The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is filled with mystery and intrigue based on super-natural elements. This sci-fi historical fiction is set in Mexico during the 1800's. The author loosely based it on the original book The Island of Doctor Moreau.

Synopsis:
Carlota Moreau, the beautiful daughter of Dr. Moreau lives with her father on the Yucatan Peninsula. Montgomery Laughton is hired by Dr Moreau to help take care of their estate. Montgomery is a bit taken aback when he discovers hybrid part animal, part human experiments living within the Moneau household. The creatures are meek for the most part, but you might be wary of getting too cozy with them. 😲

Sylvia Moreno-Garcia is a bestselling speculative fiction author with twenty-seven books to her credit. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a dark slow-burn gothic novel that will pique your curiosity. It has an interesting concept and is well-written. I enjoyed the novel because it is different from anything I have read before.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is available on July 19th.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, for allowing me to review this unique Mexican Gothic book. Your kindness is appreciated.

If you loved Mexican Gothic, this is going to be your jam. It gives similar eery vibes and I was here for it the whole time.

It gave discussion on parental relationships, colonism, ethics, human decency, what do we consider human, and other lovely nuanced things. I appreciate the way that SMG treated the main relationship in this book, because it could have been controversial age-wise and I did enjoy the way it was handled.

All I'm taking a lot of brain power to try and give a review that is worthy of this book, sooo lemme just say, that this is a delightfully eerie offering that is VERY Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Rounded to 3.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: mention of abuse, alcoholism, mention of suicide, violence, bigotry, blood, death, gun violence, body horror

I’ve read three other SMG books and loved them, but for some reason, this one just didn’t hit the same for me. She brings the same beautiful writing style and historical flair, but I struggled to connect with the story the same way as I did with Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and Velvet Was the Night. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the story was based (loosely) off The Island of Doctor Moreau, a story I haven’t read and had little interest in, until I saw that SMG had provided a take on it?

I enjoyed the MCs and the side characters. We get to experience the story through the perspectives of both Carlota, the eponymous daughter of Doctor Moreau, and Montgomery Laughton, the majordomo of the estate, who from what I could gather kind of took care of everything that needed to be done.We get insight into what they’re thinking and experiencing, as well as seeing the relationships that they build with the people around them. And this includes the hybrids, who are treated as family in most cases.

The pacing felt off in this story. For the first half of the book, it moved exceptionally slowly. But after reaching the mid-point of the story, the pace sped up significantly and things started happening one after another. Even so, the story was well-crafted and kept me intrigued. I was invested in the characters, and wanted to know what was going to happen next.

The one area where the story fell short for me was Carlota’s romance. I understand that things worked differently in the 19th century, but I felt like it was rushed to have her fall in love after knowing someone for several days.That aspect of the story didn’t feel as realistic to me, and was difficult to get behind.

However, I do have to admit that SGM is the absolute master of body horror, and gothic stories. It’s a fabulous sci-fi/historical fiction crossover with racial, social, and political commentary, and I can honestly say that no one handles this as well as she does, making this one of her strengths, and this is what keeps drawing me back to her books. That, and the amazing characters and stories that she weaves together.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is the latest book from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a science fiction-historical fiction read. “A dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.”

Dr. Moreau is a French scientist who lost his wife years ago and moved to the isolated estate of Yaxaktun, where he has leaned heavily into his scientific experiments of human-animal hybrids. His daughter Carlota, 14 when the story opens, lives with him in their quiet and isolated home and helps with his work. It’s 1871 when the story begins and Montgomery Laughton has traveled through northern Yucatán to take the job as mayordomo of Moreau’s estate. We learn a little about Englishman Montgomery’s background, he’s 29, separated from his wife, and heavily drinks. In part two of the story, it is now 1877 and Montgomery has worked for eccentric Dr. Moreau for 6 years. Carlota is 20 years old now and her father wants to marry her off to a man of fortune, Eduardo, since Moreau is in desperate need of more funding for his experiments. With Eduardo staying at the estate now too, life at Yaxaktun begins to change and secrets are uncovered.

This loosely based reimagining of the H.G. Wells classic sci-fi felt fresh and I enjoyed the Yucatán 1870s backdrop. The exploration of human, nature, and mortality blended well with the historical aspect of the story. Tensions are high in the area with a war brewing between the Maya people, the on-going effects from slavery and colonization, and the war between classes. This was a very compulsive read where I had to find out what would happen next, so I did fly through it. I think the pacing and development of the story towards the end wasn’t as good as some of the things happening in the beginning.

