All my favorite book elements in one novel - historical fiction, strong representation, and a talented and courageous female lead character. I couldn't put The Daughter of Doctor Moreau down!

No one weaves an atmosphere quite like Silvia Moreno-Garcia. At once lavish and dark, her ability to paint the dark underbelly of romance is spellbinding. So it was with Mexican Gothic, a book it took me entirely too long to commit to but which I devoured in a single day, and so it is with her latest dive into sweltering lands ripe with secrets and passions, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.

I have been following this book's path since the announcement of its title alone, so to have been given the opportunity to review it was a gift at a time when I most needed it. Tying together the darkest sides of the Gothic with its headiest romantic elements is a tried and true cocktail of success for me, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia has proven once again to be a master of just such a combination. More than a simple reinvention of HG Wells' original work of disturbing science fiction, Moreno-Garcia presents a world rich with culture and longing, though it be a culture those off the island can never fully understand. Daughter of Doctor Moreau is one part Gothic romance, one part sci-fi horror, and one part exploration of the war in the Yucatán between Mayan natives and the inhabitants of European descent who held economic control.

Carlotta Moreau, daughter of the possibly-mad but well-financed scientist who spends his time developing the perfect man-animal hybrid, lives on the secluded island with her father, siblings, and a smattering of servants, wholly uninterested in the world outside the island, though consumed with the need to be her father's perfect daughter. When Montgomery Laughton joins the staff, he watches in horrified fascination as he takes on roles to help care for Moreau's experiments, eventually resigned to his work and fate thanks to a troubled past that plagues him and a fondness for alcohol he cannot seem to shake. Laughton develops a closeness with Carlotta as she grows up, and the two similar personalities with differing backgrounds often balance each other out even as they butt heads.

Laughton soon becomes fiercely protective of Carlotta and her home as the overbearing and entitled son of Moreau's benefactor shows up to interrogate them on potential Mayan passage and sneak a peek at Moreau's secrets. What unfolds from the clash, and from Carlotta's increasing curiosity over her father's work, is a rich tapestry of romance and scathing critique of what happens when social mores are challenged from all angles. From illness and monstrosity to questions of humanity and worthiness tied to race and social class, this is no ordinary monster story, and no ordinary retelling of a classic.

Moreno-Garcia's island inhabitants are, even at their worst, still complex and sympathetic characters. Most of them long for a life outside which they believe they can never have thanks to their dependence on the Doctor's medicine to keep them alive, though they are willing to fight for the chance to see a world outside their luxurious confines. Even the Doctor himself, stricken with tragedy of family lost and hungry to pursue the secrets of life with the Frankensteinian passion that can only ever be doomed to fail even as he succeeds, is by turns painted as both egomaniac (as in the church scenes) and doting, ever-scarred and scared father to unusual children. Such twists in character development leave Daughter of Doctor Moreau an enticing read from first page to last.

Perhaps predictably, on a personal level, the thread which struck me most in this Moreau was Carlotta's. Plagued with vague memories of a mysterious illness from which her father's medicine recovered her, she does not question him or his work until faced with the reality of its risks, and even then battles constantly with herself over the tension between doting, obedient daughter and rebellious young woman in search of identity. What, for most of the novel, is thought to be debilitating weakness becomes, perhaps unsurprisingly, the strength which frees her family from the oppressive forces who wish not only to bend the Moreaus and their work to their will, but to remove Carlotta from the only place she has ever wanted to be. Her struggle with this tension between appearances and reality, health and illness, release and restraint, echoes in its own way my ever complex feelings about my own life. More than that, though, it is but another brilliant thread of the newly enriched trend of horror's femme main characters going absolutely feral.

While the Gothic may find ways to suppress it, wrapped in barbed words rather than pointed actions, there is no denying the ferocity beating at the heart of many of horror's newest titles, particularly those written by non-cis, non-white, and/or non-heteronormative authors, and for good reason. Much as with film, literature tends to be a wonderful arena for exploring tensions we may not so easily or safely be otherwise able to express. All the while Moreno-Garcia is able to balance such exploration with a swoon-worthy though tragic-tinged-and-forged romance in a way that seems wholly unique to her.

The mark of the best classic-reimaginings are those that can build upon and enrich the world from which they spring without cheapening or lessening them, and though it is a loose one, Daughter of Doctor Moreau does just that and so much more.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to receive an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau hits shelves July 19, 2022.

I have some strong mixed feelings about this. I did recently read the original and it was weird as hell. This one felt more grounded in reality even with its strong scifi elements, and it definitely captured some of the same weirdness. However some of the dialog felt unnatural and forced at times and I feel like the writing itself can be tightend up a bit. Overall I still enjoyed it very much.

