The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Narrated by Gisela Chipe

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9780593610015

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of the novels The Seventh Veil of Salome, Silver Nitrate, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and a bunch of other books. She has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (aka Cthulhu's Daughters). She has been nominated for the Locus Award for her work as an editor and has won the British Fantasy Award and the Locus Award for her work as a novelist. silviamoreno-garcia.com Instagram: silviamg.author

Reviews for The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

[smashbasile · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't hate this, but it needed something else. I don't know what. I did however feel more connected to the end and I was happy with the outcome.

[lisahistory · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story of the daughter of H. G. Wells's Dr. Moreau, who creates human-animal combinations on a secret island. Here the island is the Yucatan, so the animals can be from there and so can the politics. Although the beginning slumped after the introduction of Moreau's project, leaning toward a coming-of-age female love story, most of the novel was redeemed by the cinematic detail of the battles in the last third of the book. Considering it was written in contemporary times (even if set in the 1870s) I had hoped for more science and scientific explanations about the "hybrids", and there were some strange scenes where important things happened (like the death of a hybrid) but meant nothing to the story. A good book, just not as evocative of the moral horror that was so evident in Wells's original story.

[lisamlane-535627 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story of the daughter of H. G. Wells's Dr. Moreau, who creates human-animal combinations on a secret island. Here the island is the Yucatan, so the animals can be from there and so can the politics. Although the beginning slumped after the introduction of Moreau's project, leaning toward a coming-of-age female love story, most of the novel was redeemed by the cinematic detail of the battles in the last third of the book. Considering it was written in contemporary times (even if set in the 1870s) I had hoped for more science and scientific explanations about the "hybrids", and there were some strange scenes where important things happened (like the death of a hybrid) but meant nothing to the story. A good book, just not as evocative of the moral horror that was so evident in Wells's original story.

[nlwilson607 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars rounded up. This book took me about a third of the way to hook me in. The characters (once given the chance) balance a lot of layers and grow on you quickly once the book gets its footing.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Weird but good. Predictable ending.

[staffpicks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wells’ Island of Doctor Moreau is masterfully reimagined as a multiple genre work of science, gothic, romance, and historical fiction and as a coming-of-age story of Carlotta, the doctor’s daughter. They live in a secluded estate in the Yucatan peninsula. She knows little of the outside work and of her father’s work, his hybrid creations, and about her true nature, and his plans to use her to secure funding for his scientific research and work.

[lavaturtle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It took me a while to get into this one, because I kept finding one or both of the POV characters really frustrating. (Loti, so immature, imperious, and unwilling to see what's in front of her! Monty, stop lusting after a child!) But eventually they grew up a bit and the plot got exciting. I loved Lupe and Cuchito. And the ending was pretty good.

[kalliegrace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love SMG, and as I work through her books I've come to expect a slow build with intricate world building and fascinating characters. That's exactly what we get here, with the first half feeling largely like a historical romance, with themes of pushing back against racism and patriarchy throughout. There are sci-fi/horror elements towards the end, and it's such a satisfying build up to the conclusion.

[quondame · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This reworking of The Island of Dr Moreau resituates the story to the Yucatan, eliminates the castaway storyteller and adds an attractive intelligent if naive daughter and changes the science and still comes out as mostly dull and only livens up a bit toward the final 3rd with handfuls of action and sprinkles of sex. If the characters aren't bad, they aren't good enough to compel real interest either.

[lyndainoregon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Moreno-Garcia’s novel draws heavily from the H.G. Wells classis, relocating it to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and centering much of the story around the titular daughter, whose “secret” will hardly come as a surprise to any reader with even a passing familiarity with the original.

The elder Moreau is still a twisted vivisectionist with delusions of godhood, presiding over a flawed Eden where he himself is the serpent. If his daughter Carlota is Eve here, she is an Eve waiting for, not drawn from, her Adam.

