The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Unpopular review here. I know, I know. Don't come at me. While Moreno-Garcia weaves a really eerie, beautiful and fantastical setting in this book with a well written plot, the book as a whole failed to keep me invested. I did like the characters, but the pacing and overall feel of the book just didn't keep me tied in. I'm P-R-A-Y-I-N-G that I haven't fallen into another reading slump, dear God. I just felt my attention flitting elsewhere whilst reading this one.

This was a slow burn for me. It took me a while to get into, especially compared to Moreno-Garcia's previous novels Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was The Night, and for the first third I found the plot to be almost entirely predictable (note: I've never read H. G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau, so that's not why!).

While I don't think the predictability ever vanished (I've been deliberately vague in this next statement, but just in case, I'll mark it as a spoiler) I thought the secret about Carlota, the titular character, was anything but - I found myself more and more drawn into the story, especially once the Lizaldes showed up. I flew through the last two-thirds in one sitting, to the point that I was surprised and a little disappointed to hit the end.

I'm not entirely sure how to position it - unlike her other works I'm familiar with, it's not a gothic horror novel nor a straight thriller. I guess I'd characterize it as historical fiction with a magical realism / sci-fi bent. I really enjoyed the historical fiction elements - I learned a remarkable amount about the Yucatán peninsula in the late 19th century - and I admire Moreno-Garcia's ability to move across genres.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for my ARC.

All you need is cash.

The original Island of Doctor Moreau (Wells, 1896) book that Moreno-Garcia is borrowing characters and concept from had a title character that was playing God, torturing sentient creatures, and traumatizing the entire cast of characters in the book.

Here, Doctor Moreau is doing the same thing but rather than testing the bounds of science and technology, he just needs money. The central plan is to sell Moreau's creations to the evil capitalist pig Lizaldes so they can use them for slave labor.

When that isn't efficient enough, Moreau decides to sell his hot daughter's hand in marriage to the Lizaldes, just to ensure his financial future.

This cheapens the existential horror potential of the novel. The creatures are reduced to a commodity instead of allowing us to be frightened for, or of them. The author wants them to represent the downtrodden but she doesn't go very deep. Moreno-Garcia did a better job of bringing out the terror of genetic weirdness and the patriarchal oppression angle in Mexican Gothic.

There's no need to take this seriously, however. This is just a shallow and fast-moving book that is mostly a love triangle with some feminist messaging.

Carlota, the title character, goes from obedient daughter and property to liberated superhero in one absurd and melodramatic moment. None of the characters or relationships are developed enough for me to invest in most of the storyline.

My favorite part of the book was the last few chapters, in which the conflict and action heat up and becomes a bit more of a page-turner.

There is not a lot of science fiction in this one.