DNF @ 60%

I keep reading Moreno-Garcia's books in the hopes of finding something else as amazing as Gods of Jade and Shadow. But between this book and Mexican Gothic I've come to the conclusion that I should stop reading her books simply out of author loyalty.

Moreno-Garcia is a very capable writer, and this book isn't objectively bad. So I don't feel good talking trash about it. It's just that the book didn't work for me.

The story will appeal to the readers who would like an atmospheric and slow-paced story that focuses more on the characters and their relationships with each other. Personally, I found the story very engaging for the most part. But somewhere around 50-60% I realized that the love triangle was at the core of this story and that made me very uncomfortable.

If the story was just a romance between the two MCs I would've enjoyed this book because it was very compelling. But certain things about the love triangle made me super uncomfortable to the point that I became super anxious every time I tried to continue with the story. So I decided it was time to say goodbye.

I feel a bit sad about all of this. Because I really enjoyed Gods of Jade and Shadow and I keep hoping she would write something else like that. But all of her books are so different, and it seems like the others don't work so well for me. I have the ARC of Signal to Noise as well but I'm not sure I'd want to try that one.

I was so glad I requested this, it intrigued me and Im delighted to say it more than impressed. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a reimagining of the classic Island of Doctor Moreau set in the late 1800's Mexico. I haven’t read the original source material myself so can’t compare fully (not sure why I haven’t as I’ve read most HG Wells, will have to read it now) but I know of it’s themes faith, science and humanity when playing with nature.

I thought the setting change to Mexico was such a unique and interesting change, as it meant Moreno-Garcia could use the Mayan struggle for independence and use it as a comparison to the place of women in society at that time which was so well done. I loved the journey Carlota goes on to claim her independence, power and the found family is just beautiful too, it made me so emotional. I just loved the twist, (no spoilers) it just made me even more emotionally invested.

Overall, this is simply a fantastic atmospheric read, one I can thoroughly recommend in a heartbeat

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

“Though looking at them one could immediately link them to wild cats, they also possessed human form, and he was left thinking of an Egyptologist who had once shown him drawings of gods with animal heads. Or else the carvings in ancient Maya temples where one could spy the face of an ancient god conjoined with a beast from the jungle.”

My thanks to Quercus Books Jo Fletcher Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I was also invited to take part in their blog tour.

As the title suggests this is a reimagining of H.G. Wells’ 1896 science fiction classic, ‘The Island of Doctor Moreau’. It is set on Yaxaktun, a remote estate on the Yucatán peninsula. The opening quotes a historical text that indicates that the isolated Yucatán peninsular was sometimes portrayed as an island.

The novel opens in 1871 and is told from two points of view. Carlota Moreau is fourteen and the only daughter of Dr. Moreau. A childhood illness is being treated by her father using an experimental serum. As she grows up she begins to ask questions about the secrets that have been concealed from her.

Montgomery Laughton is an Englishman who has arrived to take up the position of the estate’s overseer and to assist Dr Moreau with his scientific experiments. He is a melancholic with a drinking problem.

The fruits of the Doctor's labour are the hybrids: a group of part-human, part-animal ‘monstrosities’, destined to blindly obey their creator.

Having set the scene with the principals, the story moves forward six years to 1877, as their quiet lives are shaken by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming son of Doctor Moreau's patron. He unwittingly sets in motion a dangerous series of events. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I found this a fantastic reimagining of the original. The story unfolds at a measured pace, very much in keeping with literature of the late nineteenth century.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is undoubtedly one of my favourite authors and I appreciate how she effortlessly works across genres and doesn’t just seek to repeat her previous successes. I also admire her ability to describe her characters and settings to the point that I feel transported into their reality as an invisible observer. I was at times reminded of the art of Frida Kahlo though obviously here the settings were ‘painted through words’.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia uses the story of the reclusive ‘mad scientist’ to explore a variety of themes including the ethics of scientific experiments, the legacy of colonialism in Mexico, the subjugation of the native Mayan population, the rigid class structure and status of women during the period. There is also an element of romance that I felt was well integrated into the narrative. I did at times worry for Carlota given how sheltered her upbringing was.

