penguin global – Book Dust Magic

One sunny title: Sunkissed by Kasie West @PRHGlobal #partner #BookReview #Sunkissed

GIFTED / Today I bring you my review for a book that I have read twice already. Once before it was released, and second time recently (read: this summer). I enjoyed it both times which is not surprise since Kasie West is one of my all time favourite authors.

Sunkissed was published on May 4th 2021 by Delacorte Press and it has 304 pages. I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Avery has always used music as an escape. But after her best friend betrays her, even her perfectly curated playlists can’t help her forget what happened. To make matters worse, her parents have dragged her and her social-media-obsessed sister to a remote family camp for two months of “fun.” Just when Avery is ready to give up on the summer altogether, she meets Brooks—mysterious, frustratingly charming Brooks—who just happens to be on staff—which means he’s off-limits.

What starts as a disaster turns into . . . something else. As the outside world falls away, Avery embarks on a journey of self-discovery. And when Brooks offers her the chance of a lifetime, she must figure out how far is she willing to go to find out what she wants and who she wants to be.

Review:

Kasie West is my go to author when it comes to ya contemporaries. For years she’s been my favourite and by now I know with her books I can’t go wrong.

Sunkissed was entertaining, fun, fluffy at times and perfect pick to spend a relaxing day with.
I read it twice and enjoyed it both times.

The book was written in first person which made it so easy to flew through. Avery was a good narrator to follow and I have to say, she has good sense of humour.
You know who has even better sense of humour? Her sister. I enjoyed conversations between them and liked their relationship even more than Avery’s and Brooks (who is the love interest).

If you like music and happen to like music making, this story could be the one for you because it features the band and all the things that go along with it: writing, rehearsals, member fights, live gigs…

I wish we got to see more of family camp Avery visited with her family, and if the author decided to include at least one or two camp visitors as well, but overall it was a good book that I would recommend to ya contemporary summer reads.

Book Review: The Shaadi Set-Up by Lille Vale @PRHGlobal #partner #romance

The Shaadi Set-Up by Lille Vale book cover

GIFTED / Today I bring you a review for a book I read some time ago, and had so much fun. I hope my review, although it is brief, will make you notice it and give it a chance.

The Shaadi Set-Up was published on Semptember 7th 2021 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. It has 368 pages.
I want to thank the team from Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

High school sweethearts Rita Chitniss and Milan Rao were the golden couple, until the day he broke her heart. Now, six years later, Rita has turned her passion for furniture restoration into a career and has an almost-perfect boyfriend, Neil. The last thing she needs is for Milan to re-enter her life, but that’s exactly what happens when her mother, an unfailing believer in second chances, sets them up. Milan is just as charming, cocky, and confident as he was back in school. Only this time, he actually needs her business expertise, not her heart, to flip a hard-to-sell house for his realty agency.

While Rita begrudgingly agrees to help, she’s not taking any risks. To prove she’s definitely over him, she signs herself and Neil up on MyShaadi.com, a Desi matchmaking site famous for its success stories and trustworthy enough to convince everyone that she and Neil are the new and improved couple. Instead, she’s shocked when MyShaadi’s perfect match for her isn’t Neil…it’s Milan. Ignoring the website and her mother is one thing, but ignoring Milan proves much more difficult, especially when she promises to help him renovate the beach house of her dreams. And as the two of them dive deeper into work—and their pasts—Rita begins to wonder if maybe her match wasn’t so wrong after all….

Review:

I finished this book back in September and I am writing my review only now so I apologise it’s not as detailed as I promised it would be.

I got The Shaadi Set-Up via Netgalley when it was first published and I was so excited to read it, but as you can probably assume, life got in a way and it had to go on hold until now when I finally have more time to read and review (and go through all of my review copies).

I will be honest, as time passed I wasn’t as excited to dive into the story, but once I started reading I was swept away by how fun and good it was.
I had such an enjoyable time reading this novel. This was a romance comedy in all it’s glory and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Netflix movie based on it. It would be a good movie, let me tell you that!

The Shaadi Set-Up features love triangle and maybe it was obvious how it would resolve, but still all the scenes with “the wrong guy” were pleasure to read and some of my favourite scenes were because of him.

