I have never read the original story of Dr Moreau, but I knew the general plot before reading this retelling. This novel takes place on the Yucatan in the 1870's. Dr Moreau is working in a secluded lab with his young daughter, trying to create a new breed of worker. Carlota is naive, having never left her father's home, but is in love with the nature around her. I think that the best part of this book was Carlota's vivid imagery of the jungle, and how well the story fit into the historical context. The author did a good job of describing life at the time. I was underwhelmed by the story itself. Sometimes there wasn't enough detail given for me to really understand what was happening, and it felt like the ending was a bit rushed. Overall, it was worth a read, but I prefer some of her other works better.

Set in the backdrop of 1870, Yaxaktun, Mexico this is a retelling of the Island of Doctor Moreau from the lenses of his daughter Carlotta and Montgomery, an Englishman debt ridden and a new employee of Moreau’s. It intertwined the Island of Doctor Moreau’s of man playing god and the colonization of Mexico during the Maya revolution. This in turn highlights the narrative concerning the hybrids, making the reader question autonomy and colonization.

I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia so much; I rarely get to read fiction that intertwines Mexican history (though obviously in part because I don’t know* where to seek them out, but otherwise she has brought forth this need in me and has, through her popularity, made this accessible)

Carlotta was such an interesting perspective. We see her from a young age and through a time jump, she has cast aside her ‘childish’ curiosity and turned herself into the lady of the house, the woman her father expects her to be. Throughout the novel, though we see that curiosity turn into necessary revelations about what her father is doing with his ‘experiments’ to unravel his secrets.

Never having read The Island of Doctor Moreau, I went into this book with not a clue what it would be about (blurb aside, of course). All I knew was that it was a Silvia Moreno Garcia book so, obviously, I had to read it.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is full of Silvia Moreno Garcia at her best, with all those typicalities of her previous books: slick writing and a gorgeously lush world built around compelling characters. It didn’t matter one bit that I’d never read the original book (and, undoubtedly, if I went back and read it now, I’d find myself disappointed because H. G. Wells is not Moreno Garcia). Although I’m also sure that knowing an original or having read it does change how you view an adaptation or retelling of it.

Let me start with the worldbuilding for this one. As ever, Moreno Garcia’s words conjure up the setting with such vividness that you feel as though you’re there alongside the characters, walking through the trees and seeing Doctor Moreau’s home in all its glory. In terms of historical(ish) fiction writers, I’m not sure there’s anyone I know that can write with the same skill as Moreno Garcia in creating the world around you.

The characters are equally vivid. Montgomery and Carlota are both characters that you find yourself rooting for from the start. Each is complex and realistic, and each (almost) feels like they could be a person you meet on the street (but for being, you know, part of Doctor Moreau’s “island”). They also have a very good dynamic between them and that was one of my favourite parts of the book. Equally, despite that, it’s a dynamic that came with a caveat.

This is probably the only vaguely negative thing I have to say about this book at all, about Moreno Garcia’s works at all. It’s that there is, more often than not, a large age gap between the putative romantic relationship in the book. I say putative, because they’re not always relationships that come into fruition. In fact, I would say most of the time they don’t (possibly only Nina and Hector’s is one that does, that I can recall), but it’s enough to make me just a tiny bit uncomfortable. In this case, there was the additional part of Montgomery having known Carlota since she was 14.

But, as I said, that’s really the only part of the book I wasn’t wholly on board with. The rest of it was classic Silvia Moreno Garcia and, if you haven’t tried one of her books yet, I can only beg that you consider doing so.

3.5-4 stars

This book was so different from what I usually read, but the idea behind it was really intriguing.

This historical drama takes place in nineteenth-century Mexico, where Dr. Moreau conducts his scientific experiments creating hybrids. His daughter, Carlota, has grown up observing these controversial creations and as a young woman has developed both a professional and compassionate relationship with the part human, part animal beings. But everything changes when Eduardo Lizalde, the son of Dr. Moreau’s investor, shows up abruptly and threatens to destroy all of the doctor’s hard work . Carlota, too, begins to question the nature of her father’s intentions and, in turn, her own role in his scientific journey.

