so glad to read that this book is the first in a trilogy. The way it ended I was hoping that there would be another one. I am on the edge of my seat awaiting in excited anticipation for book two. The Madman’s Daughter is mad, crazy good! I give two thumbs up to Megan.
    • 2/5
      The idea of this story both fascinated and horrified me, but I did not like Juliet. She was so irritating, saying the same things about herself over and over; I pretty much understood her after the rabbit incident. The love triangle was weak and distracting, but Montgomery was dreamy in a sick sort of way. I heard it's going to be a movie; if that's true, I think it will be much better than the book. Seriously doubt I'll read the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      I got a copy of this book to review through Netgalley(dot)com. Thanks to Balzer and Bray and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This was an engaging and disturbing young adult retelling of the Island of Dr. Moreau. Juliet Moreau is struggling to make a living as a maid; years ago her father disappeared and not long after that her mother died of cancer. Then Juliet hears rumors about a strange doctor staying in a nearby inn and sees copies of her father’s drawings. When she goes to investigate she finds the her father is not dead as thought, but merely on a deserted island continuing his questionable medical studies. She travels there with her childhood friend and Dr. Moreau’s assistant, Montgomery, and finds things more horrific than she could ever have imagined.Excellent young adult retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau. This story has a bit of a gothic/thriller type feel to it. The mystery unravels slowly. Those who are familiar with the Island of Dr. Moraeu won’t be surprised by what Juliet finds when she goes to her father’s island but you will be surprised as the mysteries surrounding Juliet herself are revealed.The book is beautifully written and very well done. There is a bit of a love triangle here, which I am not a huge fan of. Still it was decently done.Juliet is a strong character that is easy to admire and engage with. The other characters on the island are similarly interesting. You are constantly wondering why Montgomery continues to work for Dr. Moreau and what Edward’s mysterious background is. There is just a lot of mystery hidden within all of these characters.The plot is very engaging and there are some huge twists in the story which caught me by surprise. There is also quite a bit of medical talk in the book since Juliet has been learning from all of the medical books her father left behind, I enjoyed this as well.The book is definitely best for young adult and older. There is an attempted rape scene, torture, and rather gory maiming of animals...just a heads up to be ready for some disturbing gore.Overall I found the book very hard to put down and very engaging. It was a fantastic read. The enjoyed the mystery and the twists and turns the story took. I also enjoyed Juliet, she is a strong female lead with some interesting aspects to her personality. I strongly recommend to fans gothic horror, who don’t mind a somewhat disturbing read.
    • 3/5
      A competent re-imagination of 'The Island of Dr. Moreau.'
    • 4/5
      Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.The Madman's Daughter is one of those books that I just knew that I would like. And for once, well, I was right. I did really like this one, and for me it wasn't very predictable. But I've never read The Island of Dr. Moreau, so this was a completely new experience for me.I found Juliet to be a very...interesting/completely out of it character. She has ideas about things that just drive me absolutely mad. *I have developed a british accent in my head after reading this* At first her illness seemed really odd, but as some of the details about her father started to fall into place, it was like I suddenly figured it all out. And once I figure it out, I really wanted to beat some sense into Juliet. For instance, if you've read The Island of Dr. Moreau, you understand this: but there are natives on the island. And there is only one woman, a teenager, that Juliet deducts came on a boat...but. There are natives. She never even wonders where they came from? Really. I guess it kind of makes sense (her ignorance) for that time frame...but girl. People don't come from storks.There are several other things that bothered me about her powers of deduction too, but for the sake of spoilers I won't reveal them. The island was so strange! When we first got there, I was questioning everything. I wanted to know about the past, and why and just everything. But the more I read, the more that it just got weird and twisted. Juliet thinks that what she did at the beginning was unnatural, but I disagree. What her father was doing was unnatural. And weirdly shocking.As the story wore on, a couple new characters were introduced. And some had pasts that I never would have suspected. My face was like this by the ending: O.O All in all, it was a really good story, but I can't shake the feeling that it could have been a little better.
    • 5/5
      This book was amazing- I loved every moment of it and I'm going to assume this will be my favorite of 2013. There were some issues in the beginning with the story needing a little more thought but nothing too major as to ruin this awesome book. I would love to see this one made into a movie. I checked this book out from our local library and I've fallen in love and intend on buying a brand new copy for my shelves. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a dark- twisted- adventure :) I've not read the classic by H.G. Wells but I loved this book so much I've started The Island of Dr. Moreau --- The writing style was great easy to follow beautifully done. The characters were memorable as was the story. If your on the fence with this one pick it up it's worth the read.
