This was an absolutely fantastical twist on the classic story "The Island of Dr. Moreau." It was gripping from the very beginning and found a way to put a fresh spin on this story. All of the characters were intriguing and I genuinely did not know where the plot was going to end up!

I loved Mexican Gothic and was very excited to read this book. I love the way Moreno-Garcia makes you feel like u are in her books. She is so good at setting the scene and creating and atmosphere you can feel. The island and the characters all felt real and creepy and I loved it.

Another beautiful genre-bending story meditating on magic, science, womanhood, colonialism, and marginalization. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a master at creating compelling characters that don't fall flat when confronted with complicated decisions. I loved how much attention to detail Moreno-Garcia put into ensuring that the setting and historical context weren't relegated to just the backdrop of the story. I loved reading this story, I buzzed through it as I did with The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina and Mexican Gothic, and I'm excited to read more from Moreno-Garcia!

Gorgeous cover as always! A loose reimagining of H.G. Wells “The Island of Dr. Moreau” set in the Mexico jungle of the 19th century. The story focuses on the Doctor Moreau, the Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Carlotta, and lives with the hybrids which is seemingly normal until Carlotta falls for her father’s Moreau's patron's son and chaos ensues. The story switches POV between Carlotta and their majordomo, Montgomery.

Silvia brings her beautiful prose once again but the book dragged and failed to grab me. The author did an amazing job of blending sci-fi/fantasy and historical fiction (the Caste War of the Yucatán). The vivid descriptions and historical pieces definitely enhances the readers experience, the main reason I kept reading. I didn’t find that Montgomery’s POV added to the story. The growth of Carlotta was good but the other characters lacked sufficient characterization.

Overall, Silvia continues to give us beautiful literature with an interesting premise, but the story lacked momentum and ended up falling flat.

Many thanks to Del Ray Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again. Set in 19th century Mexico and loosely based on H.G. Wells' book The Island of Doctor Moreau, she takes this sci-fi slow burn mystery/thriller in her own direction by adding the background of historical fiction that she does so well and brings so much depth to the story.

I love the atmosphere in this and the complicated characters that feel so fully realized you just become so immersed in the world she's created. She does slow burn masterfully, I can't put her books down, this one was no exception. She's truly a master of her craft and she reinvents every genre she explores in each book she writes to make it her own.

If you liked Mexican Gothic and Velvet is the Night, you'll like this one too.

Thank you to the publisher and Net gallery for the e-book advanced copy to review.

A reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau, set in the Yucatan Peninsula. Unlike the original, this is not horror. It's more fantasy, or perhaps science fiction, but not in the usual mode. Call it gothic.

Carlota knows no life other than her father's compound, surrounded by his animal-human hybrids, who are her friends and companions. She loves the jungle and never wants to leave it. But there are things beyond their control. And secrets she does not know.

I loved Mexican Gothic, but have felt that Moreno-Garcia's two most recent titles have fallen flat compared to it. Interesting premise, but found it was slow paced.

the second half of the book redeems the meandering first half
i liked mexican gothic because of moreno-garcia's ability to write really creepy stuff and this book didn't disappoint
however i just didn't get a consistently eerie tone throughout - the pace and the heightened sense of drama don't pickup until the second half, which made the first bit drag on
the concept of the hybrids/what makes someone human is super interesting
however the weird love stuff?? montgomery??? oh dear
overall pretty interesting pretty cool read

Going into this without knowledge of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau set me up for many fun surprises! Filled with unusual characters and set in the unexpected Yucatán peninsula during a tumultuous period, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an exploration of morality bordering on insanity. An amazing retelling with incredible additions. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created magic yet again!

What a imaginative tale based on The Island of Doctor Moreau. Moreau-Garcia sure likes a slow burn in developing her story. Lots of action and plot in the last third of the book. It’s lush book that has a dark side.

I love her take on the tale of Dr. Moreau. Her description of the landscape was beautifully written and it was interesting the time frame she chose to set it in. The colonization of Latin America and the fight the Mayans put up against it. A lot of reference to reference to enslavement and indentured servitude mention in the book, which was a reality at this time.

Dr. Moreau's creations are humanized, given personalities, and you learn the consequences of such experiments., Carlota, his daughter learns what she is really made of when her home, life, and family are threatened.

Human-animal hybrids, scientific research, adventure, gunfights, romance, and a strong female heroine all set in 19th century Mexico!

I've never read The Island of Dr. Moreau and now wished I had before reading this novel. I love books that reimagine the classics and I think I would have enjoyed this more with that background.

Thank you to Random House and Net Galley for this advance copy!

I love Sylvia Moreno-Garcia and was excited to read this. She did a wonderful job capturing the story from the point of view of Moreau’s daughter with a dark look at how wickedly cruel he was but how difficult it would be being raised by someone like that to see how wrong it is. It touched on the trauma of her coming of age and discovering the truth (won’t give any spoilers) and i felt great empathy for the creatures but none for him.

Beautiful atmosphere read with a haunting and disturbing background. After loving Mexican Gothic, I was hoping for a similar read. I was not disappointed! This is such a unique take on the subject matter. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a digital copy. This is my honest review.