The other main character is Montgomery Laughton, a British expat, and a man who is too broken to live and too indifferent to die, hoping that the dangerous jobs he accepts and the potent liquor he drinks will bring him the fate he longs for. Though he does not know precisely what Moreau’s mission is when he accepts a job as the majordomo of the isolated hacienda, he quickly figures it out, but accepts is with the same apathy that permeates all other aspects of his life.

Long on detail and short on action, the first three-quarters of the book drifts along as Carlota grows into womanhood and Laughton finds himself drawn to her, even though he knows the difference in their social status – if nothing else – makes a true relationship between them impossible.

Things begin to heat up as Moreau’s patron, who thinks the scientist is breeding a hardy species for fieldwork, threatens to cut off funding, and is further incensed that his ne’er-do-well son is so enamored of Carlota that he actually proposes marriage to the illegitimate, mixed-blood girl. Just how mixed her blood is, he doesn’t quite comprehend until the situation explodes into bloody violence. This is actually the only section of the book that lifts itself above the romantic torpor of the tropical setting, and then things drop back to a simmer as the survivors deal with the aftermath.

This one gets three stars. It’s not a bad read, but it’s not particularly exciting, either.

[catseyegreen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a loose re-telling of the H.G. Wells story The Island of Dr Moreau, told from the view-points of his daughter Carlotta and his majordomo, Montgomery. The pacing of the first two-thirds of this book is very slow but paints a lovely portrait of the Yucatan and the small estate where this book takes place. There is not much focus on the hybrids or Dr Moreau's experimentation but rather on Carlotta growing up as an isolated and confused teen. At the end of the book there is the introduction of Maya revolutionaries but this part of the plot is not developed.
I found the characters shallow and unappealing. The Wells book is not his best but I prefer it to this version.

Library book read 1/5/2023

[anniik_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

TW/CW: Murder, death, injury, sex, body horror

RATING 3.5/5

REVIEW: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a modern retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau. Although I have not read the earlier book, this book works perfectly fine as a standalone story.

The book follows Carlota, the daughter of the Doctor, who lives with her father and the hybrid creatures that he has created in his lab.

Honestly, I was a little disappointed by this book. Not a lot happened, and the big reveal that was supposed to be a surprise was something I figured out just a couple of chapters in. The writing is good,and it’s not a bad book. It has a lot of great atmosphere and the characters are interesting and well written. The plot simply seemed pretty slow to me and there wasn’t really a big climax or anything surprising that happened during the story.

I’m not sure I’d actually recommend this book, but other people might enjoy reading it.

[lisapeet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining, not super deep, but I liked that there were historical/political elements laid over the story (though I haven't read the H.G. Wells original or seen the movie) and the horror aspect was fun. The one thing that kept popping out at me me was her use of the word "tweak" (as in scientific experiments) in a story set in the 19th century... I know the word was used then to mean "pinch," but the contemporary meaning of changing something slightly I think wasn't around then. Anyway, that's me with my peripatetic editor hat on, splitting hairs. It was a good read.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reason Read: October f2f bookclub read
This is the second book by Silvia Moreno=Garcia for me and in this story she gives us a retelling of the Island Of Doctor Moreau. The story is set in Mexico with the doctor and his daughter and the hybrids. The message behind the story is one of colonialism and the Mayan people.

[whiskeyinthejar-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2.5 stars

At such times, Carlota, despite loving her father beyond all words, felt her heart twist with bitterness because the way he gazed at the portrait and that other way his eyes seemed to skim over her told her clearly in his heart his dead wife and child reigned supreme. She was a poor substitute.

I was excited to pick this up because as a youngin' in 1996 I saw the movie The Island of Dr. Moreau (I saw another review mention this movie and called it a “cringe fest”, lol) and the impression it made on me! I haven't seen that movie in decades and I can still remember scenes from it. So, good or bad, I had a foot in this world already and was ready to see the story told from the Dr.'s daughter. I did feel a twinge of disappointment when I saw the daughter Carlota was going to be sharing top billing with Montgomery, this is told in dueling pov chapters.