On a side note, I adore jaguars and so was happy to see them featured in the narrative even though references to hunting them saddened me and reminded me of their vulnerable status.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau’ very much. In her Afterword, Silvia Moreno-Garcia gives details of the historical events that form the backdrop to her novel, specifically the decades long Caste War of the Yucatán in which the native Maya people rose up against the Mexican, European-descended, and mixed population.

Highly recommended.

Upon finishing this book I have just learned of the classic: the island of Doctor Moreau by H.G Wells. However I started reading this with no prior knowledge that this would be a reimagined version!
So where to start? Carlotta is the daughter of the incredible Dr Moreau. They live on a gorgeous estate where the Doctor conducts his research. That research happens to be creating animal and human hybrids. Leading quite a sheltered life, Carlotta obeys her father always and seeks to please him. But when the Lizalde brothers arrive at their home, secrets are revealed and drama ensues.

I was slightly confused from the beginning and pretty much throughout. I longed for the hybrids to be seen as equals to Carlotta. This part definitely tugged on my heart strings. But overall I just couldn’t get into the story line, which was disappointing. I think there is a specific audience who would love this story. Without giving much away, just not for me.

One of the things I like about Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a restlessness of topic and a willingness to play in genre sandboxes (I daresay a work for hire thing from the last ten years). This is exactly what it appears to be - a retelling of the Island Of Doctor Moreau with a feminist viewpoint and a slightly less tragic ending. What she takes and what she leaves from the original are up to her - the story is fundamentally the same but having the central character a woman devoted to her father who sees his experiments as normal gets us to question the relationship between a daughter and her father. How the hybrids also consider him, and the alcoholic Laughton too maintain the somewhat hands off view of Moreau from the original. And if you know the original you might be able to work out where exactly he got this daughter from...

Moreno-Garcia's other big move is to take us from an island to Baja California, considering its peninsula as an Island in itself. She wraps this up in a secondary story about Moreau's funding, and also gets to consider the hierarchy between native Mexicans. the European incomers and those who sit between - and the variety of hybrids created by Moreau. Very little of this is subtle, that's not really the point, its not as if Wells was ever subtle with this stuff. But it does mean that the eventual play out of the revolt has different thematic powers, and there is a solid dose of rousing wish fulfilment that you won't get from the original.

The Daughter Of Doctor Moreau is a bit of a throwaway experiment, fun in and of itself but slight. Whilst she does a good job at re-imagining the scenario from the original, it still follows the broad brushes and any familiarity with the former will give you some idea of what is going on with Carlotta. It is a text that bears revisiting though, and she finds a lot of pathos where the original had horror. But it doesn't give her enough of a canvas to really let loose. Fun, but not her best.

My love-affair with H.G. Wells started early in my life, thanks to Jeff Wayne's musical version of his novel The War of the Worlds. I only explored his other books later in life, but The Island of Doctor Moreau immediately captured my attention with its interrogation of moral responsibility, bodily autonomy, and, as Wells put it, "youthful blasphemy". Wells was furthermore quite anti-colonial in his writing, which comes forward strongly in The War of the Worlds, and because of this I was intrigued by how Silvia Moreno-Garcia would pick up his themes in her adapation of The Island of Doctor Moreau. I'm glad to say she entirely lived up to my expectations once again. Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is a complex novel, one of the earliest science fiction novels to deal with the motif known as "uplift", which refers to the process of one species trying to upgrade the intellectual abilities of another species through scientific interventions. It is a motif that immediately raises a whole mountain of philosophical questions about bodily autonomy, morality and ethics. A major theme in the novel, as well as in Moreno-Garcia's adaptation, is the question of pain. Doctor Moreau, in both novels, is not deeply concerned with the pain he is inflicting through his experiments and scientific advancements. His transformations from animal to man are far from painless for those he is experimenting on, but their pain is nothing in comparison to the knowledge gained. It is this question of whether the end justifies the means, whether the pain of "lesser" beings is truly of less importance, that echoes throughout both novels. Moreno-Garcia brings a new layer to this question by making the context of imperialism explicit. "Every day racism" exists alongside the deep divide between animal and human in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, yet they inform one another as well. Once we begin to draw lines between living beings, we run the risk of allowing cruelty for the sake of it. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau questions this idea of ownership and possession that is innate to empire and

