The Daughter of Doctor Moreau: Book Review

Today, we will be reviewing The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a sci-fi historical fiction novel. Keep reading to find out what we thought of this novel and if you should add it to your reading list!

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Carlota lives in an estate in Yucatan with her father Doctor Moreau. He is a researcher who creates hybrids and has succeeded in creating some in the past but with some shortcomings. 

Montgomery is an overseer who Doctor Moreau hires and he is an alcoholic who drinks to forget his tragic past. The estate and Doctor Moreau’s research is funded by the Lizaldes. Doctor Moreau’s research is supposed to help the Lizaldes with their labor problems but so far, there haven’t been any results.

With the older Lizdale getting impatient, who Doctor Moreau feels the pressure and sees his funding decrease over time. But when the younger Lizdale visits the estate and is head over heels over Carlota, Doctor Moreau sees a way to secure more funding and be able to continue his research.

Montgomery has doubts about the younger Lizdale and fears that Carlota might be making a mistake. But when one of the visitors is attacked by one of the hybrids in a scuffle, the secret of the estate is out and the future of all the residents at the estate hangs in the balance in the coming days. 

Commentary

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was released in 2022 and is loosely based on H. G. Well’s 1896 novel The Island of Doctor Moreau. Critics and fans loved the novel and it went on to be nominated for the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novel and 2023 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite authors that I discovered in the 2020s and I will make it a point to read all her novels. This novel, like many of Moreno-Garcia’s novel, has a beautiful setting that she describes with great detail. And her cast of characters are fun and unique as always.

This novel was one of the better novels I have read in the past month or so which led me to reading it in two days. Whenever you read a novel by Moreno-Garcia, you know that there won’t be another novel like hers out there. 

If you haven’t read a novel by Moreno-Garcia yet, then you are missing out. Mexican Gothic is her most popular novel and it is definitely worth checking out. Both this novel and Mexican Gothic will be getting TV adaptation in the near future.

Conclusion

One of the things I love about reading is how an author is able to transport you to a location and make you feel like you are there. Moreno-Garcia is one of the best at fleshing out settings in her books and always makes me want to travel and visit these places.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a bold take on a memorable novel and Moreno-Garcia adds another incredible novel to her bibliography. If you like sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction, or horror novels, then you will enjoy this novel. Happy reading!

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