Carlota Moreau is the daughter of Doctor Moreau. She has never stepped foot out of their homestead, Yaxaktun, in remote Yucatan jungle. Outside of the home's cook and the creatures her father has created, she has seen very few outside visitors. Montgomery, the new majordomo (house manager) arrives and the two become friends over the years (however, often antagonistic) as Carlota grows from a teenager to an adult. When a young man arrives at Yaxaktun harmony within the home is disrupted as Carlota becomes romantically involved with the son of his father's rich business partner. Their relationship sets off a series of events that will forever change everything and everyone at Yaxaktun.

The story alternates between Carlota and Montgomery's points of view, which endeared me to both characters a great deal. Vivid and lush landscape descriptions, references to the indigenous people of the land and conflicts during the time period, and the use of many Spanish terms, provide the reader with a real authentic sense of time and place. As I was reading, I often had to use my e-reader's built-in dictionary, language translator and links to Wikipedia to look up the meaning of terms.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is at it's core a story about family (chosen or biological) and who is worthy of your love and devotion.

Loosely based on HG Wells’ novel ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’, this story is set in the jungles of 19th century Mexico. Dr. Moreau, his daughter Carlota live with 29 “hybrids” (humans genetically crossed with animals).

Unfortunately, I was not a fan of this. The beginning was slow with a couple scenes being repeated using different character POVs which didn’t really enhance the storyline for me. The “twist” was also something I figured out early on which made the rest of the story tedious to read. The blending of sci-fi and history (The Caste War of the Yucatan) was done well; the descriptions of the land and conflicts were rich in detail. The story premise is great and the main characters were interesting enough, but overall the story fell flat.


**ARC courtesy of NetGalley & Del Rey Books

This was a disturbing story. If you know HG Well's The Island of Doctor Moreau, this will not be news to you but I was thrown off by it at first. I very quickly adjusted and enjoyed the social commentary that Moreno-Garcia is giving us here. The historical setting is wonderfully used and described. That is where the writing really shines. The heroine however was not quite like other of Moreno-Garcia heroines. I am used to her writing strong and ambitious heroines. However, here the story required a much more passive heroine and so it was Lupe, a side character that really embodied the typical Moreno-Garcia heroine. I would have loved a story that centered on Lupe rather than Carlota. On the other hand, Montgomery was the perfect flawed and broken hero and Eduardo was a great foil for him. I hope readers give this creepy and rather gross story a chance.

Another great read from Silvia Moreno-Garcia! I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints of the two main characters; they were very much opposites, while complementing each other seamlessly. The atmosphere of this one was also a positive point for me. I really felt transported to the 1800’s!

I also loved SMG’s commentary surrounding the themes of colonization, family, and traditions, which I have found to be central in many of her works.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The way Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes her books will never fail to make my head spin. This is already the third book of hers that I read and I still want more. I was completely immersed in her characters and setting. A multi-layered book that is difficult to put down. For me, this is an automatic 5 star read.

There is just something magical about every book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and this one is no exception. Just by flipping through the pages, I felt like I was there, in the heat and dust of the jungle and longing for the cool waters of the cenote. The book reimagines H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau with a dramatic setting in nineteenth century Mexico, stubborn yet dynamic characters, and layered social commentary.
The narrative alternates between two main characters. Carlota Moreau lives a life of moderate luxury on a remote estate. Her father, a scientist, strives to create perfect human-animal hybrids, and Carlota helps care for them, even regarding them as family. Montgomery Laughton, an alcoholic who wishes to stay away from larger society, works for the doctor. His labor and the doctor’s research are paid for by the Lizalde family. Peaceful life on the estate is interrupted by the Lizalde son, and secrets are forced into the light.
As always, the strength of Moreno-Garcia’s writing can be seen in the air of mystery throughout the novel, brushed over with her unique lyricism. I enjoyed the way her writing style immersed me in the setting. Although the political and social climate of nineteenth century Mexico is a clear inspiration, it is not the main focus but instead adds subtle context to the story, particularly in the interactions between the residents of the estate and the Lizaldes. The characters too are exceptionally well written. Moreno-Garcia hits that perfect balance of plainly showcasing a character’s thoughts and emotions while demonstrating motivations and values through their actions and dialogue. Carlota’s desire to do the right thing, out of affection for the hybrids, her father, and Montgomery, is not hindered by her initial naivete, and she truly grows and develops a keen sense of intuition.
As for the horror in this book, I would not say it is traditional horror. It is more like a toned down version of what we see in Mexican Gothic. This book may not frighten the reader, but it may provoke slight feelings of repulsion, especially in the way that the doctor and the Lizaldes regard the hybrids. What I like about Moreno-Garcia’s books, despite not usually enjoying traditional horror, is that she directs the reader’s feelings toward specific characters rather than simply aiming to create an atmosphere of fear. It is a very skillful way of incorporating social commentary into the genre. As a result, I highly recommend The Daughter of Doctor Moreau to readers new to horror, or even those who want to branch out into more genres within speculative fiction.