Thank you to the publisher (Del Rey, Random House) for an e-ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau has a publish date of July 19, 2022.

This is a loose retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells that takes place in Mexico. I absolutely LOVED this. The gruesome scenes and grim setting is what kept my attention throughout.

In the beginning, we meet Dr. Moreau, a scientist who lost his family moving to Yaxaktun. While settling there, he opens a sanatorium to conduct his experiments creating hybrids. All while raising his daughter, Carlota, who suffers from a blood disease, he injects her with medicine in order to keep her alive.

Then we have Montgomery, a drunk with a gambling addiction but a skilled hunter that Dr. Moreau hires. He's the new mayordomo who acts as Moreau's assistant. And lastly, the hybrids themselves: Lupe, Cachito and others.

I enjoyed my journey with this story, it was lush, and gritty. I loved the way she draws you into the heat of the jungle and the tension that you feel as you keep reading. Bravo.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest opinions. OUT JULY 19TH!

So far, I have loved everything I've read from Silvia Moreno-Garcia! Even though her books differ greatly from one another, there's something about her writing and the intriguing plots that I cannot get enough of. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was fantastic! I loved the way it weaved Mexico, the conflict between people, and the story of Dr Moreau into a believable sci-fi historical tale full of adventure.
I didn't like the characters to begin with, but Carlota grew on me. She was curious, bold, and naive all at the same time and it worked for the time period.
I liked that the author set the story in Mexico where Dr. Moreau's research was funded by a family eager for laborers. His entire purpose was to breed hybrids who would replace the natives who were starting to rebel. Montgomery was a disgraced Brit who needed work and was an alcoholic, but learned to enjoy his time with Dr. Moreau and his hybrids.
The hybrids themselves turned out to be amazing characters who weren't experiments so much as people with strange features. I felt that the story handling the whole experimenting on animals thing in a way that anyone could pick the story up and not feel uncomfortable.
I definitely recommend this one and I'm thankful for an early copy from Netgalley!

Riveting, Mysterious and Thought-Provoking
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary
Carlota is the titular daughter of Doctor Moreau, who moved to the remote Yaxaktun in search for a refuge to conduct his science experiments. He's committed to caring for his daughter, who regularly receive injections for her blood disease. He's the creator of animal-human hybids and receives funding from a wealthy man who hopes to one day use the hybrids for slave labor.

It's unclear if Moreau completely subscribes to this, as although he definitely has terrible ethics he does place a strong emphasis on conducting these experiments with the hope of curing other genetic diseases.

The book kicks off when the indebted Montgomery is sent Yaxaktun by Moreau's benefactor to care for the property.

After several years, the benefactor's son visits the property and lusts after Carlota... which disrupts everything.

Review

This was such a good adaptation of an H.G. Wells work! I used to love reading his science fiction and "The Island of Dr. Moreau" was so ahead of it's time with ethics questions. "The Daughter of Doctor Moreau" is such a fresh retelling from a feminist perspective that takes place in the Yucatan peninsula.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia always does such an amazing job at blending history with her plotlines. The politics of the time period play a large roll and adds so much to the world. The first chapter felt a little out of place to me and I didn't feel pulled in until the second chapter of the book when Montgomery's character takes over.

Carlota is such a deep, complex character that leaves the reader page-turning to find out more about her. Monty's backstory felt superfluous at first but ties in so well with his later motivations. The action scenes are very well written and riveting. (Sidenote that the description led me to believe there would be more of a sizzling romance - but it's ok because it was still a page-turner)


Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an unbiased review!

Points > Paragraphs

Overall 5
Spice 2

• Exploration of what it means to be Human
• Fast-Paced
• Addicting Narrative
• Transportive Details
• Perfect Summer Read
• Love triangle.
• Unrequited love
• Loosely based on the H.G. Wells classic “The Island of Dr Moreau”
• Dual POV
• Classic Sci-Fi meets Historical Drama
• Theme of coming into one’s own
•
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC for Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau”. Silvia Moreno-Garcia, known for bestsellers like "Mexican Gothic," never disappoints despite the fact that every single one of her books is something wholly new and different. “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” is a loose retelling of the H.G. Wells classic, “The Island of Dr. Moreau” If you feel like you know the story you won’t this time as Silvia Moreno-Garcia adds new spins and new insights into familiar characters blending in historical context alongside transportive details. I highly recommend grabbing a chair sitting outside this summer and reading “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau”

• The review will be posted on Amazon GoodReads StoryGraph during the following window: 7/11-7/19
• 3 post review spread for Instagram will go live during the following window: 7/11-7/19
• A release day post will go live on 7/19 on Instagram

19th Century in Mexico. Carlota Moreau is a young lady who has never been beyond her own home in the Yucatan peninsula. It is a large estate and there is much rebel conflict around them. Carlota is lonely and curious. Why do they never have company? Why must they hide?

