Monday, January 14, 2013

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd


4/5 Stars

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Publisher:
Publication: January 29, 2013

Review:
Without a doubt, The Madman’s Daughter, is one of the creepiest books I have ever read. From the first page I was immersed in this gothic thriller. The descriptions were so vivid and dark I truly felt I was in ye olden London. When the setting changed to the Island, Shepherd, seamless brought the same dark creepy vibe from London and transposed it onto an Island in the South Pacific. I loved the writing style. Every detail was gradually revealed and by the end I was just shaking my head realizing I should have seen the foreshadowing but completely missed all the little details adding up to make the big picture.

The characters in The Madman’s Daughter were all amazing in their own rights. I really liked Juliet Moreau, her father abandoned her after a scandal, her mother passed away, and she was left destitute in London. Instead of letting this get the better of her she gets a job, works hard, and is strong and independent in a time when women were told to rely on men for their every need. I also really liked Montgomery who was the Moreau’s servant that went with Dr. Moreau into exile. Montgomery has lived on the island since he was young and has watched the Doctors experiments becoming his assistant. I liked how much growing Montgomery did throughout the book and his steady feelings for Juliet. Then there was Edward who was found after his ship crashed and was taken to the island along with Juliet and Montgomery, his past is mysterious and while Juliet has always loved Montgomery she is also drawn to Edward.

It was actually the romance in this book that made me rate it less then 5 Stars. The love triangle of sorts felt out of place and I wanted Juliet to make up her mind, pick a love interest, and let the story unfold. I was so captivated by the island and what was going on that the romance detracted from rather then adding to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Madman’s Daughter and the last page had me clicking my e-reader not believing that could be the end! While reading I thought this novel was a stand alone story so I was all the more stunned that it could just end like that. I recently found out that this is a planned trilogy (thank goodness) and I can not wait to get my hands on the second book. If you are looking for a good gothic thriller/romance/something amazingly creepy you will definitely enjoy The Madman’s Daughter. 

6 comments:

  1. Great review, I really enjoyed this as well

    Kate @ Reading Under the Willow Tree

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  2. I haven't read this one, but wow does it look awesome! Great review, I sometimes am not sure if I can handle creepy books, but I think The Madman's Daughter is worth the risk!

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  3. I'm glad you liked it! I thought it was a great read as well :) very creepy with awesome characters. Great review!

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  4. I've been hearing about this EVERYWHERE! I love gothic novels and this definitely sounds like it's worth a read. The only unfortunate part is the love triangle, I guess. There always needs to be a 'but' :(

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  5. Definitely agree about the love triangle-Juliet went back and forth SO much and it was super annoying to me.

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  6. I love creepy, Gothic reads. They are at the top of my list for favorite stories. The one word that I have seen over and over again in reviews is "creepy". And every time I see it, I get more excited to read it. The big plus? A copy of it is sitting right beside me, waiting for me to get started. That will be very soon! Especially after your great review!

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