This romance has miscommunication trope, so I get why some readers would be bothered by it. I personally didn’t mind it.

I also want to state that this is own voices story and represents Indian culture.

Disturbing but slow: Monsters Among Us by Monica Rodden (Book Review) @PRHGlobal #partner #thriller #Halloween #Blogtober

Monsters Among Us by Monica Rodden book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I decided to talk about a book I read recently. Even though it is marketed as thriller and it does have thriller elements, because of it’s writing style it reads slowly so I would say it is dark ya contemporary.

Monsters Among Us was published on January 5th 2021 by Penguin, Crown Books for Young Readers. It has 400 pages.
I want to thank the team from Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

When Catherine Ellers returns home after her first semester at college, she is seeking refuge from a night she can barely piece together, dreads remembering, and refuses to talk about. She tries to get back to normal, but just days later the murder of someone close to her tears away any illusion of safety.

Catherine feels driven to face both violent events head on in hopes of finding the perpetrators and bringing them to justice with the help of her childhood friend, Henry. Then a stranger from college arrives with her lost coat, missing driver’s license–and details to help fill in the gaps in her memory that could be the key to solving both mysteries. But who is Andrew Worthington and why is he offering to help her? And what other dangerous obsessions is her sleepy town hiding?

Surrounded by secrets and lies, Catherine must unravel the truth–before this wolf in sheep’s clothing strikes again.

Review:

I picked Monsters Among Us because I was in a mood for something dark, and although not so dark but more depressive I got.
Still, because of the writing style with all the confusing parts written in italic, jumping from present to past and story told in third person, I couldn’t get into the story nor feel for the characters as much as I wanted to.
It also feels like the author more told us about Catherine’s trauma then showed us.

The book reads slowly (at least in my experience) because most of the time it was boring.

The story follows Catherine who comes back home from college after being gang raped. The book covers such an important topic, and I wish it wasn’t overshadowed by murder in the story.
Still, I appreciate how Rodden showed us different kinds of monsters that walk among us in every society.

I have to admit that, unlike other readers, I didn’t guess the big revelation and was little shocked by it. I guess that is a good thing.

Would I recommend this book?
I would to fans of darker stories written for young adults.

Book Review: Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey @PRHGlobal #partner #romance

Not like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I bring you my review for a book that I have read some time ago. It is part of the series and my suggestion is to read Waiting for Tom Hanks first. I enjoyed reading Not LIke the Movies so I hope my review will give it some spotlight so more people would give it a chance.

Not Like the Movies was published on July 7th 2020 by Berkley and it has 320 pages. I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Chloe Sanderson is an optimist, and not because her life is easy. As the sole caregiver for her father, who has early onset Alzheimer’s, she’s pretty much responsible for everything. She has no time—or interest—in getting swept up in some dazzling romance. Not like her best friend Annie, who literally wrote a rom-com that’s about to premiere in theaters across America…and happens to be inspired by Chloe and Nick Velez, Chloe’s cute but no-nonsense boss.

As the buzz for the movie grows, Chloe reads one too many listicles about why Nick is the perfect man, and now she can’t see him as anything but Reason #2: The Scruffy-Bearded Hunk Who’s Always There When You Need Him. But unlike the romance Annie has written for them, Chloe isn’t so sure her own story will end in a Happily Ever After.

Review:

I got into Not Like the Movie without knowing it was a part of the series. How foolish of me for not doing my research.
When it comes to romance genre, with every book following different main characters, they can usually all be read as standalones.
This one can also be considered as easy to understand on it’s own, to some point, but since main characters from the first book appear more then few times, and it is constantly mentioned what happened in that story, bringing and creating problems for characters in this, second novel, I would suggest to read the first book first.
I felt like I was missing out and it kind of ruined my reading experience.

The story follows a woman who has hots for her boss. And while I usually like that trope (or the idea of it because I haven’t read many books following it) in this novel Chloe acted too unprofessional to me with her constant comments but then when Nick would try something she would be all like “Oh no, we can’t. Bla bla bla, but you still have cute but and strong muscles and also, you smell like an old hot grampa”. Yes, I know.
I guess this is also age gap romance because Chloe had some comments about Nick being old, but it was never stated how old was he.