    • 5/5
      Juliet Moreau's teenage life has been tumultuous and traumatic. When she was younger, her family was part of the highest of society. Her father, Henri Moreau was a well respected scientist and she lived very comfortably with her loving family. Then, the unthinkable happens. Her father is involved in a huge scandal involving rumors of inhuman, grotesque experiments and disappears, presumed to be dead. Her life falls apart and she is cast adrift. With no family and no money, Juliet gets a job as a maid and struggles to earn enough to live. She is one step from living in the streets. Her life takes another turn when she sees her father's assistant Montgomery, who knows that her father is alive and well and living on a remote island. Juliet convinces him to let her accompany him to see her estranged father. After a grueling journey and a castaway named Edward joins them, they arrive at the beautiful, wild island. It's inhabited by mysterious, strange, and twisted people who treat Henri as their god. Juliet will find out what's happening on this island and if the rumors that led to her downfall are true at any cost.The Madman's Daughter is an excellent novel that retells The Island of Dr. Moreau through the perspective of Dr. Moreau's daughter. This story is deliciously gothic and melds turn of the century England society with science tinged fantasy and horror. The setting is perfect, both in England and on the island. The contrasts between the two is stark. England is busy, bustling, and dangerous, particularly to Juliet as an unmarried, disgraced girl with no family. The scientific community during this time was full of experimentation and wonder. Charles Darwin's discoveries were not too long ago and this is the century when scientist became a legitimate profession. Henri Moreau's experiments show the dark side to the possibilities of science, where madmen strive to become gods. The vivisections and grotesque experiments (as well as the results of those experiments) proved to be sufficiently thrilling and suspenseful. The island, although bright and wild, became more dark and sinister than England because of Henri's out of control experiments. The bright and open landscape is deceptively beautiful and actually houses unnatural creatures and a murderous monster.The characters are engaging and unforgettable. Juliet Moreau is an impressive character. Despite being a step above the lowest of the low in English society, she manages to build a life for herself after her mother died and after being abandoned by her father. Her life is very tenuous and one wrong move would leave her to starve or to sell herself to survive. No one wants to associate with a disgraced girl, no matter what her previous position in society was. The only attention she gets is lecherous glances and advances from men in power who could ruin her life in a heartbeat. Juliet doesn't fall into a depression as many other YA heroines might. She fights back when a prestigious surgeon tries to rape her and convinces Montgomery, her father's assistant, to take her to the island. She has a fire, a curiosity, and a drive that makes her magnetic and enjoyable to follow. I love that she doesn't accept her horrible fate in society and does what she can in the face of great opposition to succeed. Her father, Henri Moreau, is just as interesting, but intensely unlikable. Although obviously brilliant, he is incredibly delusional, classist, misogynistic, and egotistical. The drive and curiosity that Juliet has came from her father, but in him, it is twisted and put towards unthinkable experiments that go horribly, horribly wrong.The Madman's Daughter succeeded in grabbing my attention on the very first page. I was hooked and doomed to read until I lost sleep and forgot meals. Megan Shepherd melded her own story with the source material seamlessly and made sure the romantic woes of Juliet didn't over power the larger story. I highly recommend this deliciously dark gothic read.
    • 4/5
      OMG! The twists and turns in this plot! I should have seen the whole Juliet, Edward twists coming. Sometimes the relationships with parents and children is hard enough when there has been some sort of abandonment/reconciliation issue but when Dear Old Dad is a nut job genius WOW ! I haven't quite figured out Montgomery yet. I can't wait until the next book comes in! The way it ended! I can't believe she left us hanging like that!
    • 3/5
      Interesting premise, but the story starts to drag in the middle, and the female protaginist starts out intrepid, but then becomes an insipid love-sick teenager.
    • 2/5
      I have very mixed feelings about this book. It did a great job building atmosphere and I love how it worked in the story from The Island of Dr. Moreau; but I got fed up with the love triangle aspect. There were lots of great twists and the ending was unexpected but I was so turned off by the love triangle that I currently don't want to read the next one even though theoretically it has been resolved.
