The writing style of this, like a podcast episode was extremely difficult to read through until almost the end of the book. I felt like a lot of things were overly repeated. Cleo was hard to like at first because it seemed all she cared about were her followers but she redeemed herself over the course of the book, kind of. The arguind of intent seemed almost unplausible but I'm sure that has happened somewhere. Thanks to Netgalley for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF - did not finish. I struggled to connect with the writing style/plot and decided to put it down. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy.

I loved this! I’m a big fan of podcast/docuseries type books and this one was really good! I was hooked from the beginning, and was quite surprised at the little twist that was thrown in at the end!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy for my honest review! I rated this one 4 stars!!

This story is written like a true crime documentary. The story is to.d from several points of view which I typically don’t like and tend to find it confusing but I don’t have that opinion with this one. Although there are alternating characters and points of view I still found it an entertaining story

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I wish I'd experienced this as an audiobook, it was written in the perfect format for that. It was hard to get into the book with such frequent switches in perspective, but the anticipation of the big reveal about what happened was enough to keep me reading. It was a quick read, but nothing super memorable or impactful.

Cleo Ray is a fitness influencer and she’s built a mini-empire for herself online. She’s overcome a troubled childhood and adolescence and ultra-religious parents. She has legions of fans. One big problem now is that she’s created a love triangle with girlfriend Beck (Rebecca) and boyfriend Sandy.

Cleo and Beck head to a lake for a canoe outing where Beck thinks they are getting engaged. Unfortunately, things don’t end well for Beck, as she drowns, and Cleo is seen fleeing from the scene.

The rest of the book deals with Cleo’s arrest and trial. There are some interesting courtroom scenes and drama regarding Cleo’s guilt or innocence. The whole books is written in an interesting way as a true crime podcast. I may have enjoyed the audio of this one a bit more. A modern retelling of An American Tragedy.

This was a really interesting read. It took me a while to get used to the podcast format but once I did I flew through it.

I used to hate books that weren't written in a "traditional" way, but when I read Daisy Jones and The Six I loved the oral history technique. The Anatomy of Desire utilizes a true crime podcast style transcript that I thought was a really cool way to tell the story.
I think this would be a great audiobook (probably better as an audiobook, because the format sometimes doesn't translate as well).

The story follows fit-fluencer Cleo Ray who is on trial for the murder of her girlfriend, Beck. I loved the premise with an influencer murder, showing what lengths people will go to to protect their image. Cleo's unreliable narration through the interviews was fun, especially because as a reader you're just thinking...get over yourself! Who cares! I actively disliked her as a character, but in a good way.

While this was a quick, interesting read, I did have some issues with the story. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop - for a huge twist, for a juicier mystery, and nothing really came. Outside of Cleo, the other characters are just archetypes (the big city defense attorney, the small town Christian D.A.), and there is a big lack of character development.

I wish this had a bit...more. I haven't read the book this story is based on so I can't make a comparison there. Rounded up to 3.5 stars.


Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I admit, I am not familiar with the source material this retelling is based on, so I can't speak to that. I did, however, find The Anatomy of Desire to be an engaging and fast-paced thriller that asked important questions about motivation and desire, especially what and when is the cutoff point for when desire can be labeled an action? It's a thought-provoking book that I think will do quite well with fans of more cerebral style thrillers and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I definitely recommend it especially if you have readers who are looking for a thriller that's more about the why then the how or when.

If you enjoy True Crime documentaries or podcasts, this book is for you! Cleo Ray, formally known as Claire Griffith is accused of murdering her girlfriend Rebecca aka Beck. What follows reads exactly like a documentary or podcast would. It's read as a "script" with all the many characters. It took a little getting used to at first, but I found that I really enjoyed it! I saw other reviews that it was great as an audiobook, but since I don't listen to them, this was great for me anyway. I got to imagine how each character sounded. Cleo Ray is a fitness influencer on social media. That is so relevant for the world today so it was easy to get involved with. It really could be a true story!

The Anatomy of Desire is a modern retelling of a true crime that has fascinated fiction writers and playwrights for decades. Cleo Ray and Beck Alden leave on a romantic canoeing trip to Serene Lake, but only Cleo comes back- and immediately disappears into the mountains to join her boyfriend on a hiking trip that ends with not only a pre-engagement ring, but an arrest.

