SHEPHERD, Megan. The Madman’s Daughter. 420p. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212802-7; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212804-1. LC 2012004281.
Gr 9 Up–Based on H.G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau and told from the point of view of the mad doctor’s 16-year-old daughter, this dark novel blends the basic premise of the original with new insights, characters, and terror. Dr. Moreau fled London to escape scandal and possible arrest, leaving his wife and daughter destitute. When her mother dies, Juliet has just enough money to survive until she is fired from her hospital cleaning job for rebuffing the advances of one of the doctors. She runs into her old friend and her father’s assistant, Montgomery, and convinces him to take her to her father’s island. The perilous trip on a pirate ship and the rescue of Edward, a castaway, ends with a very cold welcome from her father, who grudgingly allows her to stay. Over time, Juliet realizes that everything she has heard about him creating strange semi-human creatures is true. The teen must face dangers, uncover the secrets behind her origin, and unravel her feelings about Moreau’s experiments. The fast-paced book is rife with excitement, romance, and intrigue. Juliet is both a strong heroine who can take charge and a young woman who is beset by doubts and rash acts. Dr. Moreau is thoroughly detestable and Montgomery and Edward are handsome, flawed, and mysterious. The surprising ending is satisfying. While knowledge of Wells’s novel would perhaps lead to a more satisfying reading experience, this title stands alone.–Janet Hilbun, Texas Women’s University, Denton, TX
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