There's something comforting about Moreno-Garcia's work that I can't quite put my finger on.

The daughter of Dr Moreau is a loose retelling of the Island of Dr Moreau. I say loose as it moves away from themes of playing god (in short, taking the focus of dr Moreau) and inches more towards themes of found family and humanity (shifting the focus to his creations). This is cleverly set up against a backdrop of turmoil in Mexico, including a complex conflict against the indigenous and colonialist populations.

Like Mexican Gothic, this is a solid 3.5 stars for me. I enjoyed the experience but didn't consider it riveting or life-changing and would only recommend this book to certain people. Specifically, if you like Victorian literature and enjoy relative predictability in your stories/books that are what they say on the tin, love retellings and assertive female leads, and enjoy good writing these are exactly the books for you. While that doesn't quite apply to me, I see the merit.

Recommended if you enjoy things with Victorian romance/courtship vibes, enjoy stories of class struggles and betrayal, and love beautiful writing.