Book Review | The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Carlota Moreau lives in seclusion with her father and his array of human-animal hybrid experiments. However, their fragile peace is disturbed when their benefactor demands they provide workers for his haciendas and his son, Eduardo, becomes infatuated with Carlota.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a lush retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau set in the Yucatán peninsula.

The story is told from the dual perspectives of Carlota and Montgomery (a hunter who aids Doctor Moreau). I especially found Montgomery to be a compelling character since he is a man in debt who uses alcohol to self-medicate, and yet, he still cares for others. I also enjoyed Carlota’s character growth and seeing her slowly start to question her father’s authority.

I do want to mention that this story predominantly feels like a historical fiction. It wonderfully delves into and explores the issues colonialism and classism in Mexico during the 1800s.

This might be more of a personal preference, but my one complaint is that I wish the story had thrown more horror/mad scientist elements into the mix. There was perhaps one creepy scene of Carlota stumbling upon one of her father’s failed experiments, but I largely missed the gruesome and disturbing vivisections of the original.

Overall though, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is still a worthwhile read filled with vivid imagery and well-fleshed out characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Ray, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : July 19, 2022

Publisher : Del Rey

IBSN: 0593355334

Pages : 320

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