The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a mixture of wildness and youth, the line between animal and human, and many layers of violence. Set in a remote countryside, social turmoil lurks outside the estate and simmers within its walls. Most of the violence is just below the surface, a chimera of history (1800s Mexico) and science fiction. And the tension only increases…

I found the infusion of nature and animals fascinating and the worldbuilding easy to slip into, despite having not read the Island of Doctor Moreau. The pages flew by, especially toward the end. One thing about this book: the gothic/horror bits are just so casually there. It took a little while to haunt me (just a little bit) but in restrospect I don’t see how it could have been avoided. It’s a haunting historical-science-fiction, though it doesn’t feel like that at first.

3.5

I am grateful to have received an ARC of this book. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. This one fell a little short for me. I loved the first half, but felt it dragged in the middle and ending. The writing was still enjoyable and beautiful, but the story itself didn't hold my attention as much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! I wasn't too familiar with the retelling of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" prior to this book but the premise of it intrigued me enough to look into it. Moreno-Garcia's prose is stunning but I think the story was just not what I expected it to be. I loved her book Mexican Gothic but something about this book just fell flat to me. Personally, it might just be the subject matter and the animal experimentation aspect, but if you go into it fully knowing and expecting that, it won't be that much of an issue. This book seeks to answer a lot of profound questions regarding Catholicism and general ethics and how it pertains to life. Carlota was a little too bland and played into the typical naive main character archetype for my taste. Lupe was also very fascinating. The world-building was fantastic and the way Moreno-Garcia combines sci-fi with historical fiction was very well-done. Overall, I think this book just wasn't for me. I'm glad I read it and it was worth stepping out of my comfort zone for but I don't think I'd reread it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

A beautiful backdrop, a historical conflict, hybrids, and love. THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is a lush tale, with beautiful prose and an intriguing premise - a scientist in the middle of the jungle, creating animal-human hybrids.

When I picked up this story, I was expecting a science fiction story, with romantic elements. What I actually got was a romance novel with science fiction elements. But I wasn’t deterred, though it’s not usually my cup of tea.

Unfortunately, it took me until part 3 to like Carlota and I never warmed up to Montgomery. Unfortunate, as half the book is his perspective! However, Lupe was amazing and helped me finish it. Somewhat slow to start, the latter half of the book is a page-turner! Definitely worth picking up, especially for romance readers.

This is, unsurprisingly, a fascinating retooling of 'The Island of Dr. Moreau,' and Moreno-Garcia's typically lush prose is certainly present and accounted for. I didn't love it quite as much as 'Mexican Gothic,' though I think that has more to do with my antipathy toward the source text here, and the animal experimentation conceit that is always hard to stomach.

The story is an excellent reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau. He creates animal/human hybrids, who are much more human than monster in this retelling. But this is his daughter’s story, a character not in the original.

It’s told from two points of view, with chapters alternating between his daughter and the estate manager. I liked this approach. One picks up where the other left off; sometimes we see the same scene from a different perspective.

Like the author’s other books, this one is atmospheric and imaginative. I liked it a lot. Thank you to Random House-Ballantine, Del Rey Books, and NetGalley for my copy. This review was posted on Instagram via @readingbeagle today, and the link is attached to this review.

*4.5*
Thank you Net Galley and Random House for providing me with a digital ARC for an honest review.

<b>The Book at a Glance:
• Dual POVs
• Historical Yucatan
• Mad science
• Retelling of a classic
• CWs: murder, blood, injury, assault, medical content, racism, colonialism, body horror.</b>

Set against the volatile backdrop of 1800s Yucatan and the Caste War, comes a dreamy piece of speculative fiction from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Hidden in the remote settlement of Yaxaktan, Dr. Moreau plies his trade: manipulating flesh and genetics to grow animal-human hybrids, with the aim of producing an obedient and tireless labor source for his patron Hernando Lizalde. In his task, the doctor is assisted by Montgomery Laughton, an Englishman hired by Lizalde, and his young daughter Carlota.

Carlota wants nothing more than to live in Yaxaktan forever. She could never abandon her father or the hybrids for the wider world. However, something changes irrevocably when Lizalde's son arrives unannounced at the estate. Carlota's world is thrown out of balance and she must grapple with the consequences.

SMG presents a beautiful, moody tale that updates the original source material. The doctor remains similar to the original text: a man driven by his own ambition and hubris. He and Lizalde act as mirrors of one another, both commodifying and exploiting animals and humans alike. They represent a the tyranny that colonizers inflict on nature, and those deemed "less" human.