Carlota is the daughter of the Doctor and for much of her life she lives a dreamy and isolated existence on a secluded estate. The hybrids are her playmates and her father is God. This is all shaken, however, with the arrival of the son of her father's patron, Eduardo. Brash, beautiful, and entitled, Eduardo's arrival throws everything into disarray, sharpening all the previously hidden tension. And furthermore, Carlota is changing. Something isn't right, but she can't quite put her finger on it yet. In the blistering heat of the Mexican desert, it all comes to a head. Written from both Carlota's perspective and that of Laughton, the British overseer who is running from his own past, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau asks crucial questions about self-determination and how our past shapes us. Carlota was a delightful character, so alive, so passionate, yet also sheltered from the world. Watching her confront the reality of her circumstance, the future planned out for her, was both heart-breaking and refreshing. Rather than making her lose her kindness or naivety, Moreno-Garcia finds a way to have her grow up and grow into herself fully. It was a joy to read.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia kind of blew onto the scene with Mexican Gothic, even though she had been writing consistently before then. What we loved about that novel was how she brought new depth to the Gothic genre with her piercing take on colonialism and Mexican culture. While writing exciting stories and deep characters, she also weaves in social commentary without overburdening the former. While Mexican Gothic definitely played into the horror lying under the surface of the Gothic genre, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau focuses on the cruelty of humans. Doctor Moreau's creations are not the monsters here. Much like Frankenstein, it is the boundless greed and ego of men like Moreau that reveals itself as monstrous. Add to this the colonial background of the time period Moreno-Garcia describes, she has once again created a novel that is at once a joy to read and also a book that asks complicated questions. Are we what we are created to be? Who gets to choose what you do with your life? Can your path be pre-determined or do you have a choice? While no novel can answer these questions, it can provide food for thought. Silvia Moreno-Garcia once again manages to walk the fine line between writing great fiction and making her readers think. I can't wait to see what comes next.

I adored The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and could not have asked for a better take on H.G. Wells' novel in 2022. Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to write amazing books of beautiful prose and thought-provoking plots.

4.5 upped to 5*
Silvia Moreno-Garcia excels at genre-hopping and I can’t remember one of her book as “bad” or “not valid”.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a slow burning book inspired by H.G. Wells’ “The Island of Doctor Moreau”.
It’s not a follow up or a spin-off, Ms Moreno-Garcia is inspired by the original book and deliver a plot that mixes horror with historical facts, feminism, romance, and interesting social and political remarks.
Carlota is a well developed and interesting character: a 14 years old girl who’s becoming a woman and is questioning what she sees around her. A well read and clever girl and an interesting human being.
The characters are fleshed out and interesting: you can love or hate them but they are never flat.
The tension in the book builds slowly and takes you to the last part keeping the attention alive and making you turn pages.
My only note is the repetition at the beginning of the chapter that makes it a bit too slow in the first chapters.
I liked the story as it’s riveting and gripping.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Jo Fletcher Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Sylvia Moreno-Garcia seems determined to write a book in every sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy and horror. She has taken on vampires in Certain Dark Things, powers in The Beautiful Ones and the gothic tradition in Mexican Gothic. Now she takes on and reinvents on of the slightly less famous books by HG Wells – The Island of Doctor Moreau. In that book, a mad vivisectionist is discovered on a remote island undertaking experiments in which he creates horrifying hybrids. Moreno-Garcia takes this idea, transplants it to the Yucatan Peninsula in the late nineteenth century and runs with it.
Moreno-Garcia’s version of this story is narrated in two voices. Carlotta, Moreau’s eponymous daughter, who has lived all of her life on the remote estate of Yaxaktun. Sick herself, she has helped her father with his research and to care for the group hybrids that he has created. And Montgomery Laughton, who comes to the estate as the major domo in 1871. The main action is set six years after Laughton’s employment, when the son of Moreau’s benefactor comes to visit and falls for Carlota. Moreau has a plan from her to marry him so that his financial future might be secure. But the imposition of strangers into the world of Yaxaktun, particularly those who wish to use the hybrids who live there, causes a chain of events that can only end in conflict.
Much like Mexican Gothic, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a slow, atmospheric build in a beautifully described landscape, with some very real historical detail baked in to the story. There are eventually revelations but the seeds of them of carefully laid as the tale progresses. This slow build also allows readers to really understand Carlota and Montgomery before the two are put to the test. As with all of Moreno-Garcia’s works while there is plenty of fantasy and mayhem, it is the central relationships, and in fact all of the heightened attachments, that drive the story and likely to keep readers hooked.
Moreno-Garcia showed in The Beautiful Ones her love of tales from this period. In The Daughter of Doctor Moreau she takes a story written in the late nineteenth century but recasts it, reinterprets it and delivers something familiar and classic but at the same time very modern.

