DNF: 46%

I wanted to finish this novel. But anytime I thought about picking this book back up, or when I did open the pages, I found my attention wandering elsewhere. I do think there are a few reasons for this, but the most dominant reason being: I’m not the audience for this novel. I’m a reader who needs a faster paced plot—and multiple subplots at that—and this novel failed to deliver in that aspect.

Something that surprised me was the writing style of this novel. By many accounts, I would classify this as “classical” in tone. Honestly, if you had placed this book before me and asked me to assign a time period to it, I would say it written in the early 1900s. Seeing as the book is set in the late 1800s, the writing did a great job of supporting that time period in mimicking the tone and style of older novels. However, for me, that was a detriment to the novel. Because the writing style was so set in feeling classical, there were many missed opportunities to expand on the descriptions, lore, and other elements. Instead, it felt like there had been a heavy focus on the writing style over the other storytelling elements.

There’s no denying this truth: this novel is incredibly slow to the point of bordering on being boring. At least, that was the case for me. I found it hard to find the motivation to pick up and read this novel because I knew how slowly the plot was moving forward. For instance, by the time I had reached the 43% mark, there had only been two cases of action and/or major conflict. Outside of those two instances, there wasn’t any other major conflicts to note. Sure, there were small conflicts between characters; but, for the most part, there wasn’t much conflict present. Most of the novel was meandering through conversations describing what Dr. Moreau was attempting to create (his hybrids), or setting up the history of the Yucatan during the late 1800s. It felt like the plot was skipping atop the depths of what it could have been.

Another note to add: the plot structure was present was incredibly repetitive. This story carried a dual point-of-view structure, which is fine and is something that is enjoyable. However, the story repeatedly visited the same scene, or moment, from both character point-of-views (Carlota and Montgomery). But the confusing thing was how the retold scene would be handled. Once we shifted to the other perspective, that scene would start earlier than it had the first time, without signaling that it happened in the past, making it difficult to keep track of the story chronologically. While this wasn’t a phenomenon that occurred in every chapter, it happened enough to be confusing and frustrating.

This was the first novel I’ve read from this author and, unfortunately, it wasn’t the best one to start off with. I have heard wonderful things about her past novels, but this one stumbled quite a bit. Which is a shame, since it was retelling a horror story (The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells) and a span of genres (horror, mystery, thriller, romance, historical fiction). It just failed to mesh all those elements together harmoniously.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I’ve been anxious to read this author and have had Mexican Gothic waiting on my Kindle for far too long. When I received an ARC of Moreno-Garcia’s newest release, I knew the wait was over.

The gorgeous cover perfectly complements the vibrant descriptions of Moreau’s secluded home, Yaxaktun, and the surrounding jungle. Because of this seclusion Carlota grows up very sheltered, and the villa hosts few visitors over the years. It’s a ideal place for Moreau to carry out his unorthodox scientific experiments – experiments Moreau’s patron, Lizalde, has threatened to stop financing due to lack of results for so long. Since Carlota is now of age, it seems logical to Moreau that the solution to his problems is for her to charm Lizalde’s visiting son into marrying her. Moreau’s utmost priority is his work. If you think he sounds selfish – bullseye.

This is a character-driven novel, and although I’m a fan of that style, I struggled to like any of these characters. Carlota is stubborn and determined, but also pretty spoiled. Montgomery at least has some redeeming moments, but both are kind to the hybrids. The character discussions of ethics, humanity, and abuse of power are interesting and will certainly have you mulling over some of the points made.

I liked the blend of sci-fi and history and the setting of 19th century Mexico, and the story provides some unsettling moments along with a few surprises. But don’t go into this anticipating a briskly paced adventure story. It’s more of a languid journey than a sprint. While it’s not exactly what I’d anticipated, I enjoyed this atmospheric tale.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Moreno-Garcia delivers again with her newest novel that takes place in the 19th century in Mexico.

Carlota, the daughter of scientist Doctor Moreau, lives an isolated life in the sweltering heat of the southern Yucatan peninsula. The novel is based upon H.G. Well's The Island of Doctor Moreau about a scientist who takes things too far creating human-animal hybrids.

I would recommend this refreshing science fiction historical fiction to anyone who enjoys these genres.

