The Madman's Daughter Review

Title: The Madman's Daughter
Author: Megan Shepherd
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Blurb: 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.
Me: Oh my god. I have literally just finished this novel and am sitting here, in shock, by the ending. (READ IT, you'll understand!) First of all, why is this not a national bestseller? Hellloooo? I am pierced by the plot, the story.

The Ups: Maybe I was just blank-minded the particular day I read this (Texas heat gets to your head), but I did not see any of the twists coming. At. All. Which is very strange, because I usually predict fairly well what's going to happen in horror/thriller novels. But I had moments where I basically was like...

and then read the passage over like 40 times. Heart-thumping, nerve-chilling book I tell you. 

I really loved Juliet as the main character, the protagonist. She had a mad curiosity for what her father was doing, and a crazy pride in her heart when she finally found out. She had these moments when her father showed through her, when that was exactly what she was trying to fight. The way she kept holding on to the hope that her father was alright, that the accusations were false, I think that really showed her naive side. In general, she was courageous and kind enough to be admired, but flawed and dumb enough to feel like she was real. 

Her father. May we just discuss. The doctor was absolutely terrifying, the kind of calm terrifying, the one that kind of chills you to the bone. I hate him so much. Like hatred. How could someone be so soaked in their own madness? And here I go, getting too absorbed in the book again. 

The ending. Every single part that happened from page 304 and after was so enthralling, an absolute masterpiece of gorgeously woven writing. Seriously, every page turned brought on a new idea, introduced a new clue, made me shiver with every sentence. 

The Downs: I wish it was a little bit faster paced in the beginning. I actually was reading another book with it and I felt myself not reaching for this as much. I had to force myself to read it until about halfway of the book, at which then it was a whole roller coaster ride. But until then, it was pretty slow and borrrinnggg.

I'll admit it. I'm a huge wimp. And this is not a book for wimps. Now just saying, there's a lot more worse books out there but some parts of this were so gruesome they kind of made me want to stop reading and take a second to puke. Creepy factor 100. Gross factor 1000. Just saying. 

Overall: Fabulous for fantasy thriller lovers! A very new concept, I have never picked up anything similar to this. Her Dark Curiosity, the next book, is on hold!

Rating: 5 out of 5!!!!

Monday Madness! Yet again:)

Welcome to another Monday y'all! (Look at me being all Texan) It's getting to that point in summer when *gasp* you want to go back to school...so to soothe my wishes I've been reading!!

What I am currently reading: 

FINALLY. Gosh, I think I said I wanted to read this in March but of course 4 MONTHS later is when I get to read it. A new take on the classic The Island of Doctor Moreau, it's about Juliet, the daughter of a supposed madman. After getting fired from her work as a maid, she finds her childhood friend Montgomery and finds out her father, whom she thought dead, is alive. Why hasn't he contacted her? And what is the infamous surgeon doing with the animals he's bringing?   It's definitely a thriller, keeps you going, keeps you wanting more. I am about at the halfway mark. It's a really refreshing difference from all the science fiction/fantasy going on right now. Read with me? 

Teaser: "Father's eyes glowed like embers. Like a storm, the tension in the air returned, crackling like lightning. 'Well, Mr. Prince, I'm afraid you're wrong. you'd be nothing but trouble, you see.' And he jabbed the parasol at Edward's chest."

What I just finished reading: 

The #1 bestseller everyone's been talking about but it's an adult novel so I don't think I really can review this from my perspective. (That's to say I was pretty confused throughout the entirety of the book) But a very thrilling, chilling, haunting read that you should check out, if you can deal with adult stuff and not get completely puzzled. (or creeped out)

2 sisters on a reality TV show that they stepped into thinking they were gonna have some sweet revenge on the older sister's ex. Turns out it's a romantic show, and the two are in for some serious drama. Eh. Not really worth the time or the effort it took me to plow through this book. At first, it was really interesting with a new concept and whatnot but towards the end it just goes on and on and the story gets really old and boring. I didn't even bother to do a review of this thing. Should I? 

Malley, a 14 year old girl who decides to run off with a guy she met online, but isn't coming back. Richard, her cousin who is determined to find what's wrong. Skink, a 70 year old man with one eye who eats roadkill for dinner. What have they gotten themselves into? A debut teen novel for Carl Hiaasen, which I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with from childhood books like Hoot. (Logan Lerman? Owls? Ring a bell?) A really good read, especially if you're not into the intense, older teen kind of books. This is more younger teen, but still has a thriller mystery feel to it that I really like. 

Would you like reviews of these? Comment and tell please!

What I look forward to reading: 

Kami Garcia is the coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures series and needless to say, I ADORE THEM. This is a whole new concept, so don't worry about having to read it or whatever. I looked at this and at Icons, the new series by Margaret Stohl, but this just looks lots better. 

teaser: "I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me."

