This review contains some spoilers, the major ones are hidden, but if you haven’t read this book please read this review with caution, I just honestly couldn’t write this review with out them.
My Review:
This is a tough one to review but I am going to do my best, I had a few issues but overall I enjoyed it. I have to tell you first that this review will contain spoilers but I am going to hide the major ones so please read with caution.
I have never read the Island of Dr. Moreau (or Monroe like I kept calling it) however I have cliff noted the book a few times so I know the general story and the characters that are involved. So when I started this book I had an idea of what was going to happen or at least how the story may play out. The story, I loved it, I think it is a great retelling of the original story keeping with the theme and having the outcome pretty much stay the same the only difference, sort of, is that Juliet isn’t in the original. The story starts in London and then goes to the island, I enjoyed the world build and the idea of this mysterious island and the secrets that it kept. I didn’t have a problem with the island, I liked the island, I had a problem with the main character Juliet.
Oh Juliet where do I start, why so narrow minded? Why was it that the differences in the villagers were such a problem? I know that your father made crazy things but the Dog Bear guy was a sweet heart and it wasn’t his fault he was a Dog Bear guy that was your father’s fault. I just felt like she was SO judgmental on all the “creations” on the island and even after getting to know a few she was still so heartless to them. I did like her but I didn’t, it didn’t stop me from reading the book and it wont stop me from reading the next one but GOOD GRAVY she was annoying. Some of the things going on were so obvious to me and yet it didn’t seem to click with her. My biggest problem with her was her lack of sympathy for animals to her they were just object or things that didn’t have feelings so what her father was doing was creating monsters. However it wasn’t the poor animals fault yet she looks down on them like she was better and higher than them. Maybe in a way she was but she just came off as very stuck up. I have such mixed feeling about her, its mind boggling how I can tell you all the reasons she frustrated me but yet I liked her, like seriously I liked her.
Montgomery was my favorite of the two guys, he had a mystery about him but you can tell he really cared for the animal creature beings and loved Juliet. He was torn between pleasing her father and being in love with her but because she was a higher class than him and extremely frustrating, her father hated the match he preferred her with Edward. I however did not, something about him from the moment we meet on the boat..not me and him of course but I felt he was a bit off. Something just irked me about him and how he was. He was very quiet and as much as he seemed to like Juliet I wasn’t a fan of him and her. He was ok as a character and gave the triangle that two good guys angle that always makes it hard to pick who you want her with but I couldn’t see that working in my mind. The book has a major triangle that really has me one sided the entire time.
View Spoiler »Her father was an idiot (I see were she gets if from) He wanted to play god by creating this creatures, the ones that seems more intelligent he sent to the village on the island the other that came out “wrong” stayed with him as he cared for them or Montgomery really cared for them and treated them like family.
When all hell breaks lose on the island and things start to fall apart. Juliet has some major choices to make and finds out some pretty messed up stuff. I’m not going to say what it was even in a spoiler, if you read the book you know what I mean. I felt bad for her but it was all coming down around them and she was still a JERK about the Creature people being monsters, yet she knew Balthazar the sweetest creature dog bear guy. She was determined to let him die on the island only because he wasn’t human but he could pass for one.
View Spoiler »So regardless of the major issues I had with Juliet I really enjoyed this story. 4 stars was pretty much my rating the entire time I was reading. It’s a great retelling of the original story and has a great number of Twists and turns that will leave you guess and an end that will make you want to know what happens next. Cliffhanger? Why yes it was, well sort of, I think. If you get a chance to read this book come back and comment so we can chat about it or hit me up on twitter I just need to know if I was the only one that felt the same way as what I wrote in the second spoiler 😉
Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my review
Hope you have a great day and Happy Reading!
I skimmed but IDK if this is for me or not. I read an arc of “Caged” by the same author & that book blew my mind. I have serious book love with that book. I know she can pen a helluva tale but this one just isn’t catching my interest. maybe ill try it. maybe I’m being too picky. i wasn’t a huge fan of the movie “the island of dr moreau” but it was ok. who knows? i may end up loving it.
thanks for the review <3
I have an arc of Caged and I have been eager to read it. I am glad you liked it makes me more excited to read it.
I wasn’t sure I would really enjoy this book but I was up and down the entire read but it really was a lot better than I thought 🙂
I only checked that you gave this one four stars, Michelle. It’s on my TBR, and I’m happy you enjoyed it – but you know I avoid spoilers like the plague! I’ll come back to your review once I’ve actually read the story of the Madman’s Daughter myself 😉
I hope you’re having a great week, and that your books are amazing.
LOL I understand, I just could not write this review without them and also why I labeled it all over that it has spoilers because I hate reading a review and noticing spoilers and it was noted that it had any. I recommend reading it, It’s good but frustrating.
I totally felt the same way while reading it, issues and all. I wish there were more gothic type books in young adult, it’s one of my favorite kind of reads. There is just something so addicting about a moody read…and oddly enough not very many have likeable main characters, which I didn’t notice until now.
Glad I am not the only one 🙂 She was just so frustrating.
I would love more gothic type book like that. Have you read The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein? They are Gothic YA and VERY good. I strongly reccommend.
I understand the difficulty of enjoying a book but not being so thrilled about the main character. Don’t be so narrow minded Juliet, sheesh. Definitely not my cuppa tea, but I enjoyed you review. I always have fun reading what you write. 😀
Thank you Sarah! I have read a lot of mixed reviews on this book and it doesn’t seem to be many peoples cup of tea. She was a very frustrating narrow minded person and I found myself putting the book down to talk to myself about how annoying she was lol.
Ya know I’ve never read the original OR the cliff notes. I honestly have no idea what happens in that story…. But I do know that I would have problems with Juliet. The thing about how she treats animals is one of my biggest pet peeves, not to mention all the other stuff about her. But knowing that somehow you still liked her…. I’m curious. I don’t think this is my kind of book, but I may try it out of purr curiosity now. Great review!
It might have been how she was raised or the time period when this took place, I don’t think animals were looked at as family like they are now. It bothered me how she had no regard for life other than human. I did like to hate her really. She was so frustrating but I felt bad for her because I don’t think her life was what she thought it was and was not taught the proper way.