This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Zoe Lea
Juliet Moreau is destitute, working as a cleaner in King’s College she is a world away from the life she used to have. As the daughter of the famous surgeon, Doctor Moreau, Juliet used to live a privileged life but a huge scandal caused her father to disappear – leaving her and her mother to fend for themselves. After her mother’s death, Juliet struggled to find a place in society and is haunted by the scandal surrounding her father’s disappearance. She believes him to be dead, so when she runs into Montgomery James, a former servant in their house and assistant to her father, Juliet is taken aback. She discovers that her father is, in fact, very much alive and living on a remote island. Juliet persuades Montgomery to take her to the island so she may be reunited with her father and confront him over the scandal, but something far worse than mere scandalous rumors await her there.
Once on the island, Juliet learns of her father’s brilliance and deviance and exactly what triggered the horrific scandal in the first place. Now educated to her father’s research and ongoing work, she is shocked to her core and desperate to escape the island and her heritage, with only her wits to help her.
Gothic and dark, The Madman’s Daughter is a retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau, but told from the perspective of his daughter. The voice is perfect, I immediately warmed to the strong character of Juliet and loved reading about her discoveries and reactions to them. The mysteries of the plot unfold in such a way that left me desperate for more. There is also two love interests for Juliet in the novel and I enjoyed the friction caused by this love triangle, set against the mysteries of the island. The book is full of suspense, sometimes shocking and left me asking questions that I hadn’t considered before. I believe this is the first of a trilogy and am very much looking forward to reading the next book in line
8/10
Megan Shepherd’s Website