Carlota is the only daughter of Dr. Moreau, a genius or a madman who combines human and animal 'essence' as he calls it, creating hybrids. Montgomery Laughton is the mayordomo brought to Yaxaktun to assist her father. Life as they know it changes abruptly and dangerously with the appearance of Eduardo Lizalde, the son of Moreau's patron.

The infusion of historical tidbits in the descriptions surrounds us with an aura of the time the book takes place, these descriptions regaling us with all sorts of information. If you like your details plentiful, this narrative was made for you. The tone is matter of fact, friendly and conspiratorial at the same time and quite enjoyable.

Carlota is living a confined existence in her father's home and laboratory which is all she knows. "She was blunt, yet charming" the book informs us. But also well-mannered and a little naive which makes perfect sense. She likes to learn about everything. Her father gives her limited access to his work, piquing her curiosity. Curiosity that can get her into trouble. Montgomery is melancholic and cynical, considered brave, and brought into this situation by debt. Alcohol is his refuge.

Each of their POVs represents them admirably but it does get a little annoying sometimes when we have to go back to get to an important point in the story from both Carlota's & Montgomery's side of events. It slows and hinders the pacing. Otherwise the storytelling is compelling. It is accentuated by a quiet power. The rhythm of their thoughts guide us through the way the characters see the world.

I really liked how the story gets turned on its head and you now read the book with renewed and even more interest. You knew the fuse would ignite but are shocked at how it happens. Explosive is such a small word for what transpires from that moment on.

The story is an allegory for the inequalities of society. It shows us prejudice, inequality between the sexes and of different kinds of people, of power and of money.

This is an inventive and refreshing twist on the tale of The Island of Doctor Moreau, with the backdrop of a 19th century Mexico, historical fiction with sci-fi flair.

After loving Mexican Gothic last year I have been eagerly awaiting Silvia Moreno-Garcia's latest story and it did not disappoint! The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a beautifully written science fiction-historical fiction retelling of HG Wells The Island of Dr Moreau. I was unaware of this until I got to the Afterword as I went into this blind, and I still very much enjoyed the story having never read the HG Wells classic.

Set in 19th Century Mexico, Yaxaktun is the home to Doctor Moreau, his daughter Carlota and his experiments 'the hybrids'. We also meet and hear from Montgomery, a troubled British man who is hired as Dr Morreau's assistant.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has such a way with words and the combination of science fiction, gothic and historical elements worked so well together and created such atmosphere I felt totally immersed in Carlota's world, I would highly recommend!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine/ Del Rey for a digital copy of one of my most anticipated books of the year in exchange for an honest review.

I need to go and read the original Island of Doctor Moreau now before I can comment on this! Ok- I’m back. I rated the original by HG Wells as 4 stars too but for different reasons. ‘Island’ gives more detail about the creations of Moreau whereas Silvia Moreno-Garcia gave less detail but I loved the much fuller context in terms of culture and the society surrounding them. I found it very much in keeping with the original and I am glad it wasn’t overdone- it could have turned into something more sensation but less satisfying. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Carlota Moreau, daughter of Dr. Moreau, a genius, eccentric scientist, is perfectly content in her home. That contentment is thrown into disarray with the arrival of Montgomery Laughton, here to assist her father with his scientific experiments, and Eduardo Lizalde, the charming son of Dr. Moreau's financier. This coupled with Dr. Moreau's hybrids, part human, part animal, leads to a dangerous, macabre mystery and a passionate love story.

