Reviews with content warning for Suicide - The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

11 reviews

dflemmons's review

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? Yes

3.0

I liked the historical setting and the way the science is sprinkled into the plot, but the pacing was a bit slow and the characters could be frustrating.

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musicalpopcorn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

A reimagining of the universe of Dr. Moreau, this book tells the story of his daughter and her first experiences with reality.

I had higher hopes for this story, but in the end I found it somewhat bland and predictable. While it was fast-paced, the story wasn’t anything groundbreaking. It was an enjoyable read, but nothing special.

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maebemerissa's review

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dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

2.5

🌶️ level: 🌶️/3
I LOVE Mexican Gothic by Moreno-Garcia, so when I read the premise of this book I was excited to read something in the same vein. This was not it for me, because the book felt pretty predictable. Dr. Moreau is a wanna be cult leader (an unsuccessful one), and he justifies his actions by saying he's trying to help cure diseases. He is clearly just trying to play God (think Victor Frankenstein if he didn't learn his lesson the first time around). Moreau tries really hard to keep his daughter in line (Carlota), and she stays blindly loyal to him to a very frustrating degree. All the characters seemed really flat to me, and there was a huge lack of character development. There is a bit of a love triangle, but the "love interest," is clearly a fuckboy, and the other love interest is...flawed. I was not feeling the romance. Definitely my least favorite book from this author, but not every book is going to be a win. 🧬👨‍🔬🧌

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vixenreader's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

Half of the book is more about atmosphere than plot. Be patient, because you will get a thrilling climax once you get over the hump and see how the author subverts Wells’ sci-fi classic in the best possible way.

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spicycronereads's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-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

4.5

This novel is loosely based on HG Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau. Like much of Moreno-Garcia’s work, the novel takes it’s time establishing characters, world building, and bringing the reader into the political context of the setting. And much like other work of hers that I have read, once the conflict of the plot is established, I didn’t want to put it down. There are romance, action, and science fiction elements that blend seamlessly into the backdrop of conflict between indigenous Maya people and European-descended landowners in Yucatán, Mexico.

The novel is a split POV between Carlota, the daughter of Doctor Moreau, and Montgomery, the mayordomo of Moreau’s scientific hacienda. Though we also hear Montgomery’s perspective, the novel is indisputably Carlota’s tale. Her narrative arc, including the challenges in her relationship with Lupe, drive home the horror of Moreau’s experiments. The references to eugenics add nuance to the novel’s backdrop against the Caste War of Yucatán.

I was waiting and waiting and silently cheered at the moment that she owns her power and uses it to save those she loves and to avoid the life in which Eduardo would trap her. Then when she manipulates the class-anxiety of her uncle to get her hopeful ending… *chef’s kiss*

Montgomery’s perspective serves most usefully to ratchet up the dramatic irony as his (sometimes drunken) observations of Carlota clue the reader in that there may be more to her story than anyone realizes.

Montgomery’s backstory gives the reader a sense of the possible tragic alternatives that Carlota faces. His trauma and unhealthy coping mechanisms drive home that colonialism and patriarchy are toxic for everyone.

The secondary characters of Lupe, Cachito, and Ramona add dimension to the novel, suggesting a model of chosen or found family that can be more caring and supportive than biological family.

If you are looking for a traditional romance plot and a neatly tied up HEA, this isn’t it. But if you want an atmospheric novel with action and romance, a FMC you can root for, and an ending in which the marginalized can thrive against imperialist forces, then I highly recommend this one.

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paulineerika's review

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Absolutely one of my favorite Silvia Moreno-Garcia books, if not my favorite. It's a fresh and engaging take on The Island of Doctor Moreau. The characters are wonderfully written (even if I did roll my eyes once in awhile at Carlota) and the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico, with all the themes of colonialism and imperialism and everything that goes along with those, was perfect. And I loved the ending--very fitting for the story.

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