    • 4/5
      The Madman's Daughterby Megan Shepherd#1 The Madman's Daughter TrilogyAudio narrated by Lucy Raynor4*setting: 1895, London & an unnamed tropical island somewhere off the coast of AustraliaMy, oh my, oh my. (Picture me rubbing my hands together in glee.) I just happened across this novel while searching for the word "boatswain" to fulfill a requirement in a reading challenge. I was pondering Peter Pan (Smee was Hook's boatswain/bosun/bos'n) or Mutiny on the Bounty when I became intrigued by this one instead. I'm so glad I found it. I just started reading it with nothing more than the book blurb hinting what was inside. As I got into it, I kept thinking that the premise seemed familiar. Doh. That's because it is a retelling of the classic gothic-horror-fantasy-science fiction book written by H.G. Wells in 1896, The Island of Dr. Moreau. This story is told from his daughter, Juliet's, point of view.As the novel begins, 16-year-old Juliet Moreau has fallen from an upperclass lifestyle after a whispered about scandal involving her father, Dr. Henri Moreau, a notable physician and research scientist, took him away from her. She had always presumed he was dead, because his sudden disappearance had left her and her mother destitute. Her mother had to resort to quiet "arrangements" with high class gentlemen in order to make ends meet. After her death from consumption, Juliet found employment as a maid at King's College of Medical Research cleaning the laboratory at the end of each day. She was not bothered by the specimens in jars or the blood or other organic debris, as she was raised in the home of her father and was born with a natural curiosity and affinity toward medical science. Because she was a girl, of course, she was not allowed to study medicine, but she became adept at eavesdropping on her father and watching him through cracks in the door. Her childhood friend, Montgomery, who worked as Dr. Moreau's assistant, would sneak medical books to Juliet, so she became quite knowledgeable on her own.Juliet unintentionally finds herself caught up in a couple minor scandals herself, one caused by a lecherous older man who works at King's College. She injures him after his attempt to molest her. Of course, the fallout would affect her more than the old coot, so she knew she would no longer have a job. Around the same time, she runs into her old friend, Montgomery, who had disappeared the same time as her father. She learns from him that Dr. Moreau is still alive and is doing research on a tropical island. She is devastated that he just abandoned her and never sent word (or money), yet she is thrilled to know he is alive and well. She is now determined to find him and decides to go back with Montgomery when his ship returns to the island.Along the way, they rescue a young man adrift in a small dinghy and bring him to the island as well, planning to send him on his way with the next trading ship (which could take a year or more). When they reach the island, Juliet is taken aback by her father's lukewarm welcome, and to his acerbic and violent reaction upon seeing the rescued man, Edward Prince. Her father's dark side continues to show itself as Juliet and Edward learn more about his research and what he is creating on the island. Juliet feels drawn to Edward, who is obviously smitten with her and feels protective toward her, but she cannot let go of her longtime feelings for her old friend, Montgomery, whom she feels safe with and always looked up to and adored. All throughout, she is confused by her newfound feelings and goes back and forth dreaming about both men. Torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool...We learn more about Dr. Moreau's unusual experiments, using the torturous and cruel method of vivisection (and without using anesthetic), as he fuses together parts from different living beings, intermingling species. He has many of his creatures there on the island, some in more advanced forms than others. Many are deformed, some are very intelligent with human-like qualities, others cannot speak or have mutated into dangerous horrific beings. He's learned to interfere with brain function, removing or tweaking certain areas in order to eradicate less desirable features or to improve functions to a higher level. Dr. Moreau is playing at being a god. There is a lot to debate regarding the ethics of how new information is discovered and used to achieve advancements in certain scientific areas when the power to do so is put in the wrong hands. The original book by H.G. Wells caused a lot of controversy and scandal when it was released, the blurring of lines between humans and animals, the hints of bestiality, cannibalism, etc. Wells himself said his book was "an exercise in youthful blasphemy".Juliet often battles her own morbid curiosity about her father's research even though she knows what he's doing is wrong and that he, himself, is a madman in the truest sense of the word."Edward was strangely quiet, shocked by the horror of it, as I should have been. But as much as I knew I should be repulsed, my curiosity burned so brightly it made my humanity flicker and dim."Some of Dr. Moreau's creatures start to turn, suddenly becoming violent as they discover the taste of blood. Juliet, Montgomery, and Edward plot together and plan to make their escape on the last remaining dinghy left on the island, hoping to run into a larger ship. Juliet is encouraged to round up anything of value which can later be sold. A loyal part dog-part bear creature, Balthazar, helps load up water, food, clothing, parasols, anything that