First of all, I would read anything written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia the moment it came out, and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was exactly the same. I loved everything about this story. I loved Carlota as a protagonist, as well as Montgomery. I loved their relationship, unfolding with new characters and new drama introduced. I loved Carlota's complicated relationship with Dr Moreau, probably most of all. As you can probably tell, I resonated most with Carlota, her deep sense of responsibility, her times of childish naivety, her longing for her father's approval, both a contentment at home as well as the desire to see other things. I found this was less horror compared to, say, Mexican Gothic, and rooted more in traditional science fiction, albeit with a much more gothic, contextual twist. Underlying the entire story were the racial and political tensions around the time period which attracted me as much as the plot did. This was a beautiful, clever reimagining, and I would recommend it hands-down.

Carlota Moreau is the only daughter of a brilliant doctor living in a sprawling estate in the Yucatán peninsula. The fruit of the doctor’s scientific experiments, the hybrids, live in the shadows on the estate, completely dependent upon the doctor and his medicine. They all live in a perfectly static world, until the surprise arrival of Eduardo, the son of Dr. Moreau’s patron. A chain reaction begins with devastating consequences for the estate’s inhabitants.

Set against the backdrop of the sweltering jungles of Mexico, the author brings the reader into this bizarre world of the Moreau estate in her quintessential writing style. You can feel the oppressive heat and the sweat dripping as if you are standing alongside the protagonists of the story. I am a huge fan of Silvia’s books; each one so different in terms of subject matter but all perfectly tied together by her beautifully written descriptions of place and time and characters.

Inspired by H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau, Silvia breathes new life into this story, set against the backdrop of revolution at the beginning of the 19th century. Each of the characters are wonderfully developed and three-dimensional. Carlota is a young, naive woman, willing to do anything to please her father. The doctor is an arrogant man, obsessed with his work to the detriment of his subjects and daughter. Montgomery, works as the doctor’s mayordomo; a troubled soul, an alcoholic outsider, who earns a chance at redemption by helping Carlota and the hybrids. The hybrids, half-animal/half-humans, were fascinating to read about and I felt that in many ways they were in fact more civilised than the doctor and other male characters within this story! They are seen by their contemporaries as abominations but their only wish is to find a place of their own to build their community in peace.

Family, community, loyalty, manipulation, greed, expected societal norms, and gender and class divide are all handled with eloquence in this book. There are plenty of twists throughout the story and beautifully intertwined storylines to make this book a thoroughly enjoyable read.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If you haven’t read any of Silvia’s books, I highly recommend you check out this book and her other work as well. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for ARC. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau will be released on the 19th of July.

Blending historical backdrop with sci-fi elements, Silvia Moreno-Garcia once again delivers an amazing book. Beautiful prose and lovely descriptions pull in the reader, but it's the characters and their amazing portrayals that keep your attention in this book.

A combination of atmospheric plot, thoughtful characterisations and poetic, lucid prose, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an eerie and dreamily evocative read, and an examination of history, colonialism, philosophy and the power of science.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was a peculiar tale of found (or created?) family in a rural South American home.
The book opens with a young Carlota Moreau, the daughter of Dr, Moreau, their housekeeper Ramona, and what appears to be her two siblings Lupe and Cachito. The first few chapters, up until the six-year jump, were very slow and difficult to keep up with.
As the reader, Silvia introduces small clues as to what takes place in the home. Once the plot was underway, more characters were introduced such as Montgomery, Eduardo and Isidro and they kept the plot moving forward slowly. In parts, the prose was difficult to read due to the descriptive nature of what took place in Moreau's laboratory. It became clear that the doctor was experimenting, creating hybrids of animals the reason being 'medical advancements' but Hernando Izalde's funding of these experiments was to create reliable workers to use instead of slaves. To Carlota and eventually Montgomery, the hybrids were their family. Although they were not human, Carlota grew up with them and saw them as siblings. Their environment became more hostile with Moreau's desperation for Carlota to marry Eduardo, to further his funding and it appeared she indeed fell in love with him.
At the penultimate peak of the book, a revelation is made regarding Carlota and the hybrids having to find a way of escaping, fighting Izalde's men or risk becoming slaves and workers for him.
It was a difficult read at points and in others, it was slow and difficult to absorb. The premise and inspiration behind the story, the novel 'The Island of Doctor Moreau' by H.G. Wells, provided vivid and uncomfortable writing opportunities and Silvia Moreno-Garcia definitely took advantage of this.
Thank you for this eARC it was great to read.