I really am impressed with this take on the story of Dr. Moreau and his creatures. It is a gutsy move to undertake the reimagining of such a solid story. However, I almost felt like this book was pulled in too many directions both with the historical aspect along with the medical tampering. The result was a somewhat drawn out and scattered story of a young woman living in isolation with her father and several hybrids of his creating. During many moments I struggled with why a scene was taking place and what it had to do with the ongoing story. But, as always with Ms. Moreno-Garcia, the writing is magical and the descriptions are daydream worthy. I just wish this one could have settled on a direction.

I am obsessed with everything that Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes. Mexican Gothic is still my all time favorite novel of hers, but the Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a close second. I am literally on my way to purchase a physical copy of this book. That’s how much I enjoyed it

I really enjoyed this feminist retelling of the Island of Doctor Moreau that takes place in the Yucatán peninsula from 1871-1877.

Carlota Moreau, daughter of a scientist, lives a mostly quiet life with the creatures her father created. She is beautiful and strong. We also get the perspective of Dr. Moreau's assistant Montgomery Laughton. Montgomery's backstory was tragic and broke my heart. After a few years, Eduardo Lizalde, the son of Moreau’s benevolent benefactor, shows up and shakes things up.

The book is a really interesting mix of a historical and gothic novel. In addition to ethics and issues related to Dr. Moreau's character, the author covers many real historical events and political issues of the book's setting. It was really interesting to read about. I really love the author's writing style.

This book was fantastic and I absolutely recommend it.

I received a digital advance copy of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia via NetGalley. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was released on July 19, 2022.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau takes the classic story of Doctor Moreau and sets it in nineteenth century Mexico. In this take on the story, Doctor Moreau has a daughter (Carlota) with him on his “island.” They are assisted by Montgomery, a man who is determined to drown his past sorrows in the bottom of a bottle of alcohol. The Lizaldes family has been financing Moreau’s experiments, eager for the workers he has promised them. Unfortunately, not all of Moreau’s experiments are turning out as he had planned.

This version of the story starts of in the past, when Carlota was a young girl and Montgomery first joined them. This initial part of the story is where Moreno-Garcia embeds much of what is happening in the world at large during this time. The result was that this opening section of the novel felt very stuffed full of information. I found this part of the story difficult to get into. Once we moved past the opening section, and into the present-day of the story, the novel became much more engaging. I found that much of the backstory did not have large impacts on the story as it unfolded in Moreau’s lab and home. At this point, the story was much more about what it meant to be human, and the value we place on lives.

Moreno-Garcia has also altered the science fiction aspect of this story. In the original tale, Moreau creates his hybrids via vivisection. He surgically creates his island companions. In this updated version of the story, Moreau is not using vivisection. He is creating the hybrids as embryos, then incubating them in a variety of ways. While I do agree that Well’s ideas for how Moreau could have created hybrids needed an update, I did not find Moreno-Garcia’s update on the science believable. The idea of creating embryo hybrids seemed to be a plausible scenario, but the descriptions of the how given in the novel just did not work for me. I found myself distracted by the scientific impossibilities the science fiction was based on, and wished that the story had found a means to make the hybrids that was better based in scientific reality.

Overall, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was a update on a classic tale that focused on shifting the story to a time and place that allowed the exploration of how we value human life. In the end, this shift made it difficult for the story to update the science fiction aspects in a satisfactory way. I recommend this story for readers who know they won’t be distracted by blips in the science logic of a tale that is about being human.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the copy of this ARC.

"We all have an animal double, Englishman."

Things I know I love: gorgeous book covers and Silvia Moreno-Garcia books.

This is a take on The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. P. Lovecraft and I loved going into the book knowing that I could totally trust Silvia to take a classic and build on it to make it an amazing new work of literature. You definitely do NOT have to have familiarity with the classic story, and can just Google the background if you really want to... that's what I did!

This book was enthralling. The setting of Yaxaktun for Dr. Moreau's hybrid animal experiments was set up so well, balanced perfectly to keep the funding coming in and the hybrids out of sight. Carlota, his daughter, is the obviously the shining star and I just absolutely loved her and found myself cheering for her the whole time. The book is told between her POV and that of Montgomery, and Englishman who ends up working for Dr. Moreau, and together we get a sci fi / his fic / horror combo novel that is hard to put down. While many parts were predictable, I was excited to keep reading to see them play out and was impressed with Silvia's writing at every turn.