A spin on the novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. Carlota is the daughter of the mysterious Doctor Moreau. She lives on a remote estate with her father, his overseer, Montgomery Laughton, and the doctor's hybrids. There, they are safe from all the conflict that is happening in the Yucatan peninsula.

However, Carlota and Montgomery both have their own struggles - Carlota with trying to become her own woman while trying to cope with a mysterious illness of her own and Montgomery with his alcoholism. Things become more complicated when the son of Moreau's benefactor comes to their estate and is intent on wooing and marrying Carlota.

I wanted to like this book so much. I love Mexican Gothic so, so much, but I just struggled so much with this book. I did finish it but I never got that same passion for it as I have with other of her books. I just found the writing a bit tedious and the plot to be very slow. It never gave me that hook that really drew me in. I think part of it was that it was trying to bridge a few different genres - horror, thriller, romance, etc. - but I don't feel it succeeded.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Inspired by the classic gothic story The Island of Dr.Moreau, this spin takes place in the jungles of Mexico. The novel switches back and forth between two characters: Carlota, the otherworldly and beautiful daughter of the doctor, and Montgomery, the heartbroken alcoholic who works on the property of the compound. Having read the gothic story that inspired this novel, I really enjoyed the direction this story went in. Partly historical fiction and partly gothic, It’s a fun read! However, I didn’t always enjoy the dialogue and writing. It often felt forced and unnatural. And I don’t completely understand the intention behind the story’s structure. I think it would have aligned more with the ending to have the two main characters be Carlota and one of the hybrids, Lupe, at the story’s center rather than Montgomery.

The moment I saw Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s upcoming release “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” on Netgalley, I couldn’t stop myself from requesting to review it. After falling in love with her writing style and imagination in “Mexican Gothic” and “Gods of Jade and Shadow,” it seemed destiny to get my hands on her latest novel, described as historical sci-fi. Although I’m a massive fan of her horror and fantasy novels, I was intrigued by her transition into YA sci-fi and to see if her reimagining of “The Island of Doctor Moreau” held up against her bestsellers.

In 19th century Mexico, Doctor Moreau lives in the Yucatán forest with his obedient daughter Carlota, alcoholic foreman Montgomery Laughton, and his hybrids–a motley crew of part human, part animal experiments created to become hacienda slaves. Their idyllic home is invaded by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming son of the Doctor’s patron, and his cronies. Carlota vows to save her hybrid friends from enslavement, but Moreau’s secrets and growing passions implode their world.

Moreno-Garcia’s characters are often rebellious, young heroines with solid convictions–but Carlota defies the author’s usual route by portraying the obedient, sweet daughter who dreams of falling in love. The rest of the ensemble, including the hybrids, also have distinct, nuanced personalities Moreno-Garcia is known for. Yet, I had few sympathies for Carlota and couldn’t connect with any character on some level for the life of me.

Not to mention, Carlota and Montgomery’s relationship, from her childhood through adulthood, felt like trying to shove two puzzle pieces together that don’t fit. The age gap between them wouldn’t be nearly as strange if their friendship began later. Although Moreno-Garcia keeps it PG between them, the implications and forced awkwardness didn’t do it for me.

Known for her imaginative and lyrical writing style, Moreno-Garcia’s style in this novel doesn’t reach the heights of “Mexican Gothic.” However, it is still a dazzling and rich narration.

In her first science fiction novel, the elements–particularly the hybrids–were intriguing to explore and unlike any other. Despite this, “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” lacked any tangible suspense or tension, unlike Moreno-Garcia and her work. With an anti-climactic boiling point and minimal emotional connection to the characters, this novel felt like the let-down of the century that had the potential for greatness but crash-landed too early.

Daring, rich, and an intriguing reimagining of a classic, Moreno-Garcia doesn’t reach the wondrous heights her bestsellers have flown to, yet, “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” is an intriguing twist on the science fiction genre.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has quickly become a favorite author. At this point I'll read anything she puts out, including a grocery list. The cover to The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is stunning as well (just like her previous ones). In what is essentially a retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau, this was a mix of horror/science fiction with a lot of heat! Beautifully written I could almost feel myself in the jungle. Fantastic plot and a very satisfying ending

