THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published by Del Rey on July 19 2022
Genres: Adult, historical, Science fiction
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

The nitty-gritty: Evocative writing, authentic historical details and complex characters make Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest a must read.

“Montgomery was like a chipped piece of pottery. She couldn’t imagine he’d ever been whole, and his eyes, when they glanced at her, were watery gray. Not green and lush and full of promise like Eduardo’s, but the gray of storms.”

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest really surprised me, in a good way. I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially since I knew this wasn’t going to be horror, despite the subject matter. But considering the last retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau that I read was a comedy (The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory), I’ve learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to retellings, and this historical drama was another unique take on the H.G. Wells classic. Yes, there is a Doctor Moreau who performs scientific experiments by crossing human and animal DNA, and the “hybrids” as they are called can have animalistic qualities. But for the most part, this is a coming-of-age story about a girl who is forced to see the world in a different way, set in Mexico in 1877 and populated by a colorful cast of characters. With a bit of romance thrown in, plenty of drama, and authentic historical elements that evoked a certain lawless era, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an engaging and emotional story.

Carlota Moreau and her father live a peaceful life on the peninsula of Yaxaktun, where Dr. Moreau is secretly working on creating a workforce of “hybrids,” creatures who are a mix of human and animal. His work is funded by Hernando Lizalde, the owner of the hacienda, who hopes that Moreau’s creations will be a source of cheap labor. Carlota is allowed to help her father in his laboratory, and because of this she has made friends with many of the hybrids, especially Lupe, who she thinks of as a sister. Carlota’s life is mostly happy, but when she turns twenty, Lizalde’s handsome son Eduardo comes to visit, and Dr. Moreau has his sights set on marrying off Carlota, hoping that by becoming part of the Lizalde family, Moreau will be able to further fund his hybrid project.

But Eduardo wants Carlota to leave Yaxaktun and move to the city with him, and Carlota only wants to stay with her friends and continue to live her carefree life at the hacienda. When an incident with the hybrids threatens to put everyone in danger, Carlota must make some hard choices. 

Although I was a little disappointed that the hybrids didn’t take center stage in the story—they really are more of a background element—I loved the historical aspects and the setting of the story. Yaxaktun is more or less an island (which fits with the original story) so it’s secluded from many outside influences. I loved the tropical setting and the domestic and wild animals that roam the hacienda complex and the nearby jungle, and the theme of animals is important because the hybrids are part animal. The author immerses the reader in 1870s Mexican history but it’s all done organically so the story is never interrupted for a history lesson. She also uses the hybrids to show how the wealthy hacienda owners (or haciendados as they are called) looked down on different oppressed groups of people, like the native Mayans for example. Most of the characters in the story are at the mercy of Lizalde, who controls his workers by giving them goods and keeping track of their debt. I loved that there were so many “new to me” words in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. They added a wonderful flavor to the story and I couldn’t stop myself from looking many of them up because I was so curious!

Carlota is a wonderfully layered character with one of the best character growths I’ve seen in some time. We meet her as a young teenaged girl, where she lives an idyllic life In Yaxaktun (Yukatan) with her father, the people who run the household, and Dr. Moreau’s many hybrids, some of who have become close friends with Carlota. Carlota loves her home and can’t imagine living any other kind of life. At first she is naive and trusting. She loves her father and believes him incapable of harming anyone, even though he sometimes punishes the hybrids for losing control. When Carlota is twenty, Eduardo enters the picture, and she’s swept up in the idea of romance and marriage. It never occurs to her that marrying Eduardo will mean leaving her home, but that’s exactly what Eduardo has in mind. As she learns each harsh lesson, you can practically see her steeling herself against the world, disappointed that life isn’t what she expected, but still determined to make the best of things. I absolutely loved Carlota!

Montgomery, the majordomo who oversees the rancho, was another favorite character of mine. At first he’s not that likable, but he really grew on me, especially when we get to know his backstory. Montgomery is still pining for his ex-wife Fanny (and we learn the reasons she’s out of the picture). He writes letters to her in his head, which was a great way of sharing his feelings with the reader. He’s also struggling with alcoholism, which gives his character a darker, sadder edge. He and Carlota develop a sort of sibling relationship, which changes as Carlota gets older, and I loved the way they cared about each other, even though it was hard for them to share their true feelings.

There is a bit of romance, but it was used mostly to show Carlota’s growth and the typical things a young girl would feel when faced with a handsome suitor for the first time. Luckily, it doesn’t take her long to realize what kind of man Eduardo Lizalde really is, and while her attraction to Eduardo made me groan, I felt more invested in what was happening between Carlota and Montgomery. Moreno-Garcia doesn’t present your typical romance, though, and I was pleasantly surprised by how their relationship turned out.

There’s a twist of sorts about halfway through the story, although I suspect many readers are going to figure it out like I did. The last few chapters were full of thrilling action and high stakes, and when you get to a certain part in the book it’s almost impossible to put it down. I was so curious about how the author was going to wrap things up, and I was pleasantly surprised at the unexpected, bittersweet ending. This might not have been The Island of Doctor Moreau retelling I was expecting, but I am so glad I read it.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.