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Publication: July 19, 2022 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Del Rey







A genre-bending and alluring tale of friendship, love, family and enlightenment , while coming of age in a riveting story inspired by the classic H.G. Wells novel: The Island of Dr. Moreau. With elements of speculative fiction, history, horror, and romance … an enchanting narrative unravels in nineteenth-century Mexico. Expertly interwoven in the background is the historical Caste War of the Yucatan. Providing motivation for some of the events is the revolt of the Maya Indians of the Yucatan against their white oppressors…. based upon long simmering animosities against the landowners which wielded debt, violent punishments and discrimination to control them as laborers. The story stands alone, although there are certain similarities to the classic novel …. especially the involvement of the brilliant scientist - doctor or madman: Dr. Moreau. He considers himself surpassing Darwin and his theory of pangenesis, in which particles called gemmules provide the elementary constitution for the organism’s progeny. “I’ve surpassed him, able to look at life and isolate the most basic unit of it and from it build something anew.” His hybrids are the result of his research and work… combining gemmules of two or more animals to make something new. The fact that most are deformed and in pain, while short lived, fails to impress him. Also retained from the original novel is the presence of the doctor’s assistant, Montgomery. Hired as mayordomo, a general caretaker, he also has a tragic past; a wife who has left him because he wasn’t wealthy, and a beloved sister who committed suicide after a miserable marriage. Both having to endure a childhood , with beatings by an abusive and alcoholic father. Dr. Moreaus’s patron, Hernando Lizalde, was the owner of Montgomery Laughton’s extensive debt, and thus virtually placed him into the good doctor’s servitude.

The story takes place over a six-year course of time, in which Montgomery serves as majordomo at Yaxaktun, an isolated ranch/ hacienda in the lush jungles of the northern Yucatan peninsula. The narrative unfolds from the points of view of Montgomery and the beautiful, naive, and immensely intelligent daughter, Carlota. The prose is both lyrical and poetic and relentlessly propels the reader into multiple twists and reveals. Montgomery, in spite of his multiple faws cannot help but empathize with the plight of both Carlota and the hybrids, with their underlying humanity. Carlota has spent her whole life at Yaxaktun and considers it “ a beautiful dream and I wish to dream it forever.” Their world comes crashing down when the patron’s charming but careless son Eduardo Lizalde ,hot on the trail of rebel Indians, rides into Yaxaktun. He is immediately smitten upon setting eyes on Carlota. With immediate infatuation and talk of marriage, Carlota begins to question her adored father’s motivation, his experiments, and even her own heritage.

Sylvia Moreno-Garcia masterfully crafts an immersive tale, with an intricate plot and a cast of colorful characters, while utilizing evocative prose. The tension and intrigue escalate against the backdrop of the Mayan Indian revolt. Multiple secrets will unfold with unexpected consequences building to an explosive denouement. Explored are the themes of love, family, protecting what you hold dear, as well as the darkness of racism, cruelty, pain, man’s inhumanity and colonialism.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this gem in exchange for an honest review. Although this is the fifth Moreno-Garcia novel I’ve read and enjoyed … I must go download her Debut Novel: Signal To Noise.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a historical fantasy/science fiction with a little romance thrown in, based on the 1896 H.G. Wells novel
The Island of Doctor Moreau. This version is set in 19th century Mexico in the Yucatan Peninsula, isolated from the war and politics of the area. Told from the feminine perspective of Carlota, the daughter of the mad scientist, who has grown up on estate, perfectly content with her life and the strange creatures her father creates. Until Eduardo, the charming son of their financier, arrives and Carlota begins asking questions...
The author's wonderful descriptions of the jungle and the estate put you right in the story. Having never read the original story, I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but her style of writing made it easy to follow and I was fascinated with what would happen next. It's such a great book.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Silvia Moreno Garcia took the classic H G Wells novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and put her signature spin on it.

I was a little confused for a bit, wondering how she was going to tie it in to the original work, but by the end I realized this was not a prequel- it was a reworking of the original concept.