I thought this was a really unique and creative story, and I enjoyed watching Carlota’s character grow from beginning to end. At times I had mixed feelings about some of the characters but they all had pivotal roles, regardless of whether I liked the designs they made. Overall, I’d recommend this book, especially for those who enjoy a bit of science fiction.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Another winner from Silvia. Dark, suspenseful, fraught with tension, atmospheric - all the things that keep me up late turning the pages. So so good!

DNF @20%

I am afraid that this author was a one-off for me - I read and loved "Gods of Jade and Shadow" and was excited to read more from this author. Unfortunately, everything that I have read since I have completely disliked and this book is right up there with those. I was excited to read this book and that excitement was pretty much dashed in the first chapter. As much as it disappoints me, I will not be finishing this book and I will not be requesting anymore books by this author [unless she chooses to write a sequel for GoJaS, which would be glorious].

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Del Rey for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is incredibly talented and writes in basically every genre. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a historical fiction novel with sci-fi elements. It retells The Island of Doctor Moreau, but set in Mexico and centering on Moreau's bi-racial daughter. The novel is definitely a slow burn, and the first part of the book could drag at times, but it's also carefully building the world, the characters, and the real history of the Yucatan Peninsula in the late 1880's. So by the time the action picked up, I was fully invested in all of it.

Moreno-Garcia writes messy, complicated characters who feel very human (in this case that includes Moreau's human-animal hybrids who you come to love). What's incisive about this retelling is that it questions what we consider to be monstrous while also pushing back on the racism, colorism, and colonial forced labor (basically enslavement) of indigenous people that were happening in Mexico during that time. Not to mention the common treatment of non-white people as less human and more animalistic. All of that is highlighted here in stark ways. And of course, because this is a Moreno-Garcia novel, woven throughout are the problems of misogyny and the infantilization of pretty young women.

I think you should go into this not knowing too much, but I loved it. Despite the slow pacing toward the beginning, this sucked me in and made me care so much about Carlota and her found family. AndI love the ending. I love that this author doesn't go for the easy, obvious, or expected ending. Rather it's the one that feels authentic to the characters and the story. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Content warnings include medical experimentation, physical abuse, violence, loss of a loved one, verbal abuse, racism, gaslighting, misogyny, grooming.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a creative re-imaging of the novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. In this tale, the disgraced doctor is living and working in Yaxaktum, Mexico amid the “The Caste War of Yucatan” in 1871. In Moreno-Garcia’s tale, we meet the Doctor’s beautiful daughter, Carlota, and her beloved companions and hybrids, Lupe and Chachito. Moreno-Garcia has even brought to life a rather different Montgomery, as flawed as the original, but a more redeemable character.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau has a wonderful cast of characters, and the story does start out slowly, however, within the first half, it begins to pick up. I was thoroughly impressed with how the author used a real conflict to shape her tale. I did get caught up in Carlota’s conflict and confusion, and she was a very sympathetic character. There is, of course, a plot twist, which giving the nature of this tale, was a bit predictable, however, it certainly played well within the conclusion.
Definitely a fun summer read.

A little Island of Doctor Moreau (book), a little Island of Doctor Moreau (movie), an original location, interesting POVs, and historical conflict makes this less of an update or remix and more a unique work inspired by a classic. It is lush, with a slow, steady pace that builds to a satisfying climax.

Lush setting that I really loved - so vivid, you could almost feel the heat. Secrets and mysteries were slowly revealed over the course of the book. The beginning did feel a bit slow paced, compared to the last 25% of the book. As with Mexican Gothic, it felt like the beginning dragged until the end, where suddenly all the action happens and then it ends. I wanted more out of the ending, namely to see Carlota's new life and to see how she decides to move forward. I didn't feel like there was a lot of character growth throughout the book. She starts off naive, and then even though she gains this knowledge and understanding of what her father did, we don't get to see her make actionable choices - it's left so open ended, that I am slightly left hanging.

