This retelling/expansion of a classic H.G. Wells novel stars Carlota Moreau, daughter of the genius (or perhaps madman) Dr. Moreau, in 1870s Yucatán, Mexico. When the charming son of Dr. Moreau’s patron arrives, the careful balance of his scientific creations is thrown into chaos.

I haven't read The Island of Doctor Moreau so I was missing some context, but I don't think it's necessary to read it to enjoy this book. It's super atmospheric and dark and transporting. I think it lagged a bit in the middle, but I'm glad I stuck around, because wow that ending!

I wanted to love this novel, but strangely felt apathetic to it all by the end. The characters were well developed and the plot was great. It took me back to the original Island of Dr. Moreau book and movie I enjoyed growing up.
There just seemed to be a little something missing that didn't bring me joy.
It was a solid read, full of details, just fell a little flat.

I have tried to read this book twice now and it is just not grabbing my attention. The premise is fantastic and I was really hoping that it would be a great fall read. I am having a hard time connecting to the characters and the plot is very slow. Not for me, unfortunately.

I'll be the first to admit, I should have read a few reviews, and maybe the blurb again before picking up this book. It was only after I was finished, that I realized this author also write Mexican Gothic, which I did not totally enjoy, and that's on me.

What the blurb isn't telling you, is that this is a coming of age romance. The story is centered around Doctor Moreau's daughter, and her becoming a woman, and discovering the true nature of men in her life, and in general.

It took me a month to read it because at no point was any part of the plot drawing me forward. It was interesting to see this take on Doctor Moreau, and the author paints a beautiful world, with ties to real life troubles of the area in historical lights, but the plot did not have any hook.

The last 25% of the book is where the 'action' happens, but is more of reactions, which falls flat. There are great bones to this story, it just wasn't the adventure I had hoped for.

If you are looking for a coming of age story, with twists this is a book that you'll love. Especially if you are interest in historical fiction based in Mexico books.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book.

This was such a lovely read! The way the story feels both naively optimistic and eerily sinister at the same time is just *chefs kiss.*

This is the third Silvia Moreno-Garcia book I've read, and I love the way she writes her protagonists and settings. Each book has been a slightly different genre (horror, fantasy, and sci-fi), but they all feel so real and atmospheric.

Overall, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is what I've come to expect from Moreno-Garvcia, atmospheric, and rich with descriptions of the particular place and time we find ourselves. The Yucatan is painted in all it's vibrant colors and tastes and smells in way that really put me in the middle of the story.

I also found the perspective shifts very interesting. The chapters overlapped slightly so we could see pivotal interaction for both perspectives as well as being in on what was going on off page.

I found the characters to be an interesting mix of sympathetic and flawed which gave the story a more realistic depth. I didn't connect as much with the romantic subplot as much as I didn't in previous books but I did enjoy both characters individually.

This hasn't replaced Gods of Jade and Shadow as my favourite Moreno-Garcia book but it was a fun read with quite a bit of atmosphere and depth.

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

A more romantic retelling of the original version of the Island of Doctor Moreau. There is also more emotions given to the hybrids and their predicament. The outcomes of the decisions made on Moreau's compound still turn out in such a way to give a clear connection to the original text. The historical Mexican context is also very well researched and used effectively in this novel.

I really enjoyed this! Carlota Moreau is an engaging, realistic protagonist, and I enjoyed following her adventures. The worldbuilding was fresh and exciting, and I loved the plot!

I have mixed feelings about this one.

I really wanted to love it—I’ve enjoyed the author’s other novels, but this one just didn’t grab me until I was about halfway through. The plot was slow, maybe less exciting than I was expecting, but the writing was solid and the characters were interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of the book! Opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: I haven't read the source material The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells.

There was a lot about this book that I liked, and I stayed up late finishing this book, but I just didn't love it.

Carlota Moreau is the daughter of Doctor Moreau, and with their mayordomo Montgomery Laughton, housekeeper Ramona, and hybrids, they've created a family on the Yucatan Peninsula in the 1870s, isolated from the rest of Mexico. It's at least a family for everyone except Doctor Moreau--he continues to see the hybrids as the result of his scientific work, funded by the Hernando Lizalde. However, their orderly life takes a turn when Hernando's son Eduardo arrives on their property. He and Carlota fall in love with each other, and he is shocked by his discovery of the hybrids.

There's a lot to consider and mull over with this book, from Carlota's agency as a young woman in 19th century Mexico, the treatment of the native Mayan workers, and the role of the hybrids--are they to be seen as workers, family, scientific achievements, or investments? Unfortunately, the story's twist, was not unexpected, but it was interesting in how it further increased Carlota's agency and autonomy. While I didn't love this book, I'm definitely looking forward to Silvia Moreno-Garcia's next one!