I didn’t like all the drama and characters finding excuses not to be with each other just so we can rute for them to finally get together.

Chloe’s relationahip with her bestie was also strange and it didn’t sound too healthy.

I could relate to Chloe who took care of her dementing father and having to deal with her absent brother. Their relationship with their mother was so complicated and I totally understand how it would scar them both.

The writing style was solid and the book reads quikly.

I would recommend Not Like the Movie but I would also advice to start with Waiting on Tom Hanks first.

Simply amazing: Book Lovers by Emily Henry @PRHGlobal #partner #BookLovers #romance

Book Lovers by Emily Henry book cover US edition

GIFTED / It is my pleasure to talk about one book I adored and would LOVE to see made into a movie: Book Lovers by Emily Henry. This novel was so good and although it is filled with cliches it is also somewhat different from your typical romance. It seems like this book is loved not only by romance readers, but readers who like different genres as well. I guess we can say Emily Henry really succeeded to make a masterpiece with this one!

Book Lovers was released on May 3rd 2022 and it has 384 pages. I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

Review:

If Emily Henry wasn’t on my favourite-authors-list yet, Book Lovers placed her there on the top.
I loved this book so much and I think this is her best work yet.
Her previous novels, Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation I adored, but this one raised the bar and now I now my expectations for Henry’s future books will be so high that I kind of feel little sorry for her.

The story follows Nora who says herself that she is the bitch guys leave to have their happily ever after with a small town girl.
Nora is a shark when it comes to business, loves her career and life in the city, but when her younger sister asks her to visit a small town called Sunshine Falls together, she couldn’t say no, although she knows small town romance isn’t a book of her life.

I loved Nora as a narrator.
The novel is written in first person and following Nora’s perspective was everything.
All the Hallmark references and making fun of cliches was amazing. I laughed so many times while reading.

Charlie, who is love interest in the story, was such a good person. I do think he was believable but I also think guys like him are very rare in this world.
If I was still into having book boyfriends I would probably have announced him as mine.

The best part of the story (and if my memory serves me well it is the case in all of the books written by Henry that I have read so far) are conversations between the characters.
They were realistic, entertaining and what made the story shine.

I also want to say that I appreciate that the conflict between the characters was realistic and how it was uncertain how characters would get through it.
I also want to note that I am happy about Nora not going through that cliche character development one would expect from a small town romance, but how the author decided to hug her career orientated persona and gave her a different way to find happiness.

This was a buddy red with my friend Amanda. Reading Book Lovers we had so much fun together.
As I loved this story so much, I am sure I will reread it again at some point. Honestly, I can’t wait for it!

The one that didn’t stay with me: My Epic Spring Break (Up) by Kristin Rockaway @PRHGlobal #partner #Blogtober

My Epic Spring Break (Up) by Kristin Rockaway book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I bring you my short review for a novel that I have read a (it feels like) lifetime ago. It was actually this summer, July to be precise. I made a mistake and didn’t review it shortly after I finished it so my review is very short and brief too.

My Epic Spring Break (Up) was released by Penguin Random House Children’s on May 7th 2021. It has 252 pages.
I want to thank the team from Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

For coder extraordinaire Ashley, high school is all about prepping for college. Her love life? Virtually nonexistent. She’s never been on a date. Never been kissed. Never been in love.

When her plans veer off course, Ashley realizes she might be missing out on her high school experience. Now that spring break is finally here, Ashley vows to have fun . . . and, for the first time, follow her heart.

Starting with Walker Beech, her gorgeous, maybe-not-so-unrequited crush. But with Jason Eisler–her childhood friend turned prankster–in the picture, trouble is bound to follow. Will Ashley’s epic spring break lead her to love, or will her heart crash and burn?

Review:

I made a mistake and didn’t write my review as soon as I finished the book, and now when I finally sit down to express my thoughts, I realized that I forgot most of the story.

So I guess first thing that I will say about the book will be that although it was easy to read and entertaining, it was also forgettable.

