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A review by chelsaat
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
emotional
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
4.0
Silvia Moreno-Garcia has done it again. I love that she’s able to tackle any genre and just knock it out of the park.
Here she takes on what I’d label “gothic sci-fi” in this reimagining of HG Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau. Here, Dr. Moreau works on the Yucatan peninsula and has a daughter named Carlota. Montgomery is still around as the trusty but troubled majordomo, and the hybrids - Moreau’s half-human, half-animal creations, evoke more pity than horror.
I loved how SMG twisted this tale into one of the perils of colonialism and playing god, something the original tale barely scratches the surface of. Setting this partly in Carlota’s POV also turns this into a tale of a woman discovering her own power, which I always love to see!!
My only quibble is that the writing is slightly detached, I think to mimic Wells and other gothic tales of yore. It took me a minute to get into the minds of these characters, but it did happen. Just stick with it, I promise. Part 3 in particular is nonstop…I’m still reeling from how the events played out.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Here she takes on what I’d label “gothic sci-fi” in this reimagining of HG Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau. Here, Dr. Moreau works on the Yucatan peninsula and has a daughter named Carlota. Montgomery is still around as the trusty but troubled majordomo, and the hybrids - Moreau’s half-human, half-animal creations, evoke more pity than horror.
I loved how SMG twisted this tale into one of the perils of colonialism and playing god, something the original tale barely scratches the surface of. Setting this partly in Carlota’s POV also turns this into a tale of a woman discovering her own power, which I always love to see!!
My only quibble is that the writing is slightly detached, I think to mimic Wells and other gothic tales of yore. It took me a minute to get into the minds of these characters, but it did happen. Just stick with it, I promise. Part 3 in particular is nonstop…I’m still reeling from how the events played out.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Animal cruelty, and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, and Xenophobia