I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Series: The Madman's Daughter #1
Published by HarperCollins on January 29, 2013
Pages: 432
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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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.

A Message from Meredith: Hey everyone! Today, I have something really cool for you guys – something that I’ve never done before. Nikki from Fiction Freak is doing a guest review! Hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to visit Nikki on her awesome blog!

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Oh, where should I start with this fantastically thrilling book? This is possibly the best Gothic Horror book I’ve read in a while and it’s one that’s pretty much unforgettable. I blame the ending.

So, I guess we’ll start with what was so amazing about this–the horror. Even if you know what’s going to happen, what these creatures are, it’s still achingly creepy. I have no idea how she did it,, but Megan Shepherd delivers a story to match that of the original. I read this around midnight and ohmygosh. Every little thump I heard, I swore it was the monster trying to attack me and every hiss-like sound I heard made me…just a little scared. But it wasn’t just the creatures themselves, it was the way they became like that.

Leading us to Dr. Moreau. The title is definitely accurate–he’s definitely a madman. Throughout the book I sympathized for Juliet. The man she remembered from her childhood was definitely different; he was crazier, harsher, crueler, and an all around villain…well, with a parasol. Ha!

He made the perfect antagonist–but was he? What or who was the antagonist, really? The islanders? Dr. Moreau? The island itself? That’s an interesting question, isn’t it…huh.

The plot. Oh wow. There were so many twists I never expected that just made me put the book down for a second. My brain…definitely got a bit jumbled while reading! There’s definitely a sense of intrigue here that just pulls you in and makes this tale, put simply, addicting.

But, I have to say, I totally expected Edward’s twist.

Juliet was a likable character! I can’t say I loved her, but I could relate. Excusing your own parents is something that I think a lot of people do, whether they know it or not. After all, if they’re our parents, doesn’t it mean that we’re like them? Juliet was definitely a little mad herself, but it made her…let’s say, an interesting character.

The one thing I was a bit disappointed in: The romance. Oh, the love triangle. The love triangle. The love triangle. I honestly didn’t like the romantic part of this, and no, it’s not only because of the thing I repeated three times already. Okay, well maybe. I just honestly got annoyed by it. Juliet would think about one of the guys, then all of a sudden be infatuated with the other only a page later. Or, in one case, the line right after. Annoying! And there was also Edward. He wasn’t really a problem, but the speed of which he fell in love with Juliet…well. I can’t blame Montgomery since they grew up together, but having just met her, Edward seemed to be willing to risk his life. I just couldn’t understand it since their relationship didn’t really have a platform.

Although Montgomery and Edward getting jealous at each other did make me smile and laugh at times!
The Madman’s daughter is a book that really is unforgettable and will stay on your shelf of favorites for possibly forever. It’s haunting and definitely brings a new type of historical fiction to the table–one that’s not so high class. It’s incredibly unique and fascinatingly creepy, a great mix for readers of all kind!

Also, THAT ENDING!