Ashley, our protagonist was not the most likeable person, but at the same time it was easy to understand her.
I love how her interest into STEM was present through the whole story and how it sort of had it’s own role.
The other thing I appreciate was the friendship between Ashley and her friends.

I love to read ya contemporary novels from time to time. My Epic Spring Break (Up) was typical ya contemporary novel, perfect to read in one sitting, but didn’t stand out in the sea of contemporaries.

This one is popular for a reason: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood @PRHGlobal #partner #BookLovers #romance

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I will talk about a book I read some time ago, and you have probably heard about it by now. It is a romance with scientists for characters and it took the reading world by the storm, and it’s for a good reason. I loved the book and I hope this will be turned into a movie.

The Love Hypothesis was published on September 14th 2021 and it has 356 pages. I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding… six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

Review:

Ok, now I get why all the hype!
It feels like ever since The Love Hypothesis came out the world went mad about it. And I don’t talk only about bookish online community. I literally talk about the world.
Even in my country, where books are really just a side hoby for only few people who enjoy reading, this book is all over the media and in every bookstore window.

Ever since I got the book for review I knew it would probably be my jam, and I will confess that I gave it a try as an audiobook back in December, but for some reason I couldn’t understand half of things characters were talking about. At time I blamed my English skills, but now when I read an ebook I think it was the lack of concentration (and, once again, I will call my post covid card).

Fast forward to July, I read The Love Hypothesis, had no problems with understanding the story whatsoever, loved it and now I understand why everyone and their mothers recommend this novel.
I am now one of them (and their mothers) too.

In my entire life I read only two fan fictions. The Royals Next Door (which was my favorite romance of 2021) and this one. I know it is way too few of them, but I feel like fan fictions are amazing.
Will I go to wattpad and subscribe to some of them? Well, now when Ezra Miller turned out to be a bad (but still very hot) guy probably not.
However, if I see that a traditionally published romance was previously written as a fan fiction, I will 100% grab it.

The Love Hypothesis was originally inspired by the actor Adam Driver. Even though I never wet my panties thinking about him, I can see why women would find him hot and tbh, if he was anything like Adam from this story then I am not sure my panties wouldn’t stay dry for long if I stumbled upon him in real life (yes, words written by a married woman, don’t judge me (or do)).

Anyway, joke on a side, let’s talk about the book now.
It was well written in third person following Olive’s perspective.

I like how it touched important subject of women trying their best in a men’s world and still having to prove themselves more then men, sometimes even robed for their ideas and work, or how men want to take advantage of them just because they think they can.
I loved the message and even if it was raw, I never felt like it was pushed on me.

The story had so many funny scenes where I smiled or laughed. Friendships were written well and characters were believable, while the chemistry between Adam and Olive felt real and hot.

The only thing I didn’t like was that scene where Olive has inner monologue about the size of Adam’s thing. When she touched the subject of birth giving the author lost me, but after some time, as everything else was well written, I decided to pretend that scene was erased, just like it should have been (but obviously I didn’t forget it when I decided to mention it in my review).

Once I heard there was a subgenre called “smart romance”. I don’t know if The Love Hypothesis would be considered to belong to it, but I can imagine that it would.

Nevertheless, if you are a romance reader, you have probably heard about this book by now, and there’s a big chance you added it to your tbr or you’ve maybe finished it already, I will still take this opportunity to recommend you The Love Hypothesis because it is hyped for a reason and, rating wise, it deserves all the stars in the world.

Witchy and relaxing: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (Book Review) @PRHGlobal #partner #Halloween #Witches

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I am so, so, so happy to bring you my review for a book I read and enjoyed so much. I am so grateful books like this exist and am happy to spread my word about it in hope it will reach as many readers as possible.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was published on August 23rd by Berkley and it has 336 pages. I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….

Review:

I simply loved this book. It was perfect read for the fall, and would be excellent one to pick up during October/spooky season.
Although The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is not a spooky book, it is still perfect to read for Halloween, as it’s protagonists are witches (and with witches comes magic).

I am actually glad books like this exist, because they do provide that Halloween mood to readers who aren’t into horrors and gory.