Not going to lie, the first 20% of this was rough for me, very tough to get into as we're just dropped into the world that is already in motion and with all the characters thrown at you, it's tough to gain a foothold. The good part, I was already familiar with the world, so I had an idea of what was happening. Montgomery is an alcoholic Englishman who drinks because he feels like he failed his sister when she married an abuser and is separated from his wife (he composes letters to her in his mind). He double dips in the vices and is also in debt from gambling to a Lizadle. Lizadle sets him up to work with Dr. Moreau. This is set in Yaxaktun (Yucatan) and when Montgomery arrives he's introduced to what Dr. Moreau is doing, experimenting with human and animal DNA to create, what he calls, hybrids.

Montgomery is drunk and desperate enough to stay and he's also a little drawn to Dr. Moreau's daughter, Carlota. There was a slight underlining ick factor as Carlota is only 14 at this time and Montgomery is 29. But then Part 2 jumps us six years. Set in this location and time period, late 1800s, the author adds in the secondary storyline of the Maya trying to fight for independence from the Mexican people. Lizadle is funding Dr. Moreau so that the hybrids he creates can be used for forced labor. Readers know that Dr. Moreau is trying to create the “perfect” human because of his grief over losing his wife and baby daughter to illness.

When Lizadle's son makes a surprise visit to the their little “sanctuary” and falls for Carlota, things start to unravel. Montgomery seems to have some jealousy he is trying to cloak as protecting Carlota, Carlota seems to genuinely like the son but also is trying to be a dutiful daughter and listen to her father over how important it is to marry the son so that she can secure the sanctuary's funding for the foreseeable future.

While I had a firm footing in the world because of previous knowledge and I think that helped with this story's more chaotic beginning, it also hurt how I'm not sure anything new was done here. The change of location and adding in Juan Cumux and the Maya's fight for freedom inspiring and nudging two of Dr. Moreau's most prominent hybrids, Lupe and Cachito, was too much to the side. The theme of colonization was strong here but I think the wildness of what Dr. Moreau was doing took the spotlight and so I felt left with secondary characters that felt like they didn't reach their full potential.

At 70% and Part 3 is when a secret about Carlota is revealed and again, since I knew the story, I already knew the secret. I think already knowing the story tampered some horror feelings, shock, and awe that this story can deliver. The end moves at a clip that after the slower middle felt a little uneven but delivers a satisfactory ending.

I would call this science fiction with romance notes but don't read this for those romance notes because it has a, very slight, Lolita twinge. I came for the daughter's story and I'm not sure I got as much Carlota as I wanted, she was still, mostly, Dr. Moreau's creation, and half the story was told from Montgomery's perspective. I didn't get anything new in this inspiration but newcomers to the story would have a different reaction.

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This retelling is my favorite of Moreno-Garcia’s work that I’ve read so far. You can probably guess the kinds of things that are updated—the perspectives of women and indigenous Mexicans in particular, even though one of the POV characters is the dissolute Englishman brought in to run the place so Dr. Moreau can concentrate on his experiments. It’s very humane despite the distressing things that happen, including hybrid suffering and death.

[shrike58 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If it takes two points to draw a line and three points to draw a curve, with the third of the author's quasi-historical novels one gets to sense certain trends; the social commentary, the environment itself being a character, the emphasis on women trying to work their out of way of constraining situations, and so forth. I feel rather limited on what I can say about this book, as while it respects the template set up by the original story of H.G. Wells, I don't feel like giving away any spoilers; how Moreno-Garcia messes with the template is a big part of the novel's charm. I would note that it the build-up to the climax is rather slow, but when it comes it is very satisfying.

[bibliovermis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating thought experiment on multiple levels—the Island of Doctor Moreau retold as an exploration of the history and effects of Mexican/Yucatan colonization, as a sci-fi story with some actual basis in science, and as a bildungsroman. As usual for Silvia Moreno-Garcia, it is sumptous and beautifully written; a book to dazzle you with wondrous colors and textures you've never before seen and that may never have existed.

