The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Publisher’s summary: Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood. Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

My take: Now that book was bizarre! I don’t even know how to review this book. And how the heck does a book end like that? I wouldn’t say that I’m too shocked by the ending because I should have seen it coming from a mile away. But, really? What the heck is going to happen now? And how the heck is this whole thing going to work out? You’re probably wondering why I’m asking all this; well, how about you read The Madman’s Daughter and maybe then you can give me some answers.

I can’t decide what part of the book was most bizarre. I’m sitting here putting all the pieces of the story together in my head, but I just can’t decide. The beginning of the book had a number of very disturbing things that happened, but then there are other disturbing things, on a whole-nuther level of bizarre, that happen all throughout the story. Then there was this big revelation that I put together probably earlier than I should have (I think it was supposed to be a twist but it was also very bizarre), and then that ending. What? OK. Really? Whatever.

I could go through all the characters that I liked, disliked or I’m unsure about, but I want to refrain from spoilers. And telling you anything about the characters at all might cause a spoiler.

Once again we have a love triangle, but most of the time I was wondering what’s the point of the love triangle because it wasn’t really much of a competition. But I love how it was brought around full circle in the end. Very well done.

I’m really looking forward to knowing what’s going to happen to this person and that person…and what will happen to all the bizarre stuff...and all those things I can’t really talk about. LOL