will help them survive the journey.As chaos reigns on the island and time begins to run out, more twists and turns to the story cause surprise and leave the reader with the feeling of, "What? No! No, no, no!" This is a thought-provoking novel, for sure, and full of dark, gloomy, gothic suspense. This does not completely align with the original Wells' novel, and leaves an opening for future books in the series.The author continues this story with a second book which pulls from Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and follows with a third book stemming from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A disturbing and gruesome story of experiments and love. Opening Sentence: The basement hallways in King’s College of Medical Research were dark, even in the daytime.The Review: Juliet Moreau has a hard enough time getting by with a meager job and empty apartment. Now something is stirring within her…something dark, something causing her to have violent outbursts at random times. Her mother died trying to provide for Juliet when she was younger. Her father disappeared after accusations spread about heinous experiments in their basement. But Juliet, now sixteen, is starting to hear rumors of a doctor staying in England…but instead of a doctor she finds her old friend (and crush) Montgomery staying in a tavern downtown. But there’s something odd about the servant he keeps with him. Could her father be behind this? Could he have taken Montgomery with him instead of his daughter?Dark, creepy and sinister, The Madman’s Daughter is the first horror story I’ve ever read. It had the works: evil geniuses, a good guy caught in the past and a heroine with something to prove. The setting was mysterious and filled with secrets–hidden creatures and odd islanders are tangled in a web of experiments all pointing to Juliet’s father. I loved the intricate plot and complex characters. As my first horror read, this book has set high standards for others to come.Juliet has had a rough life. She was born into aristocracy but ended up almost on the streets. Now she works as a maid at medical university–but not everyone ignores her. One of the professors takes an intense liking to her, but when he makes his move, Juliet isn’t one to go down without a fight. Even if the consequences might send her running from the police. The inner conflict within Juliet was really well-developed, and I could imagine her two personalities colliding with her human morals. And as a human, she sometimes gives in to a darker side. It’s this darker side that is the catalyst for the entire story. Shepherd does an excellent job in telling Juliet’s story. She’s not afraid to get down to the nitty-gritty. Plus, the two love interests in the book are definitely worthy of a swoon.Montgomery was a servant when Juliet was still rich. They became best friends (and Juliet had a cute crush on him), and he helped her father with his work. But when the accusations surfaced about her father’s work, Montgomery disappeared with her father. Now back in England, Montgomery is still under her father’s influence. Juliet questions his morals and reminds him of the normal life he could have, but there’s still that small part of him that enjoys her father’s cruel work (I won’t tell you what it is – that would ruin the whole beginning!) Shepherd also did an excellent job in creating this delicate character. His development through the entire book was heart breaking and even more complex than Juliet. His odd fascination and knowledge with what is right conflict in every choice he makes – right up until the end.Honestly, I could have done without the love triangle. It was unnecessary, and I thought it took away from the main story arc. Not that Edward wasn’t boring or flat – he was just another, more exaggerated example of the bad that could happen on the island.Overall, I thought this was a great book. It’ll take you on a whirlwind ride and might test your mind – but it’s well worth it. Notable Scene: “Let me go!” I cried. But he was powerfully built, and it didn’t take him long to pin my wrists in the shackles of his hands.“Juliet! Stop this!” he said.I froze at the gruff sound of my name. The young man let me go and I whirled on him. His face was deeply tanned, odd during the London weather. Loose blond hair fell to his broad shoulders. My lungs seized up.I knew him. I’d have known him anywhere, despite the years.FTC Advisory: Harper Teen provided me with a copy of The Madman’s Daughter. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 3/5
      This review was originally posted on my blog

      2.5 stars rounded up to 3

      I have heard many people rave about how good The Madman’s Daughter is, so I put it on hold at the library and read it when it came in. It didn’t fully sound like my type of book, but I’ve had others surprise me, so I decided to give it a chance. I didn’t hate it, so I don’t regret reading it, but I probably should have gone with my gut. I certainly didn’t love it. Honestly, I’m still trying to decide, almost 2 weeks after finishing it, whether I liked it or just thought it was okay.

      As it says in the description, The Madman’s Daughter is a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau. I was not familiar with this story, so I looked it up on Wikipedia before starting. I kind of wish I hadn’t, and I kind of wish that the fact that it is inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau wasn’t stated in the description. I think it took away a lot of what could have made the book so much better for me. I should have gone into it blind.

