I was definitely intrigued and excited to read this "sequel" to The Island of Dr. Moreau but this book was just slow going. It picked up a little when Carlotta grew up, but I never warmed up to any of the characters and had to force myself to keep reading.

This is my second Moreno-Garcia book and I’m a FAN of her beautiful story-telling. This book, which is a re-imagining of The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, really transported me and made me feel like I was in another world! This story takes place in the 1870s in Yaxaktun (Yucatán Peninsula) during a time where the Maya people are fighting for freedom. In a secluded estate, Dr. Moreau spends his days working on his science experiments which consists of creating hybrids - part human, part animal creations. The daughter of Dr. Moreau, Carlota and Montgomery, a British man hired to help around the estate are the two POVs that take us on this journey of historical science fiction and romance. The experiments are funded and supported by Hernando Lizalde, who’s son, Eduardo arrives at the estate which creates a domino effect of events. I enjoyed Carlota’s transformation as she realizes the power within her. 😍
Moreno- Garcia touches themes on the Caste War, class, colonization and exploitation.

This is a book where the ideas intrigued me more than the actual plot. I appreciate how deftly Moreno-Garcia ties together capitalism, colonialism, and eugenics, situated within a classic story that she has given new life. But the pacing was off for me and I didn't find it to be the propulsive read it should have been.

I love retellings, and I've enjoyed Moreno-Garcia's books in the past, so I knew I had to give this a try!
It took me awhile to get into the story; I think there were a few too many characters introduced early on, which made it tricky to dive in. But I'm glad I stuck with it--it is a compelling story with a great sense of time and place.

I was super excited to read this one after reading Mexican Gothic. I savored this read - the writing style is so unique and poetic. This is a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau which was super freakking cool. I have not really dabbled in Gothic Horror novels outside of Silvia's books but you will not regret reading this! It took me a minute to get acquainted with the setting and the characters, but once I did, this book really picked up the pace! I went back and forth with Audiobook and the e-copy and it was a super great atmospheric, spooky and intriguing read!

Moreno-Garcia excels at dipping in and out of genres with an evocative, descriptive style. Her work has much to say, and here, it was that sense of purpose that led the way. I wish we have a better sense of character, however. The commentary drowns out the characters and left me feeling distant from the reading experience overall.

Straight off her success with Velvet Was the Night and Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia comes out with The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. It is a retelling and a spin-off of the H.G. Wells' novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and has the basis of hybrids and a mad scientist with the addition of a few more characters, his daughter, Carlota Moreau, and a mayordomo named Montgomery Laughton. I personally never read the book that this novel is based on, so I'll be reviewing this novel as it is, a standalone of its own making.

Moreno-Garcia writes in a very, matter-of-fact yet enticing narrative voice. I was quickly drawn to and interested in the day-to-day actions of the hybrid creatures and Carlota's interactions with people outside of the estate that this novel takes place in. However, I felt that the climax of the novel quickly started and ended, starting with the whirlwind romance of Carlota and the new stud in town, Eduardo Lizalde, son of Doctor Moreau's benefactor.

Whichever the case, though I was a bit disappointed in the romance corner (Mexican Gothic is surprisingly adorable), I still cared very much about the side characters that appeared throughout the novel, especially Carlota's 'step' sister and other weird siblings. Moreno-Garcia should definitely write a book focused on action and thriller because I found the last few chapters of the book to be quite exhilarating.

In the end, I give this book a three out of five stars. I didn't find it enrapturing enough to stay up til 6 AM (like I did with Mexican Gothic) to finish the novel, instead just dragging it out during normal operating days. Hopefully, the next novel she writes will capture me once again!

Latinx heritage month may have already passed, but any time is as great an opportunity to support latinx authors, so I’d like to recommend a book I recently read and loved, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-García. It is a retelling of the sci-fi classic, The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells, that takes place in 19th century Mexico, in a secluded hacienda called Yaxaktun. With dual, contrasting POVs, we follow Carlota Moreau, the only daughter of Doctor Moreau, who is possibly a genius, most definitely a madman, and Montgomery Laughton, the hacienda’s mayordomo and Doctor Moreau’s assistant, who is a brooding British outcast with a dark past and a penchant for alcohol, as they navigate life in Yaxaktun.

Not only is it a fantastic take on a well-known classic, with a gothic, atmospheric approach that’s become characteristic of Moreno-García’s works, it is also a brilliant, well-researched exploration of colonialism, racism, class and resistance during the Caste War, of the vilification of marginalized groups, relations of power, subjugation and exploitation. It also navigates themes of ethics and religion, given the nature of the story it draws inspiration from, where a scientist plays at being god by creating human-animal hybrids, giving us an insight into the dangers of science gone too far.

Silvia Moreno-García manages to weave science-fiction and history to create an exquisite exposé of humanity, in all of its facets and with all of its nuances, while also presenting us with a tender coming-of-age story of a brown woman who grew up secluded from the hardships and strife of the Yucatán peninsula, who is just now beginning to question the reality her father has so carefully built around her, and gain autonomy as she sets out to try to find her place in a society that is not only so adamantly set against people of color, but also set against women.

This fantastic blend of science-fiction and history, combined with Moreno-García’s ability to write incredibly atmospheric, captivating stories, full of intrigue and with a well fleshed out cast of characters, make the read incredibly worthwhile.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is without a doubt a talented writer. She can write in any genre and is able to give the setting, atmosphere a role in the story as well. This is no different in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. Unfortunately, I struggled with this story from the beginning and had a hard time finishing. I might have enjoyed this one on audio more.

