Megan Shepherd’s A Madman’s Daughter is a take on the H. G. Wells classic The Island of Dr. Moreau. If you like scary stories and science fiction, it should be on your to read list. Watch this excellent book trailer to get an idea of what the original’s like:
Deets: Shepherd, M. (2013). The madman’s daughter. New York: Balzer + Bray., ISBN: 9780062128027, hardcover, $11.99
Bling: Book Club Pick of the Month, Seventeen Magazine; #1 Most Requested Book of 2012, Goodreads
TL;DR: Juliet Moreau thought she was saving herself by running off to find her long-lost father across the sea. But it looks like she might have walked straight into a madman’s lair.
The daughter of wanted criminal, Juliet Moreau has paid the price for her father’s crimes. Forced to work as a hospital maid, Juliet has fallen from the heights she experienced when her father was still London’s most respected surgeon. When Juliet’s intervention in a vivisection (the dissection of a live animal) reveals evidence that her presumed-dead father is actually alive, Juliet joins her former childhood companion Montgomery on a voyage to the remote island where he’s hiding.
But, is that a good idea when even Juliet suspects he might be guilty of the crimes of which he’s accused? What are those strange sounds she hears late at night? And where did all the strange people on the island from?
The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd is a fantastic, very mature novel. It blends historical fiction, science-fiction, and horror to create an irresistible tale, a take on the H. G. Wells’ classic The Island of Dr. Moreau. However, the novel is lengthy, dense, and sometimes slowly paced, making better suited to a strong reader. Knowledge of the classic helps, but is not necessary (it makes things even scarier if you aren’t too familiar with it!). Can Juliet figure out what experiments her father’s doing in his laboratory before it’s too late? Can she get off his island and live a better life? Or, will she always be A Madman’s Daughter?
The Retro Reader 