      The Madman’s Daughter starts off with Juliet in London, orphaned and working as a cleaning lady at the local college to earn a meager living. After going to a party, she sees something that she shouldn’t have, which leads her to believe her father is a live. She goes in search of clues and finds out that he is when she runs into their old servant boy, Montgomery, who disappeared at the same time as her father. After running into some trouble, Juliet goes back to Montgomery and demands he take her back to the island to see her father. Along the way, they find a castaway who is almost dead, and Juliette convinces Montgomery and the captain of the ship taking them to the island to save his life. Here inevitably starts a completely absurd and, in my opinion, unnecessary love triangle between Juliet, Montgomery, and the castaway, Edward.

      Honestly, I think I have two major complaints about The Madman’s Daughter, but they kind of tie together. First, I just felt it was a bit too long. There were several scenes that I felt were unnecessary and drawn out. Part of the problem, I think, is that as the reader, if you’re familiar with the story of Dr. Moreau, then you know a lot of what’s going on on the island. However, Juliet is clueless, so we spend a lot of time with her wondering and just being in the dark. I felt that that got old really quickly, and I just wanted her to figure out what was going on. Like I said, if I hadn’t read the plot of The Island of Dr. Moreau, this may not have felt as drawn out to me, and I may have been on the edge of my seat, along with Juliet, wanting to know what was going on. Unfortunately, I did know what was going on, so it took out a lot of the mystery, and it frustrated me and made Juliet seem naive and ignorant.

      I don’t remember everything about the book, but I do remember making a comment to my mother around page 250 wondering what on earth could possibly happen in the 170 more pages. A lot did happen, and the ending was actually pretty good, including a few twists that I didn’t see coming.

      Overall, I thought that The Madman’s Daughter was a decent read, but that it may have benefitted from a little cutting. Like I said, I felt it was a little long and drawn out in places. But it still wasn’t horrible.

      Apparently, The Madman’s Daughter is going to be part of a series, but for me, I actually liked the ending. I thought it tied things up fairly nicely, and I was satisfied. I feel no urge to read the sequel, however, I might, if I hear good things about it. I don’t really like to not finish series, but it’s definitely not one that I feel is a must read for me. Since I still can’t decide how I feel about it, I’m going to give it 2.5 stars.
    • 3/5
      I was so excited for the release of The Madman's Daughter, however the book fell short of my expectations. The problem I have wasn't in the plot or the writing but the pacing and the dreaded love triangle. I'm don't mind a bit of romance in a book as long as that's not the main focus, unfortunately, that is what happened with this novel. The beginning of the book started off with a bang and reeled you in but then the pace slowed down considerably in the middle. If the ending hadn't been so full of action and Wow, didn't see that coming this would have been a two star review. The last part of the book was amazing and has me anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I would recommend this book to fans of horror or science fiction.
    • 4/5
      Whooo, this book was super-dark and horrifying, with plot and character twists that kept me guessing right up to the agonizing last scene. It has motivated me to look into the author's inspiration "The Island of Doctor Moreau" by HG Wells. But wait, apparently there is a sequel! Hmmmm, which to read first, which to read...???
    • 3/5
      Good paranormal fiction/bad historical fiction.While I like what Shepherd did with the original Doctor Moreau story, I'm too much of a historical fiction buff not to have let certain details, particularly the conduct of the young women in the novel, not needle me.As a paranormal romance, this was a good representative of the genre. Lots of suspense and mystery. Murder. Two irresistible love interests our heroine must choose between. A bit too much gallivanting around the island for no reason, but I'll forgive it that. As a work of historical fiction, I was bothered by innumerable details. Juliet is one of those anachronisms of a heroine who thinks and feels very modern. Perhaps this is why it never quite occurs to her how inappropriate her behavior is. Even given the sort of freeing nature of being on an island with a limited number of humans on it, the very beginning of the novel has her and her society friend who *ought to know better* behaving in ways they just, well... wouldn't.One last criticism: Shepherd really glosses over the science. I mean, sure, she's got to work within the confines of the original Moreau story but the text more-or-less says, "I asked him how he did it. He told me." It really shies away from even a rough explanation of how this all works. The good news is, teens will LOVE this book. It has everything an addicting paranormal romance ought to have, and most readers won't care as much as I about the historical detail or the science. As for that cliffhanger of an ending? Oh, that'll have 'em coming back for more, for sure!
