The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Release Date: 2022-07-19
- Genre: Historical Fiction
Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.
“This is historical science fiction at its best: a dreamy reimagining of a classic story with vivid descriptions of lush jungles and feminist themes. Some light romance threads through the heavier ethical questions concerning humanity.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“The imagination of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a thing of wonder, restless and romantic, fearless in the face of genre, embracing the polarities of storytelling—the sleek and the bizarre, wild passions and deep hatreds—with cool equanimity.”—The New York Times (Editors’ Choice)
FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, NPR, Polygon, Tordotcom, Paste, CrimeReads, Booklist
Carlota Moreau: A young woman growing up on a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of a researcher who is either a genius or a madman.
Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.
The hybrids: The fruits of the doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.
All of them live in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Dr. Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.
For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and, in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.
Reviews
It wasn’t what I expected
5By l.geexBeing completely honest, at first I wasn’t vibing with this book. I read the first two chapters and was ehh ok but something prompted me to keep going. I’m glad I did because I ended up pulling an all nighter on the 4th day reading. It was so good! Had the perfect amount of excitement. I loved it!Interesting!
4By WhitmbenDifferent than anything I’ve read before—in a good way! I preferred it over Mexican Gothic.Mesmerizing
5By Intervention OasisThe Daughter of Doctor Moreau is another hit from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This reimagining of the H. G. Wells classic brings together the strife of caste and class systems with scientifically engineered creatures set amongst dense and beautiful Yucatán jungle. Dr. Moreau’s legacy is always on the precipice. Sometimes the precipice of scientific revelation, sometimes the precipice of devastation. His beautiful, intelligent and kind daughter Carlota dotes on her father, his work and their secluded home deep in the jungle. The hybrids are her friends and her chosen family. When Moreau’s benefactor’s son and nephew visit Yaxatun they set in motion the string of events that challenge Carlotta’s views of family, science and society. Many readers will be drawn to The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by the title and the gorgeous cover design. I hope readers do judge the book by its cover and indulge in this fantastic novel.Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again!
4By starklr26Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my auto-buy authors so when I was chosen for an ARC of her newest book I was SO excited. This story is a reimagining of the classic- The Island of Doctor Moreau. Please Swipe for synopsis The beginning was overall a little slow for me. I’m not sure if it was the subject matter or the pacing but once things started to pick up I was IN. The story really revs up towards the last few chapters and the reward is completely worth it. There is also a ~twist~ that I did see coming, but it was satisfying to watch it all play out. There is so much depth to all of the diverse characters included, and is not just limited to the main two. (Carlota and Montgomery) They are each flawed in their own way which really allows you to connect with each of them. This story hits on topics such as the horrors of marginalization and colonialism in 19th century Mexico as well as the damage that can be inflicted on innocents by an ego maniac. There is romance, drama, action/fight scenes, but most importantly this is a coming of age story about finding the courage and responsibility to do what is right and the importance of family - whether it be the family that you are genetically born into or the family that you find along the way. I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey Publishing, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia for a free ARC of this book.
