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A review by taylor_broek
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4.0
What an interesting science fiction-historical fiction inspired by The Island of Doctor Moreau by HG Wells (of which I haven’t read) Carlota is the MC & the book is set “at the end of the world” in southern Yucatan a peninsula of Mexico in the 1870’s. Doctor Moreau is a vivisectionist & has created hybrids out of humans and animals, using the essence of blood. These hybrids have had varying success and are very financially draining since he needs many jaguars and other animals to make them. He has proof that the investment is worth it though with his daughter carlota. Montgomery come to work for dr. Moreau since he is seeking the end of the world and is not afraid of wild animals. To the world the remote hacienda is a sanitarium but inside it becomes filled with many different hybrids that carlota grows up with and sees as family. Lupe, Cachito, Aj Kaab, Pinta, Aayin, K'an, all some mixture of human and animal plus Ramona the house keeper.
When two wealthy men come to town to determine his funding Dr Moreau decides to marry Carlota off to one of them, carlota is happy with this as she falls in love with Eduardo. How ever the other man has issues with the whole situation and presses Montgomery to send a letter to Eduardo’s father summoning him to come to the hacienda and stop what is happening, Montgomery happily agrees to deliver the letter because he secretly loves carlota and wants to protect her from the sleaze ball that is Eduardo. Shit hits the fan once the investor shows up and announces that carlota is also a hybrid & he will not let a marriage go through plus he is cutting off the funding and wants all of the hybrids to becomes his slaves. Carlota must not let this happen, she is heartbroken but will fight to save her family even if that means defying her father. a story with a wide focus on topics like ethics, misogyny, racism, romance, religion/ religious authority, power, dominance, family/found family, self identity, injustice, “humanity”, science.
The ending did feel a little clumsy but I was happy to see carlotas independence and self growth!
When two wealthy men come to town to determine his funding Dr Moreau decides to marry Carlota off to one of them, carlota is happy with this as she falls in love with Eduardo. How ever the other man has issues with the whole situation and presses Montgomery to send a letter to Eduardo’s father summoning him to come to the hacienda and stop what is happening, Montgomery happily agrees to deliver the letter because he secretly loves carlota and wants to protect her from the sleaze ball that is Eduardo. Shit hits the fan once the investor shows up and announces that carlota is also a hybrid & he will not let a marriage go through plus he is cutting off the funding and wants all of the hybrids to becomes his slaves. Carlota must not let this happen, she is heartbroken but will fight to save her family even if that means defying her father. a story with a wide focus on topics like ethics, misogyny, racism, romance, religion/ religious authority, power, dominance, family/found family, self identity, injustice, “humanity”, science.
The ending did feel a little clumsy but I was happy to see carlotas independence and self growth!