This is the #noshelfcontrolbookclub pick for September and a retelling of the H.G Wells story; The Island of Doctor Moreau which I hadn’t read before, but I had some idea of the story before picking up this retelling. 

The setting is 19th century Mexico, deep in the jungle. The descriptions of the setting is beautifully immersive. You read from two point of view, Dr Moreau’s daughter Carlota and then Montgomery’s the doctor’s assistant. It was interesting reading from their perspectives to get a different take on the events that happen as the book progresses. 

What I loved about this book is it is a hybrid of different genres, horror, sci-fi and historical fiction. And funnily enough it is about hybrids that Doctor Moreau creates, a mix of species that are part animal, part human. 

The plot is full of secrets that kept me glued to the pages. It also had gothic elements to it which I am always a sucker for in a story. It also has feminist themes and explores religion, morality, colonialism and science. As you can tell there are a lot of complex layers to it. 

It is quite slow paced, but you get a lot of character detail and depth and it made me emotionally invested, particularly in the hybrids. Lupe and Cachito were such brilliant characters! It makes you question who the real monsters are. The hybrids or the white, upper class men? 

The Daughter of Dr Moreau is a dark, complex and mysterious tale with vibrant characters and important topics. An extraordinary story that I highly recommend.