    • 4/5
      I am the first to admit that, when it comes to creepy reads, I am not always your girl. I am a bit of a wimp, and tend to watch those scary horror films through my fingers. Unfortunately, when it comes to reading, that doesn't really work so well, so it was with some trepidation that I went into The Madman's Daughter. Having only a cursory knowledge of the source work - The Island of Dr. Moreau - I was nonetheless sure that this would be a somewhat brutal book. And I wasn't wrong. There were times I definitely found myself cringing at the descriptions of the gore, but mostly I was horrified at Juliet's father, who was just ... a really terrible person.I want to commend the author on the fabulously dark gothic setting of this book. Even when Juliet was still in London, the dark and dank of the walls and the city really came through the pages, placing me firmly in the narrative. I really felt myself traveling along with Juliet as she rode on the boat and came to her father's island. The descriptive prose was beautiful and flowing, and - even when the events of the book had me shrinking away - I still very much enjoyed her style of writing and the way she told her story.My one complaint was the romance of this book, which honestly got on my nerves. I didn't like Montgomery very much at all; anyone who blindly follows such a horrible man as Dr. Moreau has some serious issues, and doesn't make for a very romantic character. Edward, on the other hand, is nicely dark and mysterious, and I loved how the story of his life was slowly unraveled and revealed to the reader. I was definitely pulling much more for him!I also need to give props to Juliet herself, who is one tough, determined lady. While I didn't enjoy reading about her feelings for either of the boys, I did like how she worked to reconcile the fact that her father - despite his evil - was a part of her whether she liked it or not, and what that meant for her. I can't help but be intrigued by her character; she has a lot of truths revealed to her and is really going to have to grapple with her knowledge of some dark and terrible things that are definitely going to impact her for a long time.Brutal and gruesome in equal measures, The Madman's Daughter is not a book for the faint of heart. There's a lot of terrible goings-on happening throughout the story, and Juliet's father is quite possibly one of the evilest men I've ever read about. While the romantic aspects of the story left a lot to be desired for me personally, I still very much enjoyed the setting, Juliet's character, and the driving tension that moves the plot along. There is a very open ending that sets up the sequel, and after seeing what book it's based on, I absolutely cannot wait to dive into it!
    • 5/5
      I did not write my review immediately upon finishing this novel because I wanted to be able to explain my feelings on this amazing story rather than have the equivalent of an emotional freakout in front of all of my readers. However, it is now over a week later, and excitement and amazement about this story has not worn off. The Madman's Daughter is everything I ever hoped it would be, and so much more. That is such a cliche statement to make, but it is SO true in this case. The story had me eagerly devouring each sentence, all the while cringing over vivid descriptions of mutilations, immoral surgeries and a plethora of other violent and disturbing scenes. Throughout the story, I was searching for some semblance of good, just like the main character, and no one was more surprised than me at each new twist. Often times I see everything coming, but these characters charmed me - fooled me. If you like your description vivid, blood a plenty, mystery dangerous, romance complication, and morality questioned, The Madman's Daughter will blow you away. The story opens with the main character, Juliet, living as little more than a orphan roaming the streets of London. She has fallen from her former grace, being the daughter of a wealthy and brilliant doctor. But accusations started to fly, her father disappeared, and after her mother's death, her life now shows no resemblance to the lavish existence she once lived. Following in her father's footsteps, she has been studying medicine and anatomy in-between working as a maid a Kings College. Her father's "death" never quite made sense to her, and years later, she is still searching for answers. When she stumbles upon group of schoolboys preforming an illegal vivisection (knowledge searching operation on live animals) with the directions bearing the initials of her father, she finds out that everything she has been told about her father's death is a lie. What comes next will change her life forever... if she gets out alive. I did not know when reading that this story was based off of The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G Wells, so I read it as a work entirely its own. In addition, I have not read the aforementioned story, so I do not know which aspects directly relate. All I can say is that The Madman's Daughter is amazingly original and unlike any other YA book I've read. It is gory, it is scary, it is romantic, it is both hopeless and hopeful, moral and immoral. The story delves right into the center of the question, what makes us human? What is it exactly that is separating us from animals - from monsters? The line is continually blurred and redrawn throughout the course of the novel. Even the characters who are decidedly monstrous have heart-wrenchingly human qualities. Dr. Moreau, the villain of the novel, if there ever was one, is as charming as one can be. I loved him upon his first lines, even though I hated him at the same time. I seriously loved to hate him. But it was more than that, I was rooting for him in some strange, twisted way. I wanted him to pull through his issues, to mend the relationship with his daughter, to see the wrong in his way... that may have been too much to ask (I'll let you find out what happens), but I'll say that each emotion Juliet goes through with respects to her father, I experienced those as well. While reading, you want to decide this character is "good" or this character is a "monster", but there is so much more to each one. The levels of complexity just took my breath away. Shepherd's writing style is flawless. The only aspect that I felt kind of "blah" about was the romance. I did not feel the connection between Juliet and Montgomery, however, this accumulates to a very minor part of the story. I loved Juliet and I loved Montgomery as characters, I just didn't quite see them together. Other than that small aspect, I cannot think of another complaint. I almost wish it was a standalone because it was seriously that perfect, but I will definitely be picking up the next installments of the series. If you have half a brain (or two halves of different brains...) you should pick up this novel as soon as possible.