Cleo’s questionable choices are weighed against not only her insistence of innocence, but also her admission of premeditation. Her perfectly cultivated social media influencer personality begins to crumble as soon as first degree murder charges are filed. Who is Cleo Ray? Peel back the first layer and find Mary Claire Griffith, daughter of traveling preachers. But what is truly at her core? It seems like Cleo herself doesn’t know, but both the fictional jury and readers are asked to decide if she is a murderer.

Pacing was a little off for me, which I think was driven by the structuring of the narrative as the transcript of a podcast- I could see this doing extremely well as a book on tape. What finally got the story going was when the court case started and readers got a full view of the facts from the perspective of both the prosecution and defense. I wasn’t extremely invested in any of the characters; it was the progress of the court case that propelled this book forward. The court theatrics and bombshells rivaled the mega-trials of our era, and I would recommend this book to readers who were glued to their TVs during the OJ Simpson and Casey Anthony trials.

As we slide past Memorial Day and into the summer season, I'm really dialed into working through my summer reading. I've written in the past that summer reading usually marks a shift to addictive page-turners that pull on my emotions through either strong character drama or twisty thrills. Fortunately for me, my friends at William Morrow sent along a book to review that does both of those things. In The Anatomy of Desire writing duo, L.R. Dorn presents a modern retelling of Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy.

Cleo Ray has everything she could ever dream of. She's escaped the restrictive grasp of her religious fundamentalist parents by moving to Los Angelos under the guardianship of her uncle. Since moving and growing into adulthood, Cleo has made a name for herself as a fitness influencer. Her charisma has skyrocketed her to fame and notoriety. She's in a relationship with another prominent influencer, and everything seems to be going her way.

Life has a funny way of catching up with a person. One afternoon Cleo takes the young woman Beck Aldin canoeing on a lake. The isolated location provides a quiet respite for the two to talk and take in the scenery. Soon after, the roughed up remains of Beck are found floating in the water, and Cleo seems to have disappeared. From the start, the situation provides more questions than answers. We aren't exactly sure what relationship the girls have, let alone why Cleo would leave the scene of what is either a tragic accident or calculated murder. As the news of Cleo's involvement breaks across social media, one thing is certain. Cleo's dreams of a life of fame and luxury are about to be traded for one of pure tragedy.

I'm always a bit apprehensive about picking up a book that reimagines a famous novel. Sometimes they are hits, like Margaret Atwood's creative take on Shakespeare, that breathe riveting new life into the original work. Other times they seem to exist more to attract readers of the classic they are based upon than for any true creative reason. It has been over a decade since I read Dreiser's novel, but Dorn's take on the story works as both a modernization of a classic and as a standalone endeavor. Even if you've never read An American Tragedy, you'll still be able to find value in the commentary on fame, relationships, and the criminal justice system that The Anatomy of Desire provides.

The novel is presented as the transcript of a podcast with each chapter serving as an episode. It took me a bit of time to fall into the rhythm of the format, but by the third episode, I was completely drawn in. The book ends up reading like a play, with each character giving their version of the events. As such, I actually think this story might work better as an audiobook than it did in print. The bulk of the work centers around a criminal trial. I found myself rushing to the next page to see the entire event through. My only real complaint is that the main character Cleo isn't an inherently good or bad person. While the ambiguity of her innocence lends to a more suspenseful read, it also makes it hard to know if the reader should root for her. Still, The Anatomy of Desire is a thoughtful page-turner that gave me everything I was looking for in a summer read. It was a great choice to start off this season.

I have seen a ton of great reviews for this one and unfortunately it didn't hit the mark for me. I was lucky to get a copy via audiobook too and I will say, it was awesome having each character narrated by someone different.

Love that this was an LGTBQ read, but I really struggled to connect with the story and characters.

A fabulous, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable courtroom drama and crime thriller that I simply could not put down! A rare 4.5 stars from me -- and just when I thought I was spiraling down into a slump after reading so many ho hum novels. I'm back!

