Her Dark Curiosity (Madman's Daughter Series #2)

Her Dark Curiosity (Madman's Daughter Series #2)

4.6 15
by Megan Shepherd
     
 

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Inspired by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this tantalizing sequel to Megan Shepherd's gothic suspense novel The Madman's Daughter explores the hidden natures of those we love and how far we'll go to save them from themselves. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray.

Back in London after her trip to Dr. Moreau's horrific island, Juliet is

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Overview

Inspired by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this tantalizing sequel to Megan Shepherd's gothic suspense novel The Madman's Daughter explores the hidden natures of those we love and how far we'll go to save them from themselves. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray.

Back in London after her trip to Dr. Moreau's horrific island, Juliet is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget her father's legacy. But soon it's clear that someone—or something—hasn't forgotten her, as people close to Juliet start falling victim to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes. Has one of her father's creations also escaped the island?

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, her past bubbling to the surface, and her life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

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Editorial Reviews

Booklist
“Shepherd’s integration of romance into her nods to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, Frankenstein, and Jack the Ripper is masterful, and she does not back down from a hugely dark cliff-hanger ending. Bosoms, prepare to heave—and throats, prepare to scream.”
ALA Booklist
Praise for THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER: “Anyone who doesn’t pick up the next volume is mad!”
Carrie Ryan
Praise for THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER: “A deft twist on a familiar classic, The Madman’s Daughter has the best of everything: beautiful writing, breakneck pacing, a pulse-pounding mystery, and an irresistible romance.”
Veronica Rossi
Praise for THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER: “Romantic, haunting, and full of spine-tingling thrills, THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER kept me reading late into the night.”
VOYA, February 2014 (Vol. 36, No. 6) - Karen Sykeny
This sequel to The Madman’s Daughter (HarperCollins, 2013) delivers on the promise of the first novel. Juliet Moreau escaped the island and is living under the guardianship of an ex-member of the King’s Club of colleagues connected to her father. Juliet conducts research on her serum since its effectiveness is waning. She also feels guilty about helping kill her father on the island and is heartbroken about Montgomery’s choice to stay. Soon, Juliet is concerned about the Wolf of Whitechapel murders since the wounds are very similar to the Beast creature from Edward’s transformation. Juliet’s best friend, Lucy, has two suitors, Inspector Newcastle and the mysterious Henry Jakyll, who are not all they seem. Juliet must tread carefully, while also dealing with the return of Montgomery and tracking down Edward’s beast side as the Wolf of Whitechapel. The cliffhanger ending combines elements of The Island Of Dr. Moureau with elements of Frankenstein, adding moral dilemma. The love triangle issue is still active for Juliet but the thrust of the plot and character development is focused on the Prometheus moral dilemma and fans of the first novel will not be disappointed. Intrigue and true reader engagement is promised. This book is an excellent sequel and readers will eagerly await the final installment in the trilogy. Characters and plot continue to be strong and the mash-up of classic literature with modern paranormal fiction is still refreshing and appealing. This novel will provide crossover appeal to both older teens and adults. Reviewer: Karen Sykeny; Ages 15 to 18.
School Library Journal
04/01/2014
Gr 8 Up—Megan Shepherd's deliciously dark and exciting sequel to The Madman's Daughter (HarperCollins, 2013) continues with Juliet's return to London after her escape from her father's island. Life is somewhat easier for Juliet now that she is back—a former colleague of her father's has taken her under his wing so that she does not want for anything, she has a job developing grafted rose bushes, and her friend Lucy has welcomed her with open arms. But not all is well. The serum her father, the infamous Dr. Moreau, developed to keep her symptoms at bay is no longer working and she cannot seem to perfect a new and stronger dose; she misses Montgomery, her old friend and new lover; and one of her father's monsters, Edward Prince, now known as Dr. Jekyll, has also returned to London. To make it worse, a serial killer, dubbed the Wolf of Whitechapel, is murdering people who have wronged her, and a Scotland Yard inspector keeps questioning her about her father. Somehow, Juliet holds the key but can she survive long enough to save the ones she loves and unmask the conspirators who are behind the terror? Shepherd masterfully blends yet another classic horror story into a new setting, and the continuing echoes of H. G. Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau combined with Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde result in a book that resonates with evil and suspense. While the novel can be read independently of the first title, as enough of the backstory is given to make what is happening clear, readers will have a more satisfying experience if familiar with the previous installment. The psychological questions that Prince/Jekyll raises as to evil, desire, and nature vs. nurture add a depth of richness not often seen in young adult literature.—Janet Hilbun, University of North Texas
Kirkus Reviews
2013-10-02
Juliet Moreau struggles with monsters, morals and family tragedy in this moving, if melodramatic sequel (The Madman's Daughter, 2013). Not content to relax in the well-appointed home of her guardian, professor von Stein, or to shop and gossip with her friend, Lucy Radcliffe, 17-year-old Juliet sneaks away to the slums to experiment in anatomy, botany and chemistry. Her father is gone—killed by her own hand—but his medical misconduct and her former poverty are not forgotten. When her former persecutors fall victim to a serial killer, Juliet suspects that someone or something made it off the island. Juliet finds herself torn again between her love for the faithful (if secretive) Montgomery and the tortured Edward Prince, who shifts between boy and Beast. Amid a whirlwind of romance, fancy dresses and death, Juliet uncovers a vast conspiracy that stretches into the highest ranks of society and touches everyone she knows. Although heavy-handed, Shepherd's unsubtle allusions to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein draw readers' attention to the classics and may provoke discussions about medical ethics and split personalities. The experiments are more fiction than science, and Juliet contradicts her supposed delicacy by dispatching threats with chemistry and violence, but the fast pace of the story overpowers the minor imperfections. Secrets and mad scientists offer a gory gothic adventure. (Gothic thriller. 14 & up)

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Product Details

ISBN-13:
9780062128065
Publisher:
HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:
12/23/2014
Series:
Madman's Daughter Series, #2
Pages:
448
Sales rank:
157,358
Product dimensions:
5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 1.12(d)
Age Range:
14 - 17 Years

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