[melaniehope · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had high expectations for this book especially since it is a reimagining of an old classic. However, it fell a little flat for me. I liked reading it, but now that two weeks have passed since I am writing this review, I can't even remember the ending. There was suspense and a buildup of bad things to happen in the story and then the ending was just blah...

Carlotta is Dr. Moreau's daughter. She has been isolated from most people her whole life and has grown up around her father's experimental animal/human hybrids. One day a young man named Eduardo arrives and becomes infatuated by her. Montgomery is the Dr.'s assistant. Although is a misfit who has drunk away any future, he would do anything to protect the hybrids and Carlotta. Unfortunately, Dr. Moreau is consumed by perfecting his hybrids and has lost focus.

The book is intriguing but was not anything fantastic. I received a complimentary e-book from Netgalley.com

[celticlibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Set in nineteenth-century Mexico, this novel is both historical and science fiction.

Carlota Moreau is a teenager who lives on the Yucatan peninsula in 1871 with her father, ostensibly a doctor, and a collection of hybrid animals that he has scientifically created. The large and beautiful estate where they live their secluded lives is owned by a wealthy family, the Lizaldes. As patrons of Dr. Moreau, the family controls the coffers and are owners of the hybrids -- part human, part animal. Everything is perfect in Carlota's eyes until she meets the owner's handsome son, Eduardo Lizalde. As secrets long buried are revealed, simmering passion and rebellion create a sequence of events that change everything.

The premise is based loosely on the H.G. Wells novel published in 1896 but the setting has been altered which also affects the action and theme of this book. I loved the details the author presented about the home they've named Yaxaktun. The characters were an interesting lot, but I was hoping for more of the science fiction aspect about the hybrids. The narrative shifts in point of view between Carlota as she grows into womanhood and the overseer of the property, Montgomery Laughton. At times that made the story seem repetitive. There were times when local conflicts and other historically relevant events could have been included to flesh out the tale, but it all seemed a bit superficial. It seemed that the deep plunge into the whys and hows was just not made so we are left with only a vague understanding of Carlota. I just wanted more depth in characterization and more about the vivisection. In any event, it was a quick and interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for this e-book ARC to read and review.

[opheliaautumn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia that I've read, and I'll be looking forward to read more by her.
The sad thing with reading an ARC PDF on the netgalley app on my phone is that I don't get to enjoy the beautiful cover, but the story made up for it :)
I enjoyed the setting and lush, vivid descriptions with historical facts, the two narrations/POVs, the overall plot- inspired by the Island of Doctor Moreau, and the commentary about ethics, colonisation and exploitation. There were not a lot of details about the doctor's process, probably an early version of genetic engineering, but enough discussions and mystery around it to give a sense of secret, visionary research.
I think I failed to fully connect with a few main characters, I wished Ramona was more fleshed out for example, but I felt like Carlota was vividly portrayed, enjoyed reading Montgomery's backstory and both were interesting to follow.

I want to thank NetGalley and Quercus Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[khenkins-687878 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

H.G. Well's Island of Dr. Moreau is here refreshed by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia. The author's political themes of oppression, colonialism and feminism are present, as they were in the stronger Mexican Gothic. On the Yucatan Peninsula in the midst of the rising conflict between the Maya and the European/Mexican settlers (based on the real Caste War of 1847), Dr. Moreau, funded by Eduardo Lizalde, has again sought to manipulate nature in his animal-human hybrids.

The majority of the hybrids are sickly and misshapen, in constant pain. A handful have fewer problems and are companions to Moreau's daughter Carlota. Through new majordomo, Montgomery Laughton's eyes, the reader sees the estate, the lab, and the beautiful raven-haired Carlota.

Much of the novel is told through Carlota's viewpoint, also, and thus the reader is given a picture of her isolated existence, resulting in a naive young woman. As she becomes more aware of her reality, the reader sees the suffering of the hybrids and witnesses her father's cold attitude while observing his “experiments.”And these beings simply want to be free.

