Erin Bowman

This is a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau, and it follows Juliet, daughter of an infamous doctor whose unethical experiments on animals caused quite a scandal when she was a child and left her and her mother with close to nothing when he ran. After crossing paths with Montgomery, an old servant to her family, Juliet learns that her father is alive and living on an island in the South Pacific. She leaves London with Montgomery to find him.

Two things stood out to me in this novel: the mood and the world. Between the storms and the atmosphere and the rich descriptions, the island Juliet travels to feels alive. And then the mood–dark deliciously creepy, brought to life by Shepherd’s smooth writing. Juliet’s father is up to no good, and as she peels back layer upon layer of mystery and lies, I found myself both glued to the pages and cringing at each new discovery. Juliet’s relationship with Montgomery and the islanders is equally tense and after that twist-packed ending, I am so very anxious for the sequel.

Originally posted here.

NOTE: This review is based on an ARC.