The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Bookseller recommendation

“A fantasy, adventure and even a bit of romance, this riff of the H.G. Wells century-old classic is a great read with a strong, intelligent woman at its center.”

— Anne • Newtonville Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Une fantastique adaptation de The Island of Doctor Moreau par Silvia Moreno-Garcia qui réimagine l'histoire se déroulant dans un coin isolé du Sud du Mexique en pleine tension coloniale et raciale et menaçant la tranquillité des expériences du docteur. C'est vraiment une réécriture du roman et non un prequel comme je me l'imaginais au début du récit. Il y a quand même beaucoup d'exploration de thèmes autour du désir (de Carlotta), de la famille choisi, de la religion, de la colonisation, de l'exploitation, des origines (Moreau est français, Montgomery britannique, Carlotta issue d'un Français et d'une Mexicaine, les hybrides n'ayant pas vraiment d'origine autre qu'un laboratoire et des parents animaux), etc. J'ai écouté ce livre en livre audio et j'ai vraiment adoré pouvoir entendre la narratrice du roman, Gisela Chípe, utiliser le vocabulaire espagnol pour les bâtiments, plantes (qui d'ailleurs, dans leurs énumération faisant quand même très récit scientifique), etc. et utiliser le plein potentiel des accents des différents personnages.”

— Nicolas • L'Euguélionne, librairie féministe

Bookseller recommendation

“As in her fantastic novel Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia has once again created a mystery that keeps unfolding into stranger and stranger shapes. An isolated little girl lives in both her father's wealthy, reclusive world and the company of the servants that run the remote estate where he performs his research. She is familiar both with his extraordinary claims and with the harsh reality of the partial successes he has had. She comes of age as forces both outside and inside push Doctor Moreau (based on the H.G. Wells character) to stake one last scientific gamble. Narrated with hackle-raising grace by Gisela Chípe, the story gains speed slowly but becomes a hairpin slalom of a thriller. Be prepared to listen to the last two hours at a sprint! ”

— Nialle • The Haunted Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“In her follow-up to Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia gives us another... well, Mexican Gothic. And an update of a sci-fi classic, no less! Yet this feels (fittingly) like an evolution, not a retread. The two point-of-view characters serve as wonderful foils, and the tension between them is gripping -- such a far cry from the perfunctory romances common in sci-fi. And it really is a will-they-won't-they: you feel at any point that it could go either way. Whether or not you're cheering for them to end up together, you'll definitely be cheering for them individually. Many secondary characters prove equally fascinating. Gisela Chipe's reading is among the finest I've ever heard, creating a recognizable voice for each character, with accents varying from European to Indoamerican. As in her other works, Moreno-Garcia embeds the setting within a well-researched historical and political context that adds both vividity and thematic richness. Doctor Moreau develops and broadens themes introduced in Mexican Gothic, finding overlaps between bodily autonomy and anticolonialism. The political and personal merge as the action slowly rises, ending with a cathartic, unsettling climax and a sweet denouement.”

— Graham • Next Chapter Booksellers