    • 5/5
      I read the other reviews and I don't think I can add a thing to give more information on the story. I will say that the book is a very entertaining and extremely fast moving piece of fiction. The cover said that the book was for people thirteen and up - Well it is full of sadism, violence, vivisection and gore. So, I guess 13 and 14 year olds will love it. It is over 400 pages but is easy to read and the pages just fly by. Foe a first time author this is an exceptionally good piece of writing.
    • 5/5
      After her prominent father, Dr. Moreau, is publicly shamed, he flees London, leaving Juliet and her mother to fend for themselves. After her mother dies, Juliet is forced into hard labor. A chance meeting with a childhood friend named Montgomery makes Juliet aware that her father is alive and living on an island. Juliet accompanies Montgomery to the island and enters the bizarre and brutal world of Dr. Moreau. It wasn’t until after I read this book that I found out it was supposed to be a twist on The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. AND I don’t think I even really read the book’s description beforehand so I went in pretty blindly. That being said, I really, really enjoyed this book. The characters were well-developed and the setting was beautifully described. There were twists and turns, excitement, adventure, and romance on every page. I wasn’t expecting the beasts on the island so that was an imaginative surprise for me. The story kept me riveted until the last page. A few critiques: First, I absolutely love a strong, rebellious heroine. It’s just that Juliet didn’t fit into the time period she came from at all. If a story is going to be historical fiction, it has to stay in those constrains. I felt she was a bit too liberal for the era she was raised in to be believable. Also, there were times when I didn’t like her. I just didn’t. Second, the love triangle didn’t work for me. Edward never even felt like a contender. It would have been just as suspenseful to have Juliet and Montgomery figuring things out between themselves. Third, I found out this is yet another trilogy. Ugh. This is a personal pet peeve that there are so few standalone YA books now! And this one most definitely could have been a standalone (even though the ending is a cliffhanger).
    • 5/5
      I watched the old movie "The Island of Dr. Moreau" when I was very, very young, and it left a deep, creepy impression on me. The idea of animal/human mixed creatures freaks me out to this very day. But what freaks me out also draws me in, which is why I picked up The Madman's Daughter with such glee. This is told from the perspective of Juliet Moreau, the long neglected daughter of the infamous doctor who disappeared from London years ago. When Juliet's mother dies, she finds herself in dire straights, especially after she defends herself against a rape attempt by her employer. By accident (?), she runs into her father's young assistant in London, who confirms that her father is alive and well, that in fact the assistant is in town for a much needed provisions for the island that Dr. Moreau has been living and working on. Angry and disillusioned, but hoping that the rumors (and some of her memories of him) are not true, she convinces the assistant to let her go with him back to the island . He's the only family he has, and she has no where else to go. He reluctantly agrees. She sees bits and pieces of the cargo that is loaded on the less than reputable ship--strange animals and other puzzlements, but still clings to her feverent hopes of a joyous homecoming with her father. I'm guessing that I don't really have to say that that is not exactly what happens. This book is creepy and terrifying at times, at others there is a love story or two weaving in the shadows. It's fantastic read, and it seems that it MIGHT be a trilogy (this is unconfirmed). Juliet is a wonderful character, you'll want to meet her as long as you don't scare too easily. Whaaaa haaaa haaaa haaa.