Well her father is either a mad scientist or a genius. We all know what he is.

Her father has hired a new assistant, Montgomery Laughton, a man who has lost his way. His wife left him, his money is gone and he can’t stop drinking. Owing money to the landlord of the island, he will be working with the doctor with the hybrids.

Hybrids? Yes, mixing a little bit of this DNA and a little bit of that DNA and you have some seriously messed up ‘hybrids’. Bred for working the fields. Most are hideously deformed but two have come out fairly well. And those two become friends with Carlota.

They are living life the only way they know how to live it. And then, the owner’s son, Eduardo, shows up with his band of troublemakers, and from there everything goes south fast. Carlota has a lot of questions for her father and she is not going to like the answers. Risking her own life, she will help the hybrids and bring about an end to the madness.

Great historical and rather science fiction too.

NetGalley/ July 19, 2022 RHPG

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

This is another remarkable read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! If the authors name doesn't catch your attention then maybe the title will; The Daughter of Dr. Moreau. How does this not leap out and beg to be read and enjoyed? As soon as I saw this book, especially with such a beautiful cover, I was on it... And it did not disappoint!

Carlota is the only child of Dr. Moreau and leads a simple but elegant life on their property of Yuxaktan. Among the hybrids and beautiful plant life lies secrets that even she cannot guess at. When a rich and powerful young man comes seeking her attention this acts as a catalyst for life changing events.

I highly recommend this as a gorgeous and beautifully told story that I was lucky enough to luxuriate in

TW: Violence

Out July 19, 2022!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my auto buy authors. She never disappoints me and this book is no exception. It is a reimagining of the science fiction classic, The Island of Dr. Moreau. Transporting this tale to the land of splendor, Mexico, allows Moreno-Garcia to insert elements of history to expand the narrative. Taking place during the Maya revolt against their Mexican oppressors, she interweaves the fate of Maya rebels and the residents of the Moreau compound.
Having read and being a fan of the H. G. Wells’ classic, I was delighted at the depth and newness of characters that I was familiar with. The narration alternated between Carlota, the daughter of the doctor and their hired man, Montgomery. Often time the narratives would overlap, giving you different views of the same events without feeling repetitive. You may think you what is going to happen and you would be wrong. A surprise twist appears when you least expect it.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is probably one of the best writers alive today. Her very loose take on Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau is both, original and classical in the best way. Carlota is the titular daughter, and she lives with his father’s human-animal hybrids. I’m not a fan of the original, but Moreno-Garcia’s take is poignant and emotional. She is so versatile, that she can tackle every genre and make it her own. This is a mix of historical novel and science fiction. There is a love story than, in a minor author would be insufferable melodrama, but that Moreno-Garcia imbues with suspense. I gasped aloud with some of the twists and revelations, I yelled at the characters and I really worried about their plight. Her writing is beautiful and she flawlessly integrates Mexican history and folklore in a way that makes sense. I loved all her characters, especially Cachito, and the way Moreau’s hacienda is described makes it come to life in every sentence. This is a great addition to the author’s novels and, in my opinion, much better than the original story.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey!

Another hit from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I just love how she writes her female protagonists. Carlota is stubborn, fierce, intelligent and, sometimes, petulant. I love how Moreno-Garcia crafts these women who are maybe sheltered, or naive, but never stupid? It's just such a joy to read, honestly.

I will admit, I haven't read the H.G. Wells original, but I've seen both films so I was familiar enough with the gist. No shipped-wrecked man here, uncovering the sinister nature of the titular Doctor's island. Instead Moreno-Garcia has chose to set this in the Yucatan peninsula amidst the backdrop of period-appropriate unrest between the native populace and colonial forces. This actually sparked in me a desire to go learn more about the tensions in Mexico during this era, as it sounds really fascinating?

Anyway, I recommend this, especially if you enjoyed Mexican Gothic.

Set in the Yucatan Peninsula during the Caste War, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a tale of family secrets, naive love, genetic engineering, and a daughter coming into her own power out from under her father, a theme explored from the title to the end of the novel. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is often elegant. She captures the natural beauty of the environment and the strange beauty of Doctor Moreau's animal hybrids. Moreno-Garcia's characters feel well-realized; she is able to consistenlty contain the pain and shortcomings of the characters alongside their loves and strengths. Each character has their own distinct way of understanding the world, and their interplay makes the book's world feel grounded and complex. One of my favorite aspects of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is the man-playing-God archetype and how the hybrids and others surrounding the Doctor find their faith, especially as their faith in the Doctor and his God wanes.

