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A review by lizgriffinwords
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars rounded up. While there were some elements I enjoyed and there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with this book (except the head-hopping and the ending out of left field), I was left feeling dissatisfied. My favorite aspect of the book was how tangible and sensory the setting of Edinburgh felt.
The pacing was a bit off, not picking up in what felt like the main plot until 45% of the way in. I could have done without Jack’s POV altogether — his chapters were sparse and short, felt like a late-in-the-process insert. Hazel had a good balance of realistic nativity and feminist ambition, but altogether… a book that didn’t live up to its amazing cover.
CW: Medical horror (including eye horror), gore/blood, disease, parental abandonment, grief, pregnancy/childbirth
The pacing was a bit off, not picking up in what felt like the main plot until 45% of the way in. I could have done without Jack’s POV altogether — his chapters were sparse and short, felt like a late-in-the-process insert. Hazel had a good balance of realistic nativity and feminist ambition, but altogether… a book that didn’t live up to its amazing cover.
CW: Medical horror (including eye horror), gore/blood, disease, parental abandonment, grief, pregnancy/childbirth
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Grief, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse and Pregnancy