The Madman's Daughter

If you are a fan of The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, you will love this tale. Juliet Moreau is an orphan trying to make her way in London. Her mother has died and her father was forced to flee under a scandal of epic proportions. Juliet doesn't believe what they say about him, but a part of her is afraid it just might be true. When she finds evidence that he is alive, she hunts down the clue and finds her childhood friend and family servant Montgomery. She hasn't seen him in years and is instantly attracted to him. She weasels it out of him that her father is alive and she insists he takes her with him to see him. He tries to warn her away, but she won't be dissuaded. On their voyage, they come across a boat containing a young man who survived a shipwreck. Juliet insists they save him and brings him to the island to meet her father. When she arrives on the island, all is lost. The villagers are strange, her father is distant and seemingly mad and the noises in the jungle are getting weirder and weirder. When Juliet discovers what experiments her father has been doing, she tries to find a way off the island with Montgomery and Edward. But one is not what he seems and the other may be just as guilty as her father. It took me most of the book before I realized who Edward was... yikes. This is a creepy story filled with ethical questions about science. Just because you can doesn't always mean you should. And maybe, don't mess with Mother Nature. This was a similar read to Inhuman, but set in the past and based on a classic. There is an interesting section at the end with some extras, I especially enjoyed the mini-prequel that introduces Jaguar. This may lead me to reread the source material, but first, I have to find the sequel and see what happens to Juliet and company. One weekend left before it's back to my laboratory. Happy reading my friends!