I tell you what. . . Silvia Moreno Garcia must just spin a wheel of chance, land on a genre and set about executing a new novel. She lands it perfectly every time! The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is her latest, in the science fiction/historical fiction genre. It is a retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau, but you do not need any previous exposure to that tale to become fully immersed and fully entertained by this book.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau has a little bit of everything: science fiction, romance, tension, historical and literary fiction in a lush setting with complicated characters. I will say that science fiction is not a go to genre for me at all, in fact, I generally avoid it, but I loved this one! As the title states, it tells the story of Dr. Moreau’s daughter, his staff, and the hybrids he has created as their complete isolation on a Mexican peninsula becomes threatened by encroachment.

I highly recommend this one! Five stars given. Thank you to Netgalley, Random House- Ballantine Books and the author for an advanced reader’s copy of this wonderful book.

H.G. Well's Island of Dr. Moreau is here refreshed by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia. The author's political themes of oppression, colonialism and feminism are present, as they were in the stronger Mexican Gothic. On the Yucatan Peninsula in the midst of the rising conflict between the Maya and the European/Mexican settlers (based on the real Caste War of 1847), Dr. Moreau, funded by Eduardo Lizalde, has again sought to manipulate nature in his animal-human hybrids.

The majority of the hybrids are sickly and misshapen, in constant pain. A handful have fewer problems and are companions to Moreau's daughter Carlota. Through new majordomo, Montgomery Laughton's eyes, the reader sees the estate, the lab, and the beautiful raven-haired Carlota.

Much of the novel is told through Carlota's viewpoint, also, and thus the reader is given a picture of her isolated existence, resulting in a naive young woman. As she becomes more aware of her reality, the reader sees the suffering of the hybrids and witnesses her father's cold attitude while observing his “experiments.”And these beings simply want to be free.

A dominant romantic element, which I found unnecessary, evolves into a romance novel trope of two men – Montgomery and Lizalde's arrogant son – vying for the lovely woman. While Carlota has grown more self-assured, she remains the victim, in more ways than first meets the eye.

Moreau is French, Laughton is English – colonizers whose exploitation of other populations has shored up their crumbling empires. And although Moreau is supposedly only motivated by his belief in science, his patron wants labor-slaves. And Moreau wants the money Lizalde provides.

The strongest elements of this novel are the lush descriptions of the Yucatan surroundings, its sounds, scents, and the heady, hypnotic atmosphere that it creates. The twist at the end is not really surprising, especially to anyone who has read Hawthorne's “Dr. Heidegger's Experiment” or other more recent stories in the same vein.

Carlota lives in paradise in Yaxaktun with her father, the hybrids, and Montgomery, the Englishman who manages the Moreau's affairs. The arrival of two young men at the Moreau's home creates tension in the household, and Carlota's identity begins to splinter. Content to accept her father's word for much of her life, Carlota begins to question him and soon discovers long kept secrets about her identity.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is fast paced and engrossing. Moreno-Garcia gives the reader just enough information to keep them reading. The characters are well-written.

Magical, dreamy, horrific and doomed -- the essence of this book is marked by the failures of a man and the hopes of his daughter. The creatures of this book are heroic and noble, and it is easy to care for them as deeply as our protagonist.

I liked this book and the retelling of the classic by H G Wells . It was a different but interesting take on the classic . It was a good book and the worth the read .
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a dreamy reimagining of HG Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau that takes place in the Yucatan Peninsula during the nineteenth century. It follows Carlota Moreau, Dr. Moreau's natural daughter, and Laughton Montgomery, the mayordomo, as they live amongst Dr. Moreau's hybrids.

I found that The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was a bit difficult to get into at first, but ultimately was easy to get into after the novel found its groove. I only vaguely know HG Wells' novel, but I think Moreno-Garcia did a good job building Moreau's estate and the circumstances in which he came to start creating hybrids. I found the story to be compelling and interesting, I also really liked Carlota, and while the ultimate reveal is fairly predictable, I think Moreno-Garcia did a good job leading up to that moment. I did find that at times while reading some chapters/sections felt noticeably slower than other parts, but I think the questions posed were worth chewing on, and thus I didn't find the pacing too distracting, since I read this book in chunks over several days.

I also thought this was a really nice blend of historical and science fiction, and was overall a really good read.