In both the original and this reimagining, we are shocked by the mad scientist Dr. Moreau, whose life work is to create humans out of animals. One of the points of view from the new story is that of Montgomery Laughton, the majordomo of the estate. His character is present in the H G Wells novel, but in this one we read of his getting the job and befriending the hybrid human/animals. The second POV is from the titular daughter of the doctor, Carlota Moreau. Her character is completely a work of Moreno Garcia as there is no female focus in the original work..... surprise, surprise. Actually, because of this, I was reminded a lot of the 90s film starring Val Kilmer, Marlon Brando, Professor Lupin, and... Fairuza Balk 😍

Although I did think the pacing was slow for a majority of the novel, and that the dual POVs recounting the same events from alternating perspectives dragged things out, I did enjoy the atmospheric writing as well as the subtext Moreno Garcia added.

By setting the story on the Yucatan peninsula against a real life conflict, the book becomes about the mistreatment of Indigenous Mexicans by European colonizers in addition to exploring the morality of playing god and reshaping life.

Another creepy, spooky, atmospheric read from Moreno-Garcia. I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. I liked the modern take on a retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau. The last quarter of the book really picks up and becomes a page-turner. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to this cast of characters. This is a perfect read for the Fall, but still great regardless of when it is read. I became a fan of Moreno-Garcia after reading Mexican Gothic, and continue to really enjoy everything she writes.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a reimagining of H.G. Wells’s sci-fi horror classic, The Island of Dr. Moreau, set on a secluded estate in Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula during the Caste War. The descriptive, atmospheric writing brings the lush landscape to life and grounds the fantastical aspects of the story against a historical background, infusing the story with the cultural, social, political, and racial conflicts of the time.

I admire Silvia Moreno-Garcia because all of her books are so different each other, sharing only her illustrative writing style and settings in Mexico, but otherwise exploring vastly different genres, characters, time periods, and literary influences. However, considering the grotesque nature of the source material, I expected this book to lean into the macabre of Mexican Gothic or the magic of Gods of Jade and Shadow, but it did neither. This book is more of a coming-of-age character study or a period piece with a slow pace and unsurprising twists. I didn’t find Carlota or Montgomery to be particularly compelling characters, and I was not a fan of their relationship.

I don’t think the story lived up to the potential of a Dr. Moreau retelling. This reads more like historical fiction than science fiction. You do not need to have read the original to read this book. I appreciate the author’s note at the end that explains the history of the political conflicts featured in this book. This book was not what I expected, but it is a beautiful piece of writing.

Thank you to the publisher for the complimentary audiobook and eARC.

I truly adore the way Moreno-Garcia crafts her stories. No two are ever the same, though there may be similarities in theme or characterization. Moreno-Garcia writes strong, messy, women, yes, but where Casiopea from Gods of Jade and Shadow is jaded and cynical, Carlota is a mercurial blend of innocence and cunning. Carlota knows what she wants and will do whatever to get it, but she also swings into deep regret over stepping on anyone’s toes. She is a fascinating character. Sheltered from the world, but privy to knowledge very few know of as the daughter of Doctor Moreau, she is aware of how the world works through extensive reading and yet retains an innocence about her that draws people in, whether intended or not. My favorite part of the story was being able to see the relationships between Carlota and the “patients” of Doctor Moreau, namely Lupe and Cachito. Their bond is so special, and it was amazing to see how it changed over time. Lupe is my favorite side character. She is full of zest and blunt beyond belief.
Though I would say this is a very character driven story, we see different themes crop up including racism, colorism, colonization, and political unrest. Through this fictional tale Moreno-Garcia is able to highlight a period of political unrest in Mexico and show the many sides to the conflict through characterization and narrative. Incorporating the idea of the Island of Doctor Moreau adds another layer to the story and additional commentary on human nature that I found impactful and poignant.
If you are already a fan of Moreno-Garcia, you’ll love diving into this new world. If you’ve never read her before, but are a fan of literary fiction and science fiction, I think this could be a good choice! There is a slower build and a focus on characterization that readers of literary fiction tend to enjoy, while also having a science-fiction twist that pushes the reader to ponder on human nature.

This is an inspired reimagining of HG Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau which definitely needed improving upon. Moreno-Garcia twists the story into something completely new, set in Mexico in the 19th century.

I would call this historical sci-fi and it’s important to consider the genre when going into this. The pacing is a little off, I think because of that. A lot of scientific information at first and then a lot of things happen quickly in the end.

Overall, I really liked this but I think my familiarity with the original helped.

