Her Dark Curiosity
This was exactly what I wanted in a sequel, and more. I must be honest with you. I typically do not enjoy historical fiction, or even retellings of classic stories, but Megan Shepherd is continuing to challenge my preferences. I loved her subtle way of weaving the Jekyll and Hyde canon into her own strong story. Subtlety is something I really appreciate in YA fiction, and I know readers appreciate it, too.
Juliet is such a strong character, in that she is so much *herself* throughout everything that happens to her. She fights her true nature, yet is drawn to it, which is something all of us can relate to. The way she keeps the bloody flower from the crime scene, is intrigued by death and experimentation, compares herself to Edward, and the mystery of her illness are all so fascinating. And yet, her true self is so much darker than mine could ever be - I can't wait to discover what the truth about her really is.
I really enjoyed that we got to experience Juliet's friendship with Lucy. I appreciated that Juliet came clean with her best friend - and then benefited from it. Their working together against their fathers is a really strong plot mover, and I'm looking forward to seeing where that heads in the next book. There weren't a lot of characters in this story, and having Lucy was a definite bonus. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Juliet manages the conflicting love interests in her life. I definitely favor one of them, and the other just seems incongruous to me. Like something she should have gotten over by now. She keeps going back to both of them, and clearly has feelings for both, and they both have secrets, too! How will she know who to trust?
The only thing I really wanted more of in HER DARK CURIOSITY was suspense and thrilling moments like Juliet's wild escapes through the jungle of her father's island. I loved those introspective yet action-packed scenes from MADMAN'S DAUGHTER. I suspect there will be much more of that in the next book!
Ultimately this was a great follow-up to Megan Shepherd's debut novel. She is a new master of YA fiction and I look forward to the next installment in the series!