First time reading a book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I should have started sooner. I went in completely blind which is why I believe I enjoyed this story so much. I was not expecting this to be a SciFi fiction book. This story is told through two points of view, one that is naive and kinda suppressed under the disguise of daughterly love while the other is unhinged and unattached. This is what really drew me in as it gives so much more depth to all these characters.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a good read.
I recently just finished Mexican Gothic by the author and enjoyed it a lot, especially the gothic feel of the book, and wasn't sure how The Daughter of Doctor Moreau would fare. As a fan of the HG Wells story, I was curious to see how Silvia Moreno-Garcia would handle this tale.
The characters of Carlota Moreau and Montgomery Laughtonmare were interesting and engaging and the overall story was very entertaining and went quickly by--building to a finale that was thrilling and fast-paced.
For those who might be curious, this was not a re-telling, or a pastiche of Well's original tale but rather a re-imagining of it set in the Yucatán peninsula. The villain of the tale Eduardo Lizalden is a nasty piece of work as I've come across in a book in a while.
Highly recommend.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #RandomHouse, and #SilviaMoreno-Garcia for the ARC copy of #TheDaughterofDoctorMoreau.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I loved Moreno-Garcia's "Mexican Gothic" so I was so excited for this one. In comparison, this one fell short for me. The plot and the writing was great, but it took way too long to get to the conflict and just dragged. Also, this one was not near as atmospheric as "Mexican Gothic" which was one of the things I remember so well about her writing. Nonetheless, this book will do great because the plot line is so great.

Carlota views her family home deep in the wilds of the Yucatan Peninsula as a little slice of paradise. Her firm but loving father, the beauty of nature, and the affections of the estate staff (even depressive majordomo Montgomery) are all she desires. Unfortunately, her father Dr. Moreau is a vivisectionist and her friends are all his creations, twisted out of their natural forms into a painful mockery of humanity. When Moreau's patron's son drops by for a surprise visit, his presence jolts Carlota out of her complacent extended childhood. Slow-burning and atmospheric, but more creepy than horrifying, unlike a lot of Moreno-Garcia's work.

I went into this not truly knowing how creepy the story was going to be because my skin still crawls thinking back to Mexican Gothic. However, I was pleasantly surprised!
Told against the backdrop of the Caste War of the Yucatán, Silvia Moreno-Garcia tells the story of Doctor Moreau if he had a daughter and if his lab was in the jungle of Yuxcatun during the time of revolts/war.
Carlota, the daughter of Dr Moreau is an only child. Her mother died during childbirth so it’s only ever been her, the doctor, Ramona, and the hybrids. She was a very sickly child, so the doctor has always treated her as if she were fragile. Carlota is curious about the outside world, beyond the walls of the estate and also about her mother. She knows that her father is getting on in age and his health is wavering, and this scares her. She wants to be more involved with caring for the hybrids, who she considers her family, but the doctor keeps secrets from her. This makes Carlota extremely frustrated and angry. She and the new mayardomo, Montgomery, just cannot seem to get along and continuously bump heads, but like everyone else in her life, she’s come to depend on him and to trust him.
Then one day, everything starts changing and Carlota’s life is turned upside down, Now she has choices and options when before she had none. And just like that, everything in her life changed once AGAIN, but this time instead of options, she feels backed into a corner. The worst thing she could imagine was coming true and all she knew was that she had to save herself and the only family she had.
I really enjoyed this reimagine or extension of Orwell’s classic. But what I love most is that Moreno-Garcia always injects her culture into her stories. It gives them more depth and more meaning. Gods of Jade and Shadow is my favorite book of hers so far, I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Sci + Historical Fiction + Feminism Vibes + Classical Retelling = SIGN ME UP. Silvia Moreno Garcia hit this one out of the park and is my favorite retelling of H.G. Wells's "The Island of Dr. Moreau." This book is honestly not something I typically read, but Siliva is an auto-buy author of mine after Mexican Gothic. This was a refreshing pallet cleanse from my normal romance reads. After getting over all the terms I needed to learn and having a super hard time getting through with my dyslexia, YAXAKTUN took me a while to figure out. (thank goodness for the dictionary on kindles), I got hooked 1/3 of the way in. The main character is unique, and I enjoyed reading about her sad background story. Also, I was expecting horror and was surprised I didn't need to cringe through this one. This would have been a five-star for me if it weren't for all the complicated language. Of course, it has some action, but this is not what I expected.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

For the most part I enjoyed this novel, though at times it felt like nothing was happening (and then towards the end, everything at once). Admittedly I didn't enjoy [book:Velvet Was the Night|54746205] and after hearing the "twist" to [book:Mexican Gothic|53152636] I decided to pass on reading it. I'm glad I read this one however and it felt mostly held my attention.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic retelling of the Island of Doctor Moreau! Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of Mexican Gothic, Certain Dark Things and Velvet Was the Night. She is known for her fantastic gothic-like, atmospheric descriptions and of course, stories based in Mexico. Signal To Noise was her debut novel and I have loved her ever since!

