Skip to main content

Book Review: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

The Madness Underneath (Shades of London, #2)Title: The Madness Underneath
Author: Maureen Johnson
Series:  Shades of London
Pages:  290
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Date of Publication: 26th February, 2013
Source: Publisher for review*
Synopsis from Goodreads: When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe…

There's a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London.
Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose…

But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions.


My Thoughts:
(This is a review of a reread, because being the terribly inconsistent blogger that I am, I never actually reviewed this when I read it the first time round. Soz about that.)

So the Shades of London series has been in my favourites ever since I first read the first book, back when it came out. In preparation for reading The Shadow Cabinet, I decided to reread The Madness Underneath, and I am so glad I did. I'd forgotten almost everything that happened, including that bombshell of an ending, and now I am super stoked for book three.

Maureen Johnson has managed to create the perfect blend of contemporary and the paranormal. At the moment, fun contemporaries seem to be my genre of choice (just take a look at my 'Read' shelf on Goodreads), but I still love a good paranormal story sometimes so this book bridged that gap perfectly. I loved the boarding school life contemp bits just as much as I loved the ghost hunting paranormal aspects. There's a little bit of something to suit everyone, for sure!

I love Rory. The novel is so readable with her sarcastic and witty voice shining through. Maureen has captured the voice of the teenager absolutely perfectly. I could empathise with her worries about school, and her frustration with being kept out of the loop with the ghost stuff. I also really enjoyed reading about her thoughts and feelings post-attack: terror and unease, but also the empowerment that comes with surviving such an attack. I'd never really thought about it that way so that was really interesting and inspiring for me as a reader too. *fist pumps*

One thing I hadn't forgotten about the book was the one hundred mile an hour pace that keeps you on your toes throughout the novel, but without ever feeling that things are rushed. Events occur quickly and Maureen keeps the twists coming, making for a very exciting and thrilling adventure. Because of the pace it's difficult to put down and I could quite happily whizz through one hundred pages in an hour. It moved so fast there's no time for stopping!

The book ends on one almighty cliffhanger that makes me so glad that this time around I have The Shadow Cabinet right next to be, ready and waiting to be read. I cannot wait to find out what happens next and if the events at the end of this play out how they are supposed to (I doubt that very much!) and if they don't, where the story will take us next. The Shades of London books are an absolute must read for all YA fans because you are sorely missing out if they've passed you by. I cannot recommend them enough!


*Huge thanks to HarperCollins for sending me this in exchange for an honest review! In no way has this affected my opinion of the novel. 

Comments

  1. OOoh nice review! I haven't read this one yet because when it first released I had heard of its dreaded cliffhanger and I'm still suffering from cliffhangers and whose next books are NOT out yet! And it's been over 1 year for each of them! Tragic, for sure!

    Glad to hear that this one was enjoyable even a second time around! Can't wait to read these next two back to back as well! Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this book SO MUCH! I can't wait to read The Shadow Cabinet soon!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Haven't heard of that one yet, but you make it sound so nice. Maybe it's worth a look, I'll definitely add this one to my Goodreads.

    Cheers,
    Jen @ The Bookavid

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed as much as the first --so much so that I'm looking forward to the next volume--great pacing and action, the heroine is eminently likeable and the premise of the stories stands out in a sea of mediocre YA supernatural themed novels. Bravo!

    Jasmine
    Great data for Maid Service Warwick NY website

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for commenting! :D I love comments, so comment away! :D

*I am no longer accepting blog awards :( I do not have time to go through all the things that come with it, and though I'm honoured you thought of me, I'm sure you can find someone who will love it, and be able to carry out the rules :)

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW: A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood

Hello all! Hope you're all enjoying the summer! I'm currently on holiday in a huge castle in the South of France and enjoying relaxing, playing games, and of course reading a lot!  Today's post is a review of a dreamy summer romance that's perfect for your holiday TBRs! Title:  A Sky Painted Gold Author:  Laura Wood Series:   n/a Pages:   356 Publisher:  Scholastic Date of Publication:  5th July, 2018 Source:  Publisher for review* Synopsis from Goodreads: Growing up in her sleepy Cornish village dreaming of being a writer, sixteen-year-old Lou has always wondered about the grand Cardew house which has stood empty for years. And when the owners arrive for the summer - a handsome, dashing brother and sister - Lou is quite swept off her feet and into a world of moonlit cocktail parties and glamour beyond her wildest dreams. But, as she grows closer to the Cardews, is she abandoning her own ambitions... And is there something darker lurking at the

Book Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Title: Where She Went Author: Gayle Forman Series: If I Stay #2 Pages: 260 Publisher: Random House Date of UK Publication: April 28th 2011 Source: Borrowed from friend Synopsis from Goodreads: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future and each other. Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance. My Thoughts: Where She Went continues the story from If I

REVIEW: Floored by Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson, and Eleanor Wood

Good morning! Hope you're having a good week! Today I have a review for one of the biggest titles at YALC this year. Title:  Floored Author:  Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson, and Eleanor Wood Series:  n/a Pages:   320 Publisher:  Macmillan Date of Publication:  12th July, 2018 Synopsis from Goodreads: When they got in the lift, they were strangers (though didn't that guy used to be on TV?): Sasha, who is desperately trying to deliver a parcel; Hugo, who knows he's the best-looking guy in the lift and is eyeing up Velvet, who knows what that look means when you hear her name and it doesn't match the way she looks, or the way she talks; Dawson, who was on TV, but isn't as good-looking as he was a few years ago and is desperately hoping no one recognizes him; Kaitlyn, who's losing her sight but won't admit it, and who used to have a poster of Dawson on her bedroom wall, and Joe, who shoul