Her Dark Curiosity

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