As a coming-of-age, the book grapples in large part with Carlota's view of the world shattering. We see her first as a young girl, and watch as she uncovers the truths hidden from her. This is a story about the loss of innocence and finding inner strength.

“An interesting family we are,” Lupe muttered. “Dr. Moreau’s twisted mistakes.”

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is set against the backdrop of real historical events that took place in Mexico (the Caste War of Yucatán, 1847) and is loosely inspired by H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau.

Doctor Moreau lives with his daughter, the help (Ramona) and his “creations” (the hybrids) in Yaxactun, an isolated haven that is essentially a hidden treasure in the middle of the jungle. His research is sponsored by the wealthy Mr. Lizalde, who hopes to use the hybrids as a work force. Unfortunately, the hybrids are sickly, deformed and in constant pain, despite Moreau’s persistent attempts to improve them. As Lizalde gets more and more inpatient, Moreau realizes that he is running out of time to provide him with satisfying results.

“Although I have made monsters, I have also performed miracles.’ ”

The star of this show is undeniably Carlota; and her journey to becoming a strong, independent, fully realized woman with opinions of her own is amazing to witness. Montgomery, the hired mayordomo, is an interesting character, too - and one full of contradictions and internal struggles.

Yet again, I am completely in awe of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s lush and mesmerizing storytelling. She is so good at breathing life into her characters and making the reader care about them and I love how her female heroines are always such powerhouses of pure energy and fierceness. Carlota’s coming of age is executed so flawlessly - we see her blossom and come out of her shell, starting to question things previously accepted without a second thought.

The backdrop of the story is fascinating, too. The conflict between the native Maya people and Mexican, European-descended and mixed population lasted more than 5 decades and made the peninsula a very dangerous place. The rebel fighters made their appearance in the story and end up being a key element to its conclusion. The book also includes some illuminating conversations between characters on the subject of the conflict, which I found super interesting.

Overall, this is yet another Can’t Miss Book from the author of Mexican Gothic and I can’t wait for what she’ll bestow upon us next!

Coming out this July, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a historical sci-fi coming of age story with transformation at its core. Moreno-Garcia’s upcoming novel is a gripping, plot-driven ride through the structures binding people in the late 1800s.

In an hacienda outside of Yucatán, Doctor Moreau and his daughter Carlota live largely cut off from the rest of the country’s political concerns. Moreau experiments with creating life, funded by a wealthy landowner who hopes that these studies will result in the creation of cheap laborers.

Carlota has grown up in this pastoral paradise, in love with her tiny world, in awe of her father and his dedication to the perfection of life. Heavy-drinking majordomo, Montgomery, has his qualms with the Doctor, but he’s paying off his debts and finds the work and solitude it allows agreeable. Everyone seems to be lost in their own world until the boss’s son comes to call, and the tensions and secrets simmering underneath the surface threaten to tear apart this idyllic existence.

Moreno-Garcia questions what it means to be a person, to become a woman, to uphold honor, in a system designed to respect and enrich the few by making the many dispensable. The novel touches upon the use of Catholicism as a weapon, the Mexican caste system, and the ethics of life, pain and autonomy. If this sounds like a lot, it is. Occasionally the transmission of these themes can be heavy handed. But the plot of the book sweeps you up and the setting is so beautifully developed that I honestly didn’t mind. My main wish was that the characters were more complex and unique (how could you be so naive, Carlota?!) which I think could’ve been done through more scenes between Carlota and her sister-like companion/one of her father’s creations, Lupe.

Ahhh I absolutely loved this book! It is rare that I will read a book with split narration and enjoy both narrators, but Sylvia Moreno Garcia did a great job of developing both Carlota and Montgomery. The world-building was also quite good and allowed for some really interesting commentary on colonialism, power, and ethics and how these topics interact with science (which I found especially interesting).
I definitely highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates strong world-building - and also just to anyone and everyone. The use of the sci-fi genre in a historical setting is quite unique and while I didn't expect the combination to work, it really really did.

I truly enjoyed Mexican Gothic which was my first introduction to Silvia Moreno-Garcia. So I was fairly intrigued to learn she had a new novel coming out, specifically a retelling. I was wary of the the sci fi aspect of the story as I am not an enthusiast of the genre, but the author created a perfect balance between historical fiction and sci fi.

The book itself hinted at many important themes such as colonialism (mestizaje), sexism, and classism. You have a female lead who is raised to be meek but will have to break out of her role when two strangers accidentally uncover her father’s secrets. The vivid description of the hybrids and environment provided this realistic picture of the coexistence between them.

The book was written from the POV of Carlota and Moreau, being able to see life in Yaxaktun from two perspectives. Another incredible book by Moreno, cannot wait to see what she does next.

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!