Another genre bending smasher from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Part romance, part coming of age, part colonial sf horror but completely gripping and enthralling as always.

Real rating: 3.5

This review may contain spoilers.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells. I didn't read the classic, so my review will not be based on comparisons.
The story revolvs around Carlota, Moreau's daughter, and the events that lead to the revelation of the doctor's secrets. Everything begins to crumble when Eduardo Lizaldes, son of Moreau's patron, arrives at Yaxaktun and falls for Carlota.

The plot is quite slow. The story begins when Carlota is a little girl and Montgomery arrives in Yaxaktun to take the place of the old mayordomo. From there, there’s a 6-year time jump, which takes us to when Carlota is 20 and meets Eduardo. For most of the book I had no idea where it was going, because before the 70% almost nothing really important happens, except squabbles and flirting between Carlota and Eduardo. The narrative would certainly have benefited from a faster pace.

As in every book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the setting is the most successful, between the historical context well explained and the customs of Mexico. The atmosphere is perhaps what I liked most about the book, as it kept me glued to the pages (just like in Mexican Gothic and Gods of Jade and Shadow).

There are various clichés and situations whose result was obvious from the beginning, which made me roll my eyes as they are treated as unexpected plot twists - but which in fact are exactly what the reader expects. From this point of view I must admit that I was disappointed, because I found nothing that really struck me, except the relationship between Montgomery and Carlota. Montgomery’s feelings towards the MC at first seemed out of place, but the more you go on the more they are contextualized, and I must say that I was a little saddened that Carlota did not return the feelings - although on the one hand I recognize it as a good twist, any other author would have put them together (for sure they had more chemistry than Eduardo and Carlota).
The other big problem I had with this book was Carlota. Her characterization is not very consistent, as Carlota goes from naive behavior and on the verge of complete stupidity to moments when she seems smarter than the devil, and then back to doing bullshit five minutes later. This also includes the instalove between her and Eduardo. And I can understand that Carlota grew up in Yaxaktun without having relationships with anyone other than her father, Montgomery and the hybrids, but here we break through the wall of ridicule. They say they love each other after two days and act like they’ve known each other for months, when barely a week goes by. It would have made a lot more sense if her feelings had developed towards Montgomery, with whom she grew up - especially since at several points in the book Carlota dwells on him instead of Eduardo, thinking that he's beautiful, that he's strong, thinking about his scent... I mean, come on, it seems that the author has changed in the course of the work the relationship between the two for external reasons, because everything seemed to lead to a love story.

The only characters really characterized are Montgomery and Carlota, as they are the only with a pov, but all the others are just in the background. Moreau, Eduardo, Isidro, Lupe, Cachito, Ramona... they're just cardboards and although they have distinctive features the characterization stops there. And I was a little disappointed in that because for a book based on the story of Moreau and his hybrids, we see very little of the hybrids, even Lupe and Cachito, who are Carlota’s sister and brother.

I honestly hoped to like The Daughter of Doctor Moreau better, I had high expectations, but I don’t think they were all met. The only two things I really enjoyed were the setting and Montgomery, but the end result is relatively mediocre.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an ambitious reimagining of the classic Island of Doctor Moreau set against political unrest and turmoil of late 1800's Mexico, with a feminist twist.

Staying true to its source material, Moreno-Garcia examines the links between science and faith and humanity's place in and with nature. But unlike the H.G Wells classic, this story adds depth and nuances with the Mayan struggles for independence against colonisation, and the place of women in that society.