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU was one of those books that is going to stay with me a long time. The more time that passes from when I finished this one just impresses upon me how brilliant of a writer that Silvia Moreno-Garcia truly is. Her books have a way of grabbing me and thrilling me in ways I do not expect. As with Moreno-Garcia's previous books, the world-building was masterful, capturing all of the lushness of the Yucatan peninsula and the nuances of nineteenth century Mexico and bringing it to life in all its captivation. I loved the Frankenstein-esque storyline but let me be clear: THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is a refreshingly original tale. The science fiction angle of this one I wasn't expecting due to the author's previous works being horror, but I was 100% here for it. I adored Carolita's character arc throughout the book as she grapples with her identity as the daughter of Dr. Moreau and her place in the world as a young woman, and I was so gratified to see her come into her own through all the major twists of the books come into play. THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is a story about science, creation, colonialism, gender and race that will surprise and delight you as much as it did for me, and I continue to adore Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work!

This was a historical fiction horror book? Honestly I am not sure. But it was very good in parts but the whole of the book just did not work for me. I do love that it’s a retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was a decent enough read, but it was an extremely slow read at times. The story was also predictable and just couldn't keep my interest long enough. I usually read books extremely fast, but this one took me a few weeks.

Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

While I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, I have to say that the gothic style just isn't for me, which is unfortunate because I really like the way Silvia writes.

While I usually really enjoy Moreno-Garcia's work, this one didn't particularly grab me. I think I am kind of done with reimaginings of classic stories. This was fine, but not for me, perhaps.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was a book I was really looking forward to and I was so excited to have been approved for it via NetGalley. I like the original H.G. Wells story and I really enjoyed Silvia Moreno-Garcia's retelling of this tale. She has thoroughly made it her own. The setting and the characters are fascinating, but I think I was hoping for a little more sci-fi fantasy and body horror elements than what we ended up with. Either way though, this novel is well worth picking up if you love this author. I'm looking forward to whatever she decides to write in the future.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
By Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia is a sweeping historical fiction and light science fiction tale set in lavish nineteenth-century Mexico, that is the perfect read right now. This is also an HG Wells retelling from a similar title, The Island of Dr. Moreau.

I thought that the story was told well capturing Silvia Moreno Garcia’s creative story telling signature style of incorporating real historical events and the gothic style, with a motley crew of characters that will stay with you long after you have finished the novel. The story is atmospheric, dark, with horror elements that is just so exciting to read about – there are diseases, a sanitarium, and hybrids from research. Ooooh its so good, I really enjoyed this one.

I also enjoyed the narration of Gisela Chipe whose performance brought each of the characters alive in this gothic horror to die for.

This is a different take on HG Well's Island of Dr. Moreau centering around his daughter Carlota. The story takes place on the secluded estate located on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico as Dr. Moreau does his secretive work with human/animal hybrids which is funded by a generous benefactor. Carlota has never really experienced life outside the estate which she loves. Carlota has grown up here and her father's research has not produced the desired results. Carlota attracts the attention of a wealthy suitor which could be the answer to all their problems or it could end in disaster as the secret experiments of the estate are revealed. I was intrigued by the premise. This works better in some respects more than others. I think I would have connected to this book better had I more than a vague idea of the premise for the original it was based on. The conflicted young woman/romance elements worked well here but the whole Yucatan Caste War element was kinda clunky. Overall I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me this free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

A spin on the H. G. Wells classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, this book reimagines the doctor has a daughter and lives in a grand estate in the Yucatan, against the backdrop of political unrest in the 1800s. The doctor, however, is keeping secret and not delivering on the promises he made to his benefactor. When conflict arises, what will happen to Carlota and the residents of the compound?

I liked this twist on a classic story. The writing was very atmospheric, as I could feel the oppressive heat and claustrophobic air. I really liked the character of Montgomery, he was an interesting and relatable in midst of the chaos. I will say that I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but that didn’t decrease my overall enjoyment of the book. The ending made up for it. It was the right amount of suspenseful for me, without being too scary. Obviously if you know the premise of the original, you know that there is a little bit of body horror involved, but it is very mild in this version and definitely more historical sci-fi than horror. It is fairly slow-paced, with building foreboding and tension. This was my first Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel, and I definitely want to try more. Also, side note that is one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen.

I desperately wanted to love "The Daughter of Doctor Moreau" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, but it just didn't work for me. Turning one of the most famous science fiction/horror stories into a gothic romance is ripe for potential, but the plot just did not move. I can handle a slow novel, heck I can handle a slow novel from Moreno-Garcia, but something about this one just did not connect. I am disappointed, but Moreno-Garcia is one of the most interesting novelists working today, and I'm still going to pick up whatever she releases next!