Although familiar with the title and synopsis, I never read AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY, so I am not going to talk comparisons, contrasts, or analyze a re-imagining. This book, however, is perfectly poised to reflect current day obsessions with social media and those who strive to reach success in a world of people who allow influencers and celebrities to become so important in their daily lives. The story here involves a young woman who has reached a pinnacle as a fitness influencer and life coach -- Cleo Ray (AKA Claire Griffith) has clawed her way to the top from a childhood she abandoned when she left her Bible thumping parents behind and ran away to California as a young teenager. Taken under the wing of her uncle, she is now ready to achieve even her wildest dreams. There's just one problem -- a love triangle that needs to be sorted.

I absolutely loved the style of the narrative. The story is told in the form of a true crime documentary and the characters speak through strategically placed snippets of recorded interviews. You can just imagine this on film similar to anything you might see or hear on any of the crime podcasts or other social media outlets. Preferable to long segments of description and detail, you get the facts and point of view from all the players without a lot of unnecessary fluff. I found myself quite sympathetic to Cleo even as hard as it was to understand her choices and decisions. Despite it being the trial of a woman accused of cold blooded first degree murder, Cleo wasn't easy to put into a box. As the reader hears from the significant people connected to Cleo and to the trial/legal process, the conflicting points of view make for a very dynamic experience.

This is a debut by a husband and wife duo and I hope they write more books in a similar vein. I've long been a true crime addict and this was a hit for me. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

I enjoyed this thriller. This is a new author for me and I look forward to seeing what is next for them. This is a well developed story about love triangles and murder. The characters are connectable and bring the story to life on each page. The author's use of attention to details gave the story a realistic feel. This is a fast paced story that is engaging and kept me turning pages to the end. I enjoyed how the twists and turns made me want to see what was going to happen next. This is a story about a woman on trial for murder and a womans secret life. I wont say to much as I think you should read this book. This truly a great book and brings the suspense. I highly recommend this book.

I finished The Anatomy of Desire and felt deflated. I don't like to read reviews of books before I read them, but I think in this case I should have, which I'll explain. I actually did read An American Tragedy -- about a zillion years ago. The Anatomy of Desire is described as a retelling of that novel, which is true. Some genders have been changed, as have names, but the bones of the two stories are identical In Anatomy, the protagonist is a young, social media "fitness influencer" named Cleo Ray. (Actually it was Claire Griffith, but Cleo Ray sounded better in the era of Instagram, so she changed it.) Cleo has a relationship with a young woman named Beck, but then she meets another influencer named Sandy Finch. Sandy is young, popular on Insta, handsome, and he loves Cleo. One weekend, Cleo takes Beck out for a canoe ride. Beck thinks it's because Cleo wants to propose marriage, but Cleo says afterwards it was because she intended to break up with Beck. Beck ends up dead (drowned), but Cleo saves herself and goes on to meet up with her boyfriend Sandy and some of his friends. She does this immediately upon swimming out of the lake, not bothering to try to help Beck or to report the accident to the authorities. Cleo is quickly found by the police, charged with murder, and goes on trial, which is where and when the bulk of the novel takes place.

The storyline is compelling, but the two novels are as different as night and day. Dreiser wrote 900-some pages of detailed, elaborate prose. Dorn (husband and wife writing partners) wrote Anatomy in something akin to long Twitter tweets. Actually, Anatomy is written start-to-finish as a docuseries or podcast -- short, factual paragraphs that do little to develop any of the characters, but do keep the story moving along quickly and efficiently.

When I went back and read other reviews, what most struck me is that the rave reviews were nearly all from people who had listened to the audiobook. I get it now!! There are a lot of characters in Anatomy, and it would have given me an entirely different experience if I had listened to it as a podcast, with a full cast of of narrators, rather than sitting down to read it as a novel. I think as a novel, Anatomy fell flat, but as a podcast (or table read of a script) I think it would have been enjoyable. That said, I'd only give The Anatomy of Desire 2 stars as a novel, 4 stars as an audiobook, or a blended score of 3 stars.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me an e-proof in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Written as the "script" of a docuseries, it weaves together the thoughts and words of many people involved in the trial of social media influencer Cleo Ray for the murder of her girlfriend Beck. The novel deftly explores, love, emotional abuse, fate, acceptance, and the role of social media in modern life in the recounting of a death and subsequent trial. Cleo bares he scars, emotional and physical, making her an engaging and complex main character. Perfect for teen used to digesting their news in soundbites and tweets, and for fans of Serial and other true story podcasts.