I'd rate this 3.75/5 stars.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has done it again. I love that she’s able to tackle any genre and just knock it out of the park.

Here she takes on what I’d label “gothic sci-fi” in this reimagining of HG Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau. Here, Dr. Moreau works on the Yucatan peninsula and has a daughter named Carlota. Montgomery is still around as the trusty but troubled majordomo, and the hybrids - Moreau’s half-human, half-animal creations - evoke more pity than horror.

I loved how SMG twisted this tale into one of the perils of colonialism and playing god, something the original tale barely scratches the surface of. Setting this partly in Carlota’s POV also turns this into a tale of a woman discovering her own power, which I always love to see!!

My only quibble is that the writing is slightly detached, I think to mimic Wells and other gothic tales of yore. It took me a minute to get into the minds of these characters, but it did happen. Just stick with it, I promise. Part 3 in particular is nonstop…I’m still reeling from how the events played out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read the original that inspired this book, so I went in blind and without expectations. I did have a vague knowledge that Dr. Moreau created monstrous creatures here they are hybrids. So they are still beings that outsiders would be frightened of but lead lives as humans at the hacienda.

I enjoyed getting to know Carlota, Montgomery, and all the characters that lived at the hacienda. We meet her as a young woman in her early teens whose father, Dr. Moreau, has kept her sheltered there in their home but also educated her. She's helping prepare for the visit of Mr. Lizalde, the man who funds her father's research. He's there to see how things are coming along and to bring a new majordomo.

There is a time jump of six years and we meet Mr. Lizalde's son and nephew. They were told to not venture to the hacienda without the older man but do anyway. Montgomery does his best to send them away but Carlota intervenes. After they meet with her father, he encourages Carlota to spend time with Lizalde's son in the hopes of them starting a relationship. But also so he doesn't lose his funding.

But they must keep them from seeing the hybrids. Because these visitors have no idea what really happens here. But these aren't the only secrets the hacienda harbors and the doctor won't even answer the many questions Carlota has.

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

I 100% thought I’d done this review and clearly didn’t. I loved it! I’ve mostly enjoyed all of her writing to be fair and recommend Mexican Gothic and The Beautiful Ones often and have now added this one. The writing just transported you to such an interesting world and environment that I completely forgot that I knew much about the original stories. Another excellent book from Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

I actually haven't read The Island of Doctor Moreau, so can't compare any similarities to Moreno-Garcia's adaptation other than what I was able to glean from the original synopsis. I had high hopes for The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and, as in the other Moreno-Garcia books I've read, the descriptions of the setting and historical context were really well done. It took me forever to read this book though, the pace was really slow for the first 2 parts of the book. I also didn't really care for any of the characters and the 'romantic' (this is not a romance novel) aspects made me cringe a bit.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is, of course, based on the famous tale by H.G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau. The original story was a cautionary tale against man’s hubris. The movie into which it was made was a horror film. This book, however, is a look into a woman’s life in the mid-1800s in Mexico.

This review is a cautionary tale against selecting books without reading even the synopsis. I went in expecting a gothic horror tale. I received a feminist historical fiction that moved at a snail’s pace. It took me over a week to read it and I didn’t like it any better by the end.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was not for me, but I’m sure historical fiction fans would enjoy its unique time and place. 3 stars.

Thanks to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again. This book was so good. I’ve never read the inspiration for the book, but I knew enough to appreciate it. Moreno-Garcia is so good at writing from different POVs and making fleshed out characters. This is definitely a future purchase for my personal librarian, for sure.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau shares an impressive ancestry, including The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells and Shakespeare's The Tempest. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau takes a different tack on the story by presenting it from Carlota, the aforementioned Doctor's daughter. Moreno-Garcia adds the industrial Age, the rich industrialists, and the requirement by the owner class for cheap or free labor.