What I loved the most about this book was the main character Carlota claiming her power. For all her life she's been raised to be obedient and docile and to not only see her claim her rage and power as a part of herself and to then wield it as a weapon was triumphant. I wanted to be there screaming with her!

Lastly I loved the found family aspect of this book, the respect and support they show each other was lovely. The fact that a relationship didn't turn into a romance was also fantastic! Instead of taking an easy cheap out, the characters talked about their feelings for each other and developed an amazing friendship.

While I loved the open ending, I really felt like this book was lacking something. Whether that be some more Sci Fi elements or some more rebel involvement, I'm not sure. But because of that i will be giving this book a 3.75 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for the Arc in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.

Carlota Moreau had led a sheltered life on her distant estate far from any trouble on the Yucatán peninsula. Her days are spent helping her father with his hybrids, half animal half human creations, created to blindly obey the Doctor, and Montgomery Laughton an outcast who finds himself in the Doctor's employ. Their lives are quiet, simple and monotonous, that is until the arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the son of the Doctor's patron. Hid arrival sets into motion a chain of events that will change their lives forever, throwing everything they knew into the wind and bringing to light the true purpose behind the Doctor's monstrosities.

The story is told from the alternating POV's of Carlota and Montgomery. Carlota's story is that of a girl coming of age in a world she is wholly unprepared for. She finds herself constantly pulled between her wish to be a good daughter and her desire to see and feel things she hasn't been able to experience. She is naive and extremely curious, wanting to experience all life has to offer without really understanding the consequences. Montgomery is a jaded man. In debt to the Lizalde family after his wife left him, he went to work for the Doctor as a way to pay it off but finds himself interwoven in this bizarre family of humans and creations. He drinks to forget his past as well as to try and deny his future, but he is loyal to the Moreau's and is willing to do anything to protect them and the creations he lives with.

We also get an introduction to many of the hybrids that live on the estate. Creatures that most people would find monstrous. Part human part animal, none could truly survive in the human world but looks, as we always know, can be deceiving. These creatures have the same feelings, wants, needs, desires as humans do and thanks to both Carlota and Montgomery seeing them in a positive light, we as the reader feel for them and worry for their survival. The Doctor is the other main side character we get a view of and he is a man who believes what he is doing is right, damn the consequences. Genius often breads a certain type of person, one who is blinded by their goals, determined to make the world see things their way, and he is more than willing to cause pain to achieve his goals.

A big theme in this book is what it means to be a monster. Unsurprisingly, the real monsters in this book aren't the hybrids, but the humans who choose to fear them, the human who created them. It's a fear deep rooted in society, a fear of anything different, and once they see these creatures, they are determined in their opinion. But the creatures aren't cruel, they simply want to survive in a world that is not willing to accept them. It tells us that looks can be deceiving, and that it's not what's on the outside that makes us a monsters, but rather the thoughts that we have on the inside, our actions that truly show how monstrous we can be.

If you've been following me for a while then you know that Silvia Moreno Garcia is one of my all time favourite authors. Not only do I love all her books, but she is one of the few authors who has got me to read books outside of my comfort genres and enjoy them. The Daughter or Doctor Moreau is a science fiction novel with horror elements, though don't worry if you're a wimp because it's by no means overly scary. Through the story Moreno-Garcia shows us the plight of women, social and gender inequality. Having her books largely set in Mexico, through differing conflicts, she always brings an extra depth to her story and this was no different showing the relations between the Mexican. British and Maya rebels. This also added to the commentary of what makes a monster, the British being unable to see the hybrids as anything other than a servant or a threat, with the rebels on the other side recognising them for what they truly are.

With The Daughter of Doctor Moreau Moreno-Garcia has one again created a genre bending read filled with romance, social commentary and wondrously dynamic characters. It's plot twist may be easy to guess, but that takes nothing away from the shock factor and instead gets you more emotionally invested in the story line. If you enjoy atmospheric reads, writing that completely immerses you in the story and a setting that almost becomes a character itself, then look no further.