Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

57 reviews

hannahlee's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

As always with Moreno-Garcia, this was a very compelling read and a fascinating setting and plot. The themes of womanhood/personhood vs. monstrosity, civilization vs. barbarism, and chosen family are well explored in literature, but she puts her own spin on them. The story was gripping and the plot tripped along nicely, though there were moments where I wished for a little less overt symbolism, a little more leaving the subtext up to the reader to figure out. Still, Moreno-Garcia is unputdownable, a chameleon across genres, and always provides a fresh new take on familiar tropes, and a well-drawn, well-researched setting for her stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Blood, and Death of parent

mmmmkay's review against another edition

emotional mysterious fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Physical abuse, Slavery, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Infertility and Pregnancy

jupitermond's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and War

ta2dlibrarian's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another imaginative, historical fiction* from Moreno-Garcia that challenges our preconceived ideas about life, love, and the world we live in. A coming-of-age story in which a young woman learns the powers of seduction while simultaneously learning to shoulder the burdens and consequences of our loved ones' choices. 

The transformation shall be brutal, because it's always worse in that way for a woman, but if she survives it, oh how horrible and magnificent she will be.

*This reviewer has not read The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, and Blood

hanarama's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-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

4.5

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

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.

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.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent

taratearex's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Death of parent