This is where the overall story adds philosophical science fiction to historical science fiction. The "hybrids" created from the local fauna are presented both as a shining scientific achievement and also the answer to the industrial baron's needs--workers who are reliant on their masters for the medical potions (see also: opium, alcohol) to keep them alive. The industrialists keep the good Doctor in cash and material for his research, and the Doctor provides the free labor. Since the laborers aren't "human," there are no problems with the situation. Until there is...

Add to this the continuing story of Carlota, her mysterious disease, and her journey from blindly accepting the Doctor's work to developing awareness, Moreno-Garcia combines a treatise as to when the agency begins with a cracker of a story.

However, this is the one minor fault with the book--the third act takes a while to arrive. If the reader expects a replay of the movie version of the Island of Doctor Moreau, they will be frustrated. However, the third act does pay off for the reader's patience and pays off handsomely.

Recommended: 4/5 stars

When an author decides to retell a classic story such as THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU, they have set a challenge that scifi readers will judge for the rest of her life. Fortunality Silvia Moreno-Garcia was up to the challenge. The addition of a daughter to the famous doctor gives the readers a different view of the doctor's world of hybrids......some call them monsters. The story unwinds at a good pace without having to retell the original back story. Morena-Garcia manages to bring the story into current history while still maintaininng the feel of the original which is no small feat. If you loved the original, you'll love this one too.

I’ve come to the conclusion that SMG is simply not the author for me – I loved Mexican Gothic, but everything else I’ve read from her has fallen flat. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a good, solid novel, but it’s simply didn’t hit the mark with me. The premise sounded amazing, and I went it expecting a lot more and that’s definitely my fault. I’ve noticed SMG stories are slow by default, but I can’t help but feel like this one goes above the limit, it’s a quiet story, if you will.

The writing was gorgeous, as usual, the author has such an unique way of creating the atmosphere of a novel, but everything else seemed quite faded to me. Sometimes a scene would be repeated again, just in another’s character’s POV, which I found redundant and quite annoying after a while. I understand this is a dual POV, but it made me want to DNF multiple times because I was getting tired of this method of story-telling.

I didn’t connect with the characters at all, so I didn’t really care about what was happening to them. I found Carlota and Monty’s relationship to be a bit weird, since he was basically falling in love with a child he saw grow up. I couldn’t get myself to root for them since it made a bit uncomfortable. Montgomery’s character was the most developed out of all of them and I didn’t particularly found him that interesting. Carlota was annoying for a good half of the story, but she grew on me, eventually. I didn’t like how rushed her arc felt, to be honest.

I found the pacing to be a little off – it switched from impossibly slow to very fast in a matter of pages, which hindered my reading experience. I wish the story was a bit more balanced, as I found the first 50% very hard to get through. I also wished there were more parts involving the doctor’s work and such, since I found that very interesting.

Overall, it’s a story I can see many people enjoy, but it wasn’t for me.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is loosely inspired by the novel The Island Of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. It centers around Carlota Moreau who lives in this small idyllic hacendado in Yaxaktun. Her father Doctor Moreau is funded by Hernando Lizalde. After issues arise with Melquiades the former mayordomo of Yaxaktun Lizalde and Doctor Moreau offer the position to Montgomery Laughton. He is quickly introduced and privy to the truth about Doctor Moreau’s work. This story is told through Carlota’s and Montgomery’s point of view. The hybrids are also a big focus of this story and they have their distinct personalities and roles throughout.

I had no previous knowledge of the novel that inspired Silvia Moreno Garcia and no knowledge of the issues brewing in Mexico amongst the Maya people and the Mexican people of that time. It was so interesting to read how Silvia weaved her magic to bring to very distinct storylines together in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. I am definitely a fan of Silvia’s writing style and story telling. Every book I’ve read by her showcases new elements and areas of Mexican culture/history that I am not familiar with. I will read anything Silvia Moreno Garcia writes and I definitely recommend everyone do the same. This book was a story about a young woman discovering her capabilities, discovering the meaning of love and family, and of being free to be who you truly are. I gave it four and half stars.