This was an interesting take on The Island of Dr. Moreau that read much more like a YA novel full of angst and longing than what I was hoping for.

I enjoyed reading this historical story. This is my second book by this author that I have read. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first one if not more. This is a well written story that took me on a journey of secrets and a start of a chain reaction that is dangerous. I enjoyed how the characters were creative and unique and made the story for me. I enjoyed how they pulled me into the story from the start. The author used details that gave the story a realistic feel. I had no problem picturing myself in the story. There is great growth of the plot which made the story easy and entertaining to read. This is a fast paced story that is not only engaging but hard to put down. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I dropped this at 20% and could not get into it.

I love Moreno-Garcia's other books but really couldn't get into this one. I don't really like stories that kind of flounder around without a specific end goal or plot in mind so this wouldn't have worked for me anyway. It's definitely got a more classical writing feel to it which was fine, but it felt like it didn't have a ton of substance under the words. I might try picking up this book again later.

very atmospheric, and the characters are very interesting. I love gothic books so I was very excited to read this. I naturally already love Silvia's writing, but I was hoping for more in this retelling. I am fine with a slow build but it felt like it was very going to get there. In the end it was beatiful, but there wasn't enough substance in plot for me.

3.5 stars

Carlota Moreau is the daughter of the infamous Doctor Moreau, who resides on a secluded island estate located deep within the Yucatán peninsula. Scientific experiments, the hybrids, and even the complicated Montgomery Laughton are all merely part of life in the peaceful Yaxaktun residence. But this is not the story of Doctor Moreau, this is about Carlota and how her tranquil, static world gets disrupted by the arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the reckless son of her father's patron who is quick to flatter and sets them all down a path that changes Yaxaktun and Carlotta forever.

I do want to preface this review by saying I came into this book knowing nothing about The Island of Doctor Moreau save he was a "villain", but I found myself quickly engaged with the gripping reimagining that Moreno-Garcia created. That being said, part three is where the plot went arigh for me, certain decisions made by characters, specifically Carlota, felt unfleshed out and inconsistent. The climax felt rushed and the resolution perhaps too neatly tied for me, but I did find the book to be one I'm glad to have read.

Science fiction meets historical fiction in this stunner of a novel. Moreno-Garcia's storytelling is like no other, and her most recent work is no exception.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a historical fiction retelling of the classic sci-do novel set in Mexico. The two narrators of the story is Carlotta and Montgomery. I found the writing to be very lush and lyrical. However, I could not really get invested in the characters. They did not seem to have enough character development. The romance was thin and very creepy. I found the story to be very slow-moving. Still, it had a very interesting twist at the end. Overall, this was a very faithful and fascinating take on the classic novel. This story will appeal up fans of horror as well as historical fiction. I recommend this for fans of The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, The Death of Jane Lawrence, and The Diabolical Miss Hyde!

This retelling/expansion of a classic H.G. Wells novel stars Carlota Moreau, daughter of the genius (or perhaps madman) Dr. Moreau, in 1870s Yucatán, Mexico. When the charming son of Dr. Moreau’s patron arrives, the careful balance of his scientific creations is thrown into chaos.

I haven't read The Island of Doctor Moreau so I was missing some context, but I don't think it's necessary to read it to enjoy this book. It's super atmospheric and dark and transporting. I think it lagged a bit in the middle, but I'm glad I stuck around, because wow that ending!

I wanted to love this novel, but strangely felt apathetic to it all by the end. The characters were well developed and the plot was great. It took me back to the original Island of Dr. Moreau book and movie I enjoyed growing up.
There just seemed to be a little something missing that didn't bring me joy.
It was a solid read, full of details, just fell a little flat.

I have tried to read this book twice now and it is just not grabbing my attention. The premise is fantastic and I was really hoping that it would be a great fall read. I am having a hard time connecting to the characters and the plot is very slow. Not for me, unfortunately.

I'll be the first to admit, I should have read a few reviews, and maybe the blurb again before picking up this book. It was only after I was finished, that I realized this author also write Mexican Gothic, which I did not totally enjoy, and that's on me.

What the blurb isn't telling you, is that this is a coming of age romance. The story is centered around Doctor Moreau's daughter, and her becoming a woman, and discovering the true nature of men in her life, and in general.

It took me a month to read it because at no point was any part of the plot drawing me forward. It was interesting to see this take on Doctor Moreau, and the author paints a beautiful world, with ties to real life troubles of the area in historical lights, but the plot did not have any hook.

