(4 / 5) The Daughter of Dr. Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
This book was an interesting and intriguing take on a classic character who doesn’t get much attention. Dr. Moreau and Montgomery (both men) are the main characters in the classic, The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells but in this novel, Carlota, gets top billing and is the main protagonist.
Carlota, is a hybrid created by Dr. Moreau and is part human and part jaguar but she is unaware of her unique genetics and believes herself to be the daughter of a local woman (who has since died) and her father, Dr. Moreau, with whom she lives in the Yucatan. Carlota, Dr. Moreau, Montgomery, and several other hybrid creations live together on a secluded hacienda but as Carlota begins her journey into womanhood, things begin to change and she starts to realize that her father has not told her everything about herself or the other hybrids.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes a coming-of-age story about a classic character living in a patriarchal society but doesn’t rely on traditional tropes about men, women, love, and proper behavior to limit the character development of Carlota. Rather, we see Carlota struggle with her situation but thankfully, Moreno-Garcia does not write her into the same old story of romantic love, male power, and female dependence. I enjoyed reading this book, it was quick and a bit of a page-turner for me. I also love when modern writers tell the stories of classic characters in a new way so this one was right up my alley.
Read on my friends!
-Haddi
TheBookWar.com encourages you to support local, small, independent bookstores whenever possible. If you would like to purchase online while still supporting independent bookstores, please consider purchasing from www.bookshop.org .
#thebookwar #bookstagram #bookblog #booklover #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #bookreview