Rated 3.5 stars.

This had a slow start, like very slow. Once I got to a major plot twist in the latter half of the book, things went fast and became very interesting. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is always very engaging and lyrical. The setting sounded absolutely gorgeous and I seriously wish I had been there exploring. The historical aspects of it are always my favorite thing about Silvia's books. The overall plot just didn't capture me as strongly as her other books usually do. I would still recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of H.G. Wells's original story. and is interested in reading a story set during the time of the Caste War of Yucatán.

An excellent, well-written novel which takes the classic Island of Dr. Moreau and expands on that world, giving voice to his "daughter," his hybrids, and Montgomery. Garcia positions the novel in the Yucatán peninsula and brings in politics of the era. This aspect was only okay for me, but overall I really liked the book. I have never read the H.G. Wells novel and now I want to.

This is my second book by this author and will not be the last. Her writing is wonderful, characters are interesting, and the atmosphere created is the kind you don't want to stop reading.

I've loved everything Silvia Moreno-Garcia has written and this one did not disappoint. Excellent character development, great pacing, and just the right amount of action to keep me turning the page late into the night! If you've read H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, this is a dark, gothic retelling with a feminist vibe. I normally don't read anything sci-fi, but there's something about Moreno-Garcia's writing style that just draws me in. Excellent character development. I was slightly disappointed in the ending, I wanted a different outcome for 2 of the characters, but overall this was a great book that challenged my comfort zone.

I never read the classic story but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It is rich in historical detail and atmospheric.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I read her first book and I loved it. But unfortunately for the second book I had a hard time keeping up with the storyline. It's very heavy-handed on the traditions and cultures which is amazing to read but it overshadows the mystery of the book.

I am a huge fan of this author after reading Mexican Gothic, Certain Dark Things, and Velvet Was The Night. The characters in Daughter of Doctor Moreau were well developed and I easily grew attached to them. The story line moved well, and I was happily unable to predict the ending. I found myself unable to pick up another book for a couple days after finishing this book because I didn't want to move on.

I adore Silvia Moreno-Garcia. She has a beautiful writing style that weaves traditional values, culture, mythology, folklore, and story together in a seamless way.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau had an intriguing premise as a retelling of the original tale of science and madness. However, I felt that this story was too slow. I had a hard time staying invested as the climax built. Perhaps I was comparing it to too many of her previous titles, which I loved.

Although the pace is slow, there is a lot I still liked in this book, but it would not be my first to recommend to someone wanting to try this author for the first time.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This book started of slow when first reading it. This is a retelling of H.G. Wells The Island of Dr. Moreau which takes place on the Yucatan peninsula during the war with the Mayan people and the Mexican wealthy tyrants. This is a feminist view of the original story.

Carolata Moreau lives an isolated existence on the Yucatan peninsula with a few employees, her father and hybrid creatures her father created in the lab. It has a creepy vibe at first with the hybrid creatures. But as the story goes along you get a better understanding of the creatures they are a mixture of human and animal. Things begin to change when her father's patron who pays for all the research on the island is cutting the amounts given. He wants workers and Dr. Moreau wants to do more. Two men show up on the island one of them is the Son of the patron. He immediately has eyes for Carolata and Dr. Moreau sees dollar signs for his daughter and the son of the patron.

This part of the story was really good and I was surprised by the way it ended. I don't know the end was ok but something about it did not sit right with me. I like Carolata but thought her to be naive at times.

I was pulled in for most of the story but it still fell short for me. I know a lot of people will love this because it is a retelling of a classic story. It just felt middle of the road for me hence the 3 stars. It is still well worth reading it has its entertaining value. I recommend this if you like retellings and feminist view in a story. I don't want to scare people away from reading it like I said most of the story pulled me in I was onboard but in some areas it just didn't come together as I felt it should have.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine books for a free copy of this book for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was really slow. I have liked previous books by Moreno-Garcia, but this one just didn't do it for me. There were moments where I started to get sucked in, but then it would go on in too much detail about something unrelated to the plot line and my mind would wander.

I didn't particularly like or feel a connection to any of the characters. I thought the relationship between Carlota and Montgomery was a little weird. The only real connection I felt was between Carlota and Dr. Moreau.

The entire time I was reading the book I kept feeling like it was supposed to be an allegory for another story, but I don't know what exactly. Maybe there was a deeper, hidden message I missed which may have helped me appreciate the story better, but as was I was just ready to be done reading it.

It's an original feminist retelling of the old and much-adapted Doctor Moreau story, and it features Moreno-Garcia's signature dreamy and disturbing vibe. I've never read the H.G. Wells original or seen any of the adaptations, nor read any of Morena-Garcia's work before. I had high expectations based on the praise I've seen for the author's previous work, but it didn't end up being for me. I'm not a horror fan, and despite not being particularly horrific, it just didn't quite work for me, partly because the genre-mixing was so intense, and partly because I really didn't understand the themes of the original enough to catch what Morena-Garcia was trying to say with this re-interpretation. I think people with more familiarity with the original story and/or the author's previous work woudl probably have a better time than me.

I love this author and I couldn't wait to read this book- it lived up to the expectations! As with Silvia Moreno-Garcia's other books, this one had an interesting science fiction element, a strong female lead, a fun plot twist, and a vivid setting.