A loose retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau. Set in the late 19th century in Yucatan Peninsula. The story is third person but told from the Carlota, the doctor's daughter, and Montgomery, the majordomo, perspective. In three parts starting in 1871 when Montgomery first arrives at the rancho, a secluded house where Moreau reveals his hybrids and his patron's plan to use them as forced labor. Part two is six years later when it all starts to fall apart and then part three when it all does fall apart.
I really liked this, I love the original but SMG weaves the history of that time in so well with the story. You can see the character growth especially in Carlota who goes from spoiled princess to an adult in the matter of days. The last half of the book is so tense I read this in practically one day because I could not put it down.

Carlota Moreau, daughter of Dr. Moreau, was brought up on her father’s remote estate in the southern peninsula of Yucatán with his staff and his scientific experiments. Dr. Moreau creates human-animal hybrids, but Carlota views them as her family, not monstrosities. She has always been content with her isolated existence, until her father’s patrons, the Lizaldes, come for a visit and secrets are brought to light.

I’m always amazed by the way Silvia Moreno-Garcia is able to immediately pull me into her stories and not let go until the very end, and yet I would expect no less from this talented author. I was instantly transported to 1870s Mexico and the jungle in the Yucatán Peninsula through her atmospheric, lush, and vivid writing. Told in alternating POVs between two complex and flawed characters - Carlota, the daughter of Dr. Moreau, and Montgomery, the mayordomo of Dr. Moreau’s estate - this sci-fi and historical fiction reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau examines morality, ethics, creation, power, control, colonialism, misogyny, and so much more. Montgomery is intelligent and protective yet heartbroken and conflicted, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Carlota is at first sweet and naive, but as she becomes more aware, confident, and independent, a different side of her emerges. The history, romance, and action were just the icing on the cake. I can’t stop thinking about this highly imaginative, multi-layered, immersive, thought-provoking, and powerful story, and I probably won’t be able to for a long time.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I am always down to read a book by this author! Her plots are always very unique and out there. In a good way, of course! Although this wasn’t a top hit for me, I still liked the world she created and learning who Carlota really was.

The book is told from two point-of-views, Carlota and Montgomery. Each one has a different take on religion and the world around them. I think that is why they pair so nicely together. Carlota is optimistic while Montgomery is realistic. I can’t say that I liked one more than the other. I felt for each character in different ways because each one has a different background and it comes to light on the pages. They both continue to make choices they deem are right and sometimes love can make us foolish.

There are other characters, some I liked more than others. It was interesting to feel more for the hybrids than humans but I guess that doesn’t take much when you look at our own world. Humans can suck sometimes. I do wish that there was more from the hybrids, especially more detail in the workings of Dr. Moreau. The reader only gets snippets here and there but nothing too wild really ever happens.

For me, the biggest letdowns were what I mentioned above and the romance. I knew who I wanted Carlota to end up with and even though that came true it was very much a side side plot and the ending just left me unsatisfied after them having a few great scenes together.

I can’t compare this to the original work since I haven’t read it but it does have more curious than anything to want to check it out.

Overall, this was a good read but it just needed a bit more in areas for me.

Silvia Moreno Garcia has become one of my favorite authors to read, I haven't picked up a book from her that I don't like so when I was given the opportunity to get her arc for her newest book, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau I of course grabbed it. The story takes place in the Yucatan peninsula in the 1870s during the time when Maya people were fighting for more freedom in Mexico.
I wasn't aware that this was a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells, but after searching the internet for more information and watching the 1996 movie, I can say that this version was better.... in my opinion so if you disagree that's fine.
Silvia Moreno Garcia was able to take a sci-fi story and turn it into something that fit her style, a combination of horror, gothic and sci-fi. She was able to expand on many of the themes that you find in the original story line, colonization, class differences, power.. all the dark themes that you find in a story about a deranged scientist that develops human-animal hybrids.
The story itself is told by Carlota Moreau and Montgomery Laughton. With Carlota we get her coming of age story and from Montgomey we are provided with the opposite view point. Both characters are written so well that its hard not to immediately root for them.

In the end you realize that the hybrids are not the monsters in the story. This book took me on a journey and it was impossible to put it down once i started reading it. I highly recommend this.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia never falls to weave a beautiful tale. I always love the way she envelopes you in the world were reading about and this book is no different. She is a true master of her craft and I adore her writing style as a whole. I'm not familiar with the original story this was based off of, but I'm definitely glad I read this one first. It's a true masterpiece.