A dominant romantic element, which I found unnecessary, evolves into a romance novel trope of two men – Montgomery and Lizalde's arrogant son – vying for the lovely woman. While Carlota has grown more self-assured, she remains the victim, in more ways than first meets the eye.

Moreau is French, Laughton is English – colonizers whose exploitation of other populations has shored up their crumbling empires. And although Moreau is supposedly only motivated by his belief in science, his patron wants labor-slaves. And Moreau wants the money Lizalde provides.

The strongest elements of this novel are the lush descriptions of the Yucatan surroundings, its sounds, scents, and the heady, hypnotic atmosphere that it creates. The twist at the end is not really surprising, especially to anyone who has read Hawthorne's “Dr. Heidegger's Experiment” or other more recent stories in the same vein.

I received this free ebook from PenguinRandomhouse via Netgalley. This is an honest review.

[ladycato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

I haven't read the original The Island of Doctor Moreau, and recall only bits of what the original story entailed; therefore, I approach this book on its own considerable merits rather than as a derivative work. This book is something of a character study of the young daughter, Carlota, and the hired mayordomo, Montgomery. The set-up: Doctor Moreau works at a remote estate in late 19th-century Mexico. He has created human-animal hybrids as medical marvels--though he has truly been hired to produce strong slave laborers for his patron. His daughter Carlota has been raised among the hybrids and considers them friends. The arrival of sullen Montgomery, a man haunted by lost love and alcoholism, only briefly disrupts the rhythm of the place. It is when the patron's arrogant son arrives and becomes smitten with Carlota that things take a decisive, dangerous shift....

The book is quite literary in tone, with a much greater focus on the interpersonal drama than on the science fictional side, which normally isn't my thing at all, but Moreno-Garcia's writing pulled me in. I found some of the major reveals to be a bit telegraphed, but the ending still delivered surprises and immense satisfaction. I knew very little about Mexico and the Yucatan during this period, and I feel like I learned some genuine history. The insights into state of colonialism there were both disturbing and enlightening--a more real horror than Moreau's creations, for sure.

[jfe16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review of Advance Reader’s Copy eBook

Deep in the jungle, in virtual isolation, Doctor Moreau lives at Yaxaktun with his daughter, Carlota, his housekeeper, Ramona, and the hybrids he has created in his laboratory. Carlota suffers from a rare blood disorder, but her father has found a medication that keeps her alive.

Hernando Lizalde, Moreau’s patron, owns the estate; he brings Montgomery Laughton to be the new majordomo at Yaxaktun. Despite his personal issues, Montgomery has remained at Yaxaktun for six years in order to repay the debt he owes Lizalde.

And then Eduardo Lizalde arrives at the estate.

Eduardo, taken with Carlota, makes no secret of his attraction to her. But when he asks her to marry him, the resulting cataclysm will touch everyone at Yaxaktun . . . and beyond.

=========

This narrative, loosely based on the H.G. Wells classic, “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” is set in Mexico in the 1870s during the protracted Caste War of Yucatán. There is a strong sense of place throughout the telling of the tale and an ever-growing tension underlying the unfolding narrative.

The political climate of the time, the unrest with the Maya uprising, and the science fiction elements in the creation of the hybrids combine to create a multi-layered tale of money, power, subjugation, ethics, and relationships. Carlota chafes against her isolation, the hybrids desire freedom, Moreau believes his work benefits both science and man.

As Carlota’s coming-of-age story evolves, readers will find much to appreciate in the telling of this tale.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley
#TheDaughterofDoctorMoreau #NetGalley

[readinggeek451 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau, set in the Yucatan Peninsula. Unlike the original, this is not horror. It's more fantasy, or perhaps science fiction, but not in the usual mode. Call it gothic.

Carlota knows no life other than her father's compound, surrounded by his animal-human hybrids, who are her friends and companions. She loves the jungle and never wants to leave it. But there are things beyond their control. And secrets she does not know.