Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

It was another fantastic reading weekend at my house. I dove into a Beauty and the Beast retelling, a witchy Swedish read, and Her Dark Curiosity, Megan Shepherd's follow up to last year's debut, The Madman's Daughter. If you've not read that, I suggest you do - there may be spoilers ahead. And if you aren't familiar with it, it is a teen version of The Island of Doctor Moreau, told from the viewpoint of his teenage daughter. You can read my review here.

After escaping the island Juliet Moreau returns to London where she finds herself at the mercy of one of her father's past friends. Professor Von Stein not only helped Juliet to clear her name after being arrested on charges of attacking Hastings, but has also taken her in as his ward. Her new position means Juliet now has the resources she needs to pursue a cure to her own malady but also means she must be careful to maintain a respectable outward appearance. And then Juliet hears of a murder in the city, one that bears a marked resemblance to Edward's victims on the island. But Edward is surely dead and the rest of her father's creatures were left far behind on the island she only narrowly escaped herself. Who then is the murderer they're now calling the Wolf of Whitechapel and why do his victim's have an unsavory connection to Juliet Moreau?

This sequel to The Madman's Daughter is equally as fun and dark as its predecessor. Shepherd once again has done a great job weaving in another classic tale alongside her already created play on the H.G. Wells classic with Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, something that was set up in The Madman's Daughter. And of course Shepherd has set up another tie in for her third installment with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I love, love, love how Shepherd has done this and assure you, readers, that the inclusion of these tales works perfectly with Shepherd's story.

One of the things I'm loving about Shepherd's style is her ability to not only convincingly tie in these other tales, but to maintain the overall tone and feel of the setting established by the classic. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to the third installment. I could tell early on that Frankenstein was the direction it would take based on the hints that were laid out throughout Her Dark Curiosity.

And the story in Her Dark Curiosity is wonderful! Let me just say I adore all of Shepherd's leading ladies. These are tough chicks! Juliet goes into some dark places here in this second book but Lucy gets to prove herself as Juliet's best friend and yet another modern girl unafraid to do what's necessary to save the ones she loves. And Elizabeth, well she proves to be a formidable female influence for Juliet as well.

Shepherd is a force to be reckoned with, readers, and this series is as perfect for adults as it is for teens.

Rating: 4.5/5