Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

33 reviews

linblythe_pub22's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

This book is great. I prefer other books by this author but that's not because the book doesn't measure up. It's because she's used the vehicle of period romance/period adventure/scientific romance to communicate class politics, racial politics, colonisation, imperialism, capitalism, feminism and intersectionality. I love the layers and themes of this but the genre is not my cup of tea. But for anyone wanting to learn more about the above themes or simply interested in period romance/period adventure/science romance, you'll love this book. It is so well researched and put together so seamlessly. You can see the neat references to the real time period and also the Island of Dr Moreau by HG Wells. It's beautifully written and a great escape.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexism, Racism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Classism, Colonisation, and Death

jgalla's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Colonisation

Moderate: Classism, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Violence, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Gun violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Slavery

Minor: Pregnancy, Sexism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Child death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Rape

phantomgecko's review against another edition

mysterious 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? No

4.0

I enjoyed it. Don't really have notes.

Though, a small comment. I, being a romantic, did indeed want Montgomery and Carlota to come together in the end. But I respect the author's choice. Carlota was true to her character, and that's great.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, and Classism

alicelalicon's review against another edition

mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Grief, Violence, Body horror, Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal death, Misogyny, Gun violence, Racism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Sexism

Moderate: Slavery, Death of parent, Child death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Classism, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment

readwithbells's review against another edition

3.5

So I was expecting a different book than the one I got. This was marketed as more of a gothic sci-fi but it’s definitely not, it is a true historical fiction with some sci-fi elements that focuses on a woman’s position in the late 1800s on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. SMG’s characters are still immediately engaging and I really liked the use of the hybrids as a metaphor for race during the period. I just wish I had known it was going to lean into historical romance more than sci-fi because I LOVE her horror and was expecting that style of a book—to that point, the small bits of body horror in this book were great! I would have loved more of that. That’s not her fault at all nor is it the fault of the book and I definitely feel comfortable recommending this to people wanting a twist in their historical fiction. It just wasn’t what I was really looking for.

I’m also really pleased that SMG didn’t have Carlota fall in love with Montgomery. That felt vaguely icky to me at first but it was handled so well and I’m so glad she got to be the one to kill Eduardo!! That was a great moment.

I do want to add that the setup for this book feels like it takes forever but when it pays off it really pays off. I personally find most of SMG’s payoffs to be worth the wait, but if you are someone who wants to skip to the action, this might not be the one for you. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Body horror

Minor: Animal death

javafenn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

I would have finished this book much, much, much sooner if I hadn’t been dealing with health issues and small children. I have never read The Island of Doctor Moreau but I love that Silvia Moreno-Garcia took one genre and story then created a whole new story with a beautiful blend of genres. She’s excellent at creating these unique stories with a familiar feel to them. The book tells the story of a young girl who helps her father with his scientific studies without knowing all that he is truly doing as well as that of a young man who comes into the doctor and his daughter’s life when she was but a girl. Each does as the doctor’s tells them until one day it all comes to a very catastrophic head. All set in Mexico, Carlotta, Montgomery, and the hybrids must figure not only who they are but also what.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Blood, and Classism

Moderate: Racism, Misogyny, and Sexism

professor_jango's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective 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? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Racism, Classism, Medical trauma, Body horror, Trafficking, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Sexism, and Alcoholism

phantasmaboo's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? No

4.0

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau tells the stories of Carlota and Montgomery, one the daughter of a doctor performing science experiments and the other his right hand man. Doctor Moreau creates “hybrids” at a hacienda owed by a rich farming family, hoping to create the perfect worker. His experiments are extreme and the consequences for the hybrids are severe. Soon, however, his time performing experiments will come to an end, leaving disaster in its wake for the hybrids and possibly his daughter. 

I thought this book was another solid novel from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The characters were diverse and represented and fit in well with the time period of the book. I thought both main characters were developed well, although Carlota seemed to receive more care and attention than Montgomery did. I also thought that Moreno-Garcia did a good job setting up the time period of the book and basing it in actual conflict in Mexico. Obviously, not all aspects are true, but there was just enough to make the story believable.

The Lovecraftian elements were similarly easy to follow and understand, even if you’re not a fan of the genre. I had very little experience with Lovecraftian plot lines, but I followed along easily enough. 

Overall, I thought the book was good and if you’re a fan of Moreno-Garcia’s other works, you’ll probably like this one too. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Classism, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Colonisation, Violence, Slavery, Sexual content, and Death

birduh's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious sad 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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, War, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Blood

Moderate: Classism, Gaslighting, Medical content, Racism, Sexual content, and Slavery

Minor: Trafficking and Death of parent

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I really enjoy Silvia Moreno Garcia's writing and every book I've read of hers has been quite good. I'm not super familiar with The Island of Dr Moreau save the Simpsons parody of it, so I didnt know what to expect when I first cracked this book open (didn't even know this book was inspired by it when I first picked it up). 
Carlota did get on my nerves here and there throughout the book, she's young and isolated with her dad controlling her so she did some stupid stuff, but once she came into her own, I liked her a lot

her ripping Eduardo's face off to protect Lupe, immaculate

. 
I didn't like Montgomery thirsting over her considering he met her when she was a child and he is approx. 15 years older than her. Like a line I really didn't like was him saying she would make the best/most perfect/most beautiful prostitute. But otherwise, I found his character interesting in some aspects and liked the perspective his character brought on various social issues.
The hybrids were great! I wish we could've had more from them since what we did get was kind of wonderful.
I did guess the "twist" of this story correctly and was unsurprised when it was revealed, but it didn't take away my enjoyment of the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, and Misogyny

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Confinement