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northernzephyr's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Violence
Minor: Slavery
mandysreadinglist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Set in the Mexican Yucatán, this is a story about a mad scientist, his human-hybrid creations, and his insidious intentions. It is also an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau, but with a fresh feminist perspective.
Doctor Moreau is a man of science and a purported man of God. Ironically, and hypocritically, though, he uses scientific experiments to play god over his creations, animal-human hybrids who he and his patron hope to use for slave labor. When the doctors daughter Carlotta starts asking questions about the world she has always known, she discovers a tangled web of secrets and lies—and must decide which side she wants to be on.
In SMG style, this story is oozing with gothic language, vintage fashion, complex characters, fast-paced action, and sizzling romance.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my auto-buy authors because everything she writes is golden. She uses beautiful images and paints stunning magical settings just with a few words. I love her style, and The Daughter of Dr. Moreau is as good as Moreno-Garcia’s previous works. This is yet another great and amazing tale from one of the greatest storytellers of our Generation.
Thank you to Netgalley for gifting me an eARC of this title. All opinions are my own.
Doctor Moreau is a man of science and a purported man of God. Ironically, and hypocritically, though, he uses scientific experiments to play god over his creations, animal-human hybrids who he and his patron hope to use for slave labor. When the doctors daughter Carlotta starts asking questions about the world she has always known, she discovers a tangled web of secrets and lies—and must decide which side she wants to be on.
In SMG style, this story is oozing with gothic language, vintage fashion, complex characters, fast-paced action, and sizzling romance.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my auto-buy authors because everything she writes is golden. She uses beautiful images and paints stunning magical settings just with a few words. I love her style, and The Daughter of Dr. Moreau is as good as Moreno-Garcia’s previous works. This is yet another great and amazing tale from one of the greatest storytellers of our Generation.
Thank you to Netgalley for gifting me an eARC of this title. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Slavery, and Torture
dori39's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Slavery and Medical content
sarah984's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was really excited for this book, but I struggled to finish it. Of the two POV characters, one was so passive that she barely did anything and the other was the most boring man in the world. When something finally happened it was summarized in three pages. Every romance was deeply stupid and the familial relationship with the hybrids didn't feel earned at all. The writing was nice on a basic technical level but I couldn't recommend this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: War, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs
erynlasbelin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I just kept assuming this was going to be a prequel to The Island, up until that became impossible. I wonder how my impression of the book would differ if I hadn't been working off that frame work for 90% of it.
I really enjoyed this overall, though perhaps a bit less than Mexican Gothic. It's hard to elaborate on why - the characters and their conflicts were all very believable, but I think there were simply too many of them, and some of the story seemed to drag out a bit too long.
I really enjoyed this overall, though perhaps a bit less than Mexican Gothic. It's hard to elaborate on why - the characters and their conflicts were all very believable, but I think there were simply too many of them, and some of the story seemed to drag out a bit too long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Cursing, Drug use, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and War
Minor: Infertility and Pregnancy
bookish_apothecary's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was drawn to this book due to the vibrant cover and horror tag. However, this one leans more toward historical sci-fi with minimal horror elements. It didn’t inspire any feelings of fear in me. Regardless, the story was intriguing.
The world-building was exceptional, the author’s descriptions bringing the hacienda to life in my mind. I could see myself wandering the halls and tending to the hybrids beyond the wall. But I couldn’t see the hybrids themselves. We spend very little time with the hybrids and more time talking about them. I did really enjoy learning about the Mayan culture and the history of the Yucatán peninsula.
Montgomery’s character was the most fleshed out, his past giving him layers beyond being a heartbroken drunk. Carlotta’s, on the other hand, felt like a missed opportunity. She was the doctor’s obedient daughter, unconditionally faithful and loyal. Until she’s not. There was potential here for a spectacular character arc that just fell flat. I wish we’d seen her start to have her own dreams and goals outside of what was expected. The pacing also seemed off. The first 2/3 felt slow and aimless, but the last third was fast-paced and unputdownable.
The story focuses on the ethics of creating sentient part animal, part human creatures for labor who can feel pain and emotions. It wants you to ponder who the real monsters are, the grotesque hybrids created for the sole purpose of being exploited? Or the clever human who created them to further his scientific research? Is it the haggard drunk who’s loyal till the end? Or the charming man who sees what he wants and will cross any line to obtain it? It also calls into question the role of religion, showcasing another example of how detrimental it can be when it’s wielded as a tool to control others and bend their will.
[eARC provided by NetGalley]
The world-building was exceptional, the author’s descriptions bringing the hacienda to life in my mind. I could see myself wandering the halls and tending to the hybrids beyond the wall. But I couldn’t see the hybrids themselves. We spend very little time with the hybrids and more time talking about them. I did really enjoy learning about the Mayan culture and the history of the Yucatán peninsula.
Montgomery’s character was the most fleshed out, his past giving him layers beyond being a heartbroken drunk. Carlotta’s, on the other hand, felt like a missed opportunity. She was the doctor’s obedient daughter, unconditionally faithful and loyal. Until she’s not. There was potential here for a spectacular character arc that just fell flat. I wish we’d seen her start to have her own dreams and goals outside of what was expected. The pacing also seemed off. The first 2/3 felt slow and aimless, but the last third was fast-paced and unputdownable.
The story focuses on the ethics of creating sentient part animal, part human creatures for labor who can feel pain and emotions. It wants you to ponder who the real monsters are, the grotesque hybrids created for the sole purpose of being exploited? Or the clever human who created them to further his scientific research? Is it the haggard drunk who’s loyal till the end? Or the charming man who sees what he wants and will cross any line to obtain it? It also calls into question the role of religion, showcasing another example of how detrimental it can be when it’s wielded as a tool to control others and bend their will.
[eARC provided by NetGalley]
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Alcoholism, Racism, and Physical abuse
kari_f's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“Hers was the water and the black soil and the trees and those birds in flight not because she owned them but because they had each other."
This was an interesting reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau that incorporates historical events and cultural ideologies from late 1800s Mexico.
💕Aspects I enjoyed: 💕
🐆 Much of the original premise is the same, where the doctor works on creating hybrid human + animal creatures. I love that we see some of them as primary characters! This allows us to examine what humanity really means, comparing the humanity of the hybrids against that of the humans.
🐕 There is a unique take on found family, and this is built upon throughout the novel.
🐐 There are multiple themes explored, including colonialism, gender stereotypes, racial inequality, and ethics in scientific experimentation.
🐆 The book steered away from some of the tropes I expected it to embrace, which was extremely refreshing!
🐕 The character depth and growth for the protagonist was wonderful to see as she grew in her own sense of justice and self-worth.
✨Some things I wished: ✨
🐐 I thought the book needed a bit more sci-fi material. For a story marketed as historical science fiction, I felt that it didn’t include much of the science. We come into the novel with the hybrids already in existence, and we don’t really learn much about the doctor’s theories or procedures.
🐆 While we get some depth and growth from a few of the side characters, I wish we’d gotten more of their perspectives and growth. I especially wish we’d had more from the housekeeper who watched over the household and a few of the hybrids.
Overall I enjoyed the book! I’m glad I read it, but there was a bit of spark missing for me, so I don’t know that I’d read it again. I’ll definitely be checking out other books by the author, though, as I thought her ideas were unique and her writing was engaging!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
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