What a cleverly done book!!!!!! I adored it! I will say this is one that is better off read and listened to simultaneously. The book is set up as podcast episodes/interveiw and has the speaker in bold followed by what they say. The audio book is done as full cast. The book has who the speaker is (ie Fred Hite, County Sheriff). The audio book gets a little confusing becuase it doesn't have who exactly the speaker is. It's easy enough to figure out and catch onto, but it's still nice to have. The interview format of the book was refreshing in thriller format giving the book a very unique feel.

Cleo Ray is a household name. She was trying to make a name for herself as a fitness influencer. But it wasn’t until her arrest for murdering her girlfriend that she finally achieved the fame she wanted.

Cleo and her girlfriend rented a canoe and went for a romantic ride in a quiet cove in a lake in California, outside of Los Angeles. Cleo is a rising internet star with her Instagram following, and Beck is a makeup artist. They had met on a video shoot where Cleo was working as a Production Assistant and immediately hit it off. But that day in the canoe, something went terribly wrong. Two women went into the water. Only Cleo came out. And when she did, instead of calling for help, she got in her car and drove away, to a house nearby where fellow influencers were spending some time in nature, unplugged, in order to recharge.

Cleo spent the rest of the weekend with her friends, and her boyfriend, YouTube superstar Sandy Finch. They made love and talked about their future and enjoyed some time together away from the pressure of the internet. That is, until the police show up to arrest Cleo.

Through the trial preparation, the trial, and the aftermath, Cleo maintains her innocence. Her uncle stands behind her and hires one of the best defense attorneys to make her case. The district attorney is ready for the fight. And once word gets out about the trial, the small courthouse in Inyo County was packed to the risers with spectators, the front of the courthouse packed with media.

Documentarian Duncan McMillan took Cleo’s story and turned it into a true crime docuseries, a journey through the trial of Cleo Ray, with detours through her past, where she was Mary Claire Griffith. She grew up in Kansas City, the daughter of super-religious parents, who gave their time and energy to the church instead of their daughter. When she was 15, she ran away and made her way to California, where she showed up at her uncle’s house and asked to stay there.

She became Cleo Ray and finished school. She studied what it would take to become a diet and fitness influencer, and then she spent years building up a following. And then she met Beck and fell in love. About a year later, she met Sandy and fell in love again. And then she found herself in a canoe in a quiet cove. And then she found herself in jail.

The Anatomy of Desire is a modern retelling of Theodore Dreiser’s classic An American Tragedy. Told through interviews and court transcripts, as if you’re reading the transcripts of a true crime podcast or documentary, this novel of love and ambition is a powerful look at relationships in the current age. The contrast of the smaller town and the big city, of devout church goers and internet influencers offers an interesting context to the story, and the framework of the documentary adds extra interest.

I really liked The Anatomy of Desire and found it very readable. The transcript told the story in short bursts, with the person speaking always obvious. Author L.R. Dorn (actually, a team of two authors) tried to stay as true as they could to Dreiser’s original story, and there were times that made this a little stilted, a little dated, but overall I thought the updating worked well. I found Cleo’s story compelling, and I greatly enjoyed the true crime documentary style to this one. I would definitely recommend The Anatomy of Desire to true crime documentary fans and podcast listeners as well as thriller and mystery readers.

Egalleys for The Anatomy of Desire were provided by William Morrow through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early read of The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn - I found it an interesting read. It is the story of a murder – young Instagram fitness sensation Cleo Ray is accused of killing her friend (perhaps lover) Beck Alden. They are out canoeing on a lake – Beck thinks they are going to get engaged, instead she drowns, her body pulled from the lake. Cleo is miles away when Beck is found, camping with friends. But she was spotted fleeing from the scene and she is soon arrested for Beck’s murder. She maintains her innocence throughout the process and