This book was just adorable. It was relaxing, witchy story that talked about family, friends and love, and what is the most important, the relationship one has with themselves.

The story follows Mika who takes a job to teach magic to three little children. There, in the Nowhere House, she finally learns how it feels to belong somewhere and what it’s like to have a family.

The story is written in third person following Mika’s POV, but there were also some parts that followed Jamie, the librarian.
As you can assume, Jamie is the love interest and when it comes to romance, this one include grumpy-sunshine trope.

I think the author pictured small circle (of people) vibes so well. It was so easy to get attached to all of the characters, main and the side ones. Holiday scenes in the story were like a warm hug from the author and her characters to us readers, that I appreciate the most.

I highly recommend it to everyone who’s looking for a warm, relaxing, witchy story.

The one I had a hard time reviewing: The Falling Girls by Hayley Krischer (Book Review) @PRHGlobal #partner #thriller #Halloween #Blogtober

The Falling Girls by Haylay Krischer book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about a book I finished a month ago, and that was hard for me to review bc while I was typing my words out I got sick. That was my lesson learned not to write while taking a bus ride. The Falling Girls was otherwise a good, entertaining book.
It was published on October 5th last year (2021) by Razorbill and today is exactly 1 year since it first hit the shelves. It has 320 pages.
I want to thank the team from Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes, toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming.

Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes . Most of all, Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes–the insufferable trio that rules the squad–including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming.

Jadis won’t give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis–and if her friend is responsible, doesn’t that mean she is, too?

Review:

I went into The Falling Girls without having real expectations. I knew it was a contemporary book with a dark tone, and that part was 100% right.
I know this is also generated as a mystery and although it has a mystery inside, I would rather call it a teen drama.
In fact, the whole story reminded me of a lifetime movie.
Did I love it? Absolutely!

I am an adult who read this novel that is aimed towards teenagers.
I am aware that some things I take differently then the appropriate age rang, and maybe my reasons for liking the story are completely different then they would be 15 years ago.

My favourite thing about this book is the exploration of female friendships that can be very unhealthy and how those friendships in teen years define future.
I appreciate how the author pictured possessive one on one relationship between friends and how even if it is usually comfortable to bond on such a strong level, it can also be destructive.

The other thing I appreciate is how Hayley Krischer showed us/told us that neglected kids often look for a substitute for absent parents in their friends and how they can become possessive.

The book was written in a simple, entertaining way that was easy to read.

The story was little predictable and the motive behind the crime was a bit stupid, but the author acknowledged it through character conversations, which pleasantly surprised me.

I want to say that I come from a country where cheerleading isn’t a part of the culture and all I know about it is what I learned from the movies.
This book made me think how hard and competitive that sport can be and how it’ it’s not appreciated enough.

I enjoyed my time with The Falleng Girls and would recommend it.

A retelling worth of attention: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Book Review) #Blogtober #Retelling #Halloween @PRHGlobal

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about a book I read back in August. I loved this author’s novel Mexican Gothic so I was excited to be invited to read and review The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.
This book was published on July 19th 2022 by Del Rey and it has 306 pages.
I want to thank the team from Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

A lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.

Review:

Right after I finished The Daughter of Doctor Moreau my thoughts were a mess and I honestly didn’t know how I felt about the story in whole.
I knew I liked Mexican Gothic better than this one, but also those two stories are totally different that it would be unfair to compare them.

Once again, Silvia Moreno-Garcia managed to give the atmosphere a role itself, and the place of the story was unique, well described and easy to imagine.

This historical retelling was told in third person following two perspectives: Carlota’s, who is the daughter of the doctor, and Laughton’s who is an employee.
Getting into Laughton’s head was more interesting to me, especially because of his battle with his own demons that made him take the job in this peculiar place.

The only thing that didn’t make much sense to me was the motivation to keep up with the project.
At first it was to have free labour from creatures who wouldn’t have human rights (now when the slavery was illegal), but when experiment after experiment failed, one had to wonder why waste all that money on laboratories when it can be used to decently pay people for their work instead?

Overall, this was a good book with some action packed scenes and historical references.
I enjoyed it and would recommend it.