The last 25% of the book is where the 'action' happens, but is more of reactions, which falls flat. There are great bones to this story, it just wasn't the adventure I had hoped for.

If you are looking for a coming of age story, with twists this is a book that you'll love. Especially if you are interest in historical fiction based in Mexico books.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book.

This was such a lovely read! The way the story feels both naively optimistic and eerily sinister at the same time is just *chefs kiss.*

This is the third Silvia Moreno-Garcia book I've read, and I love the way she writes her protagonists and settings. Each book has been a slightly different genre (horror, fantasy, and sci-fi), but they all feel so real and atmospheric.

Overall, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is what I've come to expect from Moreno-Garvcia, atmospheric, and rich with descriptions of the particular place and time we find ourselves. The Yucatan is painted in all it's vibrant colors and tastes and smells in way that really put me in the middle of the story.

I also found the perspective shifts very interesting. The chapters overlapped slightly so we could see pivotal interaction for both perspectives as well as being in on what was going on off page.

I found the characters to be an interesting mix of sympathetic and flawed which gave the story a more realistic depth. I didn't connect as much with the romantic subplot as much as I didn't in previous books but I did enjoy both characters individually.

This hasn't replaced Gods of Jade and Shadow as my favourite Moreno-Garcia book but it was a fun read with quite a bit of atmosphere and depth.

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

A more romantic retelling of the original version of the Island of Doctor Moreau. There is also more emotions given to the hybrids and their predicament. The outcomes of the decisions made on Moreau's compound still turn out in such a way to give a clear connection to the original text. The historical Mexican context is also very well researched and used effectively in this novel.

I really enjoyed this! Carlota Moreau is an engaging, realistic protagonist, and I enjoyed following her adventures. The worldbuilding was fresh and exciting, and I loved the plot!

I have mixed feelings about this one.

I really wanted to love it—I’ve enjoyed the author’s other novels, but this one just didn’t grab me until I was about halfway through. The plot was slow, maybe less exciting than I was expecting, but the writing was solid and the characters were interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of the book! Opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: I haven't read the source material The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells.

There was a lot about this book that I liked, and I stayed up late finishing this book, but I just didn't love it.

Carlota Moreau is the daughter of Doctor Moreau, and with their mayordomo Montgomery Laughton, housekeeper Ramona, and hybrids, they've created a family on the Yucatan Peninsula in the 1870s, isolated from the rest of Mexico. It's at least a family for everyone except Doctor Moreau--he continues to see the hybrids as the result of his scientific work, funded by the Hernando Lizalde. However, their orderly life takes a turn when Hernando's son Eduardo arrives on their property. He and Carlota fall in love with each other, and he is shocked by his discovery of the hybrids.

There's a lot to consider and mull over with this book, from Carlota's agency as a young woman in 19th century Mexico, the treatment of the native Mayan workers, and the role of the hybrids--are they to be seen as workers, family, scientific achievements, or investments? Unfortunately, the story's twist, was not unexpected, but it was interesting in how it further increased Carlota's agency and autonomy. While I didn't love this book, I'm definitely looking forward to Silvia Moreno-Garcia's next one!

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU was one of those books that is going to stay with me a long time. The more time that passes from when I finished this one just impresses upon me how brilliant of a writer that Silvia Moreno-Garcia truly is. Her books have a way of grabbing me and thrilling me in ways I do not expect. As with Moreno-Garcia's previous books, the world-building was masterful, capturing all of the lushness of the Yucatan peninsula and the nuances of nineteenth century Mexico and bringing it to life in all its captivation. I loved the Frankenstein-esque storyline but let me be clear: THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is a refreshingly original tale. The science fiction angle of this one I wasn't expecting due to the author's previous works being horror, but I was 100% here for it. I adored Carolita's character arc throughout the book as she grapples with her identity as the daughter of Dr. Moreau and her place in the world as a young woman, and I was so gratified to see her come into her own through all the major twists of the books come into play. THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is a story about science, creation, colonialism, gender and race that will surprise and delight you as much as it did for me, and I continue to adore Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work!

This was a historical fiction horror book? Honestly I am not sure. But it was very good in parts but the whole of the book just did not work for me. I do love that it’s a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was a decent enough read, but it was an extremely slow read at times. The story was also predictable and just couldn't keep my interest long enough. I usually read books extremely fast, but this one took me a few weeks.

Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!