Read with me!!! 

Love, Kate 

Six Feet Over It Review

Title: Six Feet Over It
Author: Jennifer Longo
Publisher: Random House
Publishing Date: August 26th, 2014
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Blurb: Leigh sells graves for her family-owned cemetery because her father is too lazy to look farther than the dinner table when searching for employees. Working the literal graveyard shift, she meets two kinds of customers:
 
Pre-Need: They know what’s up. They bought their graves a long time ago, before they needed them.
 
At Need: They are in shock, mourning a loved one’s unexpected death. Leigh avoids sponging their agony by focusing on things like guessing the headstone choice (mostly granite).
 
Sarcastic and smart, Leigh should be able to stand up to her family and quit. But her world’s been turned upside down by the sudden loss of her best friend and the appearance of Dario, the slightly-too-old-for-her grave digger. Surrounded by death, can Leigh move on, if moving on means it’s time to get a life?

Me: This book comes out in August, so make sure you read it then! I've actually read this book about 3 times now, and I've had it for like 2 months. Basically, if I've managed to fit this in between all my other books, IT'S GOOD.

The Ups: Okay. So this is about a girl who has to work at her family's graveyard. I don't think there is a better hook than that. The main character also happens to be antisocial, serious, sarcastic, intelligent Leigh. It's a really intriguing story about Leigh, who needs her own help and time to grieve but instead pushes the need down with the excuse of having to help people who have already cracked. Love characters with flaws. 

No matter how wonderful the character, it's a boring story if she's just going to struggle and go nowhere. Jennifer Longo mixes in dark, sarcastic humor that had me laughing out loud a lot, and the supporting characters were all so bright and vibrant. I think that that was part of the struggle with Leigh. Here she was, demeaning herself and attempting to find something to do without having to socialize, when all these happy, caring people surround her and want her to open up to them. 

It's rather pathetic. And hilarious. And painful. But lovable to the max. 

The Downs: Not your most believable story in the world. What are the chances of almost dying at birth, your sister having cancer, and your best friend just happening to die by being crushed by a tree? Not very likely. But still, that is kind of the idea of a story. Unlikely things happening. But I feel like at some points in this book I kind of had eye rolling moments where I was kind of like, 'Reallyy.....' 

Overall: Very good. Just not a story that's gonna happen in your neighborhood. But that's okay. Great for realistic fiction lovers who love a humorous, touching story.

Rating: 4 kisses! 

Dangerous Creatures Review

Title: Dangerous Creatures
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little Brown
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy

Blurb: A new series returns to the world of Beautiful Creatures. Some loves are cursed...others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of Beautiful Creatures, are back and casting another magical spell. Their signature mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance, along with a dash of fun and danger, will pull fans in and leave them begging for more.

Me: Well, needless to say i had a Queen moment when I heard about this book. "Is this the real life....is this just fantasy?" WHAT? Another series in the freaking amazing Caster world? YESSSS!!! 

The Ups: It didn't disappoint. At ALL. These two authors just never cease to amaze me. It's not often that I enjoy a book written by two authors because I feel like the different styles become a weird jumbled unidentified mush.

But NOPE. Not these two. The Beautiful Creatures series was really enthralling, and I loved the world that went with it. The general idea though, was a little chaotic and so was the writing. One of those books you finish and go, "Wait, what just happened?" 

But this book is purely delicious. I personally love Ridley Duchannes, even in the other books. I love her struggle to find her sense of secureness, sense of identity, and puts on a hard-to-read cover, but under it is still trying to find a way to express herself.

I also am fully infatuated with Link and Ridley's romance...even though I was rooting for Nox a little...and it's really cute to see them break out of their safe zone and risking it for each other.

I think the two authors did a really good job picking out the meat in every character, really identifying each of them and helping them find their voices.

My favorite character. LENNOX GATES. You know if there is a super hot guy, with a super depressing past, who will open himself up for a girl who wont love him....IM IN LOVEEE. The way he was always torn between his heart and his destiny, how he couldn't say his feelings but felt them immensely...Beauty. Good job Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl!

The sirens was also a very interesting concept-one of my favorite aspects of the book. And how Ridley was bare without the name "siren". 

THE ENDING. BAWL. BAWL. NOT SPOILING BUT I NEED MORE... 

The Downs: Well what kind of sucks is that I think you should read the Beautiful Creatures series first. You wouldn't be able to understand most of the concepts, the creatures, the powers, or anything without reading the other ones. The other books are wonderful, though, and although they do take a little time (4 500 page books), you'll thoroughly enjoy them. 

Well, I don't blame the authors though. This book was truly written for the former fans, and I dont think they could have done a better job.

Rating: 5 kisses. Definitely.