I wasn't totally familiar with this classic tale and preferred to go in blind. The novel introduces us to young Carlota Moreau living in the Yucatán peninsula in the late 1870's. She is the adult daughter of Dr. Moreau and lives with her housekeeper and the hybrids--half animal /human creations of her father peacefully. The story picks up when Montgomery Laughton is hired on to assist the doctor and his interference leads to disastrous results. If you like a slow burn, science fiction tales and historical retelling, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is for you! #NetGalley
#RandomHouse #DelRay #Ballantine

Carlota is the pampered and sheltered daughter of Dr. Moreau, a genius scientist whose work on hybrids brought about the patronage of the Lizalde family. When Carlota is 16, Montgomery Laughton comes to the estate on the Yucatan to assist in running the secluded estate. He helps Dr. Moreau, comes to care for Carlota and the hybrids too. But six years after his arrival, everything changes when the son of Dr. Moreau’s patron comes to visit and is enthralled by Carlota’s otherworldly beauty and grace. The catastrophic events that are set in place with his appearance are intriguing and frightening.

Moreno-Garcia has yet again crafted a masterpiece - I would not call this horror, more science-fiction with a healthy dose of creep! The characters are fascinating and her ability to dissect and create something entirely new from a classic is masterful. Well done!

A decent enough little retelling story but it just never really clicked with me for whatever reason and I'm not entirely sure what message I was supposed to take from it. I think part of the reason I bounced off it a bit is because Carlotta was raised in such an isolated way she came across as younger than she actually was so the whole thing read a bit too YA for me despite her actually being 20 and this technically being an adult novel. It was also a bit too romance-focused for me which I feel kind of ridiculous saying because it's also definitely *not* a romance book but I would have really liked more page space dedicated to the hybrids and the experiments instead of Carlotta thinking she's in love with whatshisface. I'm about the most romance-repulsed person I know though so I'm sure it won't be a detraction for most people. It was miles better than the other 'daughter of Dr. Moreau' book I've read [The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd] but I'm starting to think that this particular retelling subgenre might not be for me.

Hmmm, how to start. This was interesting to say the least. I wasn’t really sure what the story was or what the ultimate message was. There was definitely some great flashes of storytelling and some intriguing moments but overall just wasn’t really for me. I think someone a little more into reading into thing would like the story better.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia for providing me an advanced reading copy.

One of my favorite genres to read is the updated, canon tale told from a new perspective. I remember reading Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea in college, and it was one of the few titles I returned to later in life. For those that don’t know, that novel tells the backstory of Edward’s first wife in "Jane Eyre": what drove her to madness and why he keeps her locked away. I recommend it for fans of the original story.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's "The Daughter of Doctor Moreau" gives a similar treatment to the classic by H.G. Wells. Moreno-Garcia resets the story in the lush Yucatan, and the hybrid human/animals have their sources in the creatures that stalk those forests, and Merida is the nearest city where one might find civilization. It is told in a close third-person perspective, alternating between Montgomery, the caretaker, and Carlota, the doctor’s “natural daughter.” The plot revolves around Moreau attempting to secure funding to continue his experiments by securing a marriage between Carlota and the son of his landlord and patron. However, all does not go to plan, putting the survival of the hybrids and others at risk.

I enjoyed this retelling a great deal, particularly since I have visited the part of the world where it is set and walked the streets of Merida. The details of the setting were vibrant and realistic. The nods were there to Wells, but Moreno-Garcia made the story entirely her own. The themes of identity, trust, and paternity run throughout. Who is really your family? How are those bonds forged? To whom do you owe allegiance? Carlota has to face all these questions as she matures and learns who she really is.

This is the first book of Moreno-Garcia's I have read, and I can’t wait to go back and read her other titles when I have the chance. I would recommend this to fans of H.G. Wells, fans of historical fiction, and anyone who likes a little macabre and creepiness in their sort-of-romantic (but not the whole book) fiction.

I received this title as an ARC from NetGalley.

This was a slow burn for me. It took me a while to get into, especially compared to Moreno-Garcia's previous novels Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was The Night, and for the first third I found the plot to be almost entirely predictable (note: I've never read H. G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau, so that's not why!).

While I don't think the predictability ever vanished - I'll try to be deliberately vague, so all I'll say is that I thought the 'secret' about Carlota, the titular character, was anything but - I found myself more and more drawn into the story, especially once the Lizaldes showed up. I flew through the last two-thirds in one sitting, to the point that I was surprised and a little disappointed to hit the end.

I'm not entirely sure how to position it - unlike her other works I'm familiar with, it's not a gothic horror novel nor a straight thriller. I guess I'd characterize it as historical fiction with a magical realism / sci-fi bent. I really enjoyed the historical fiction elements - I learned a remarkable amount about the Yucatán peninsula in the late 19th century - and I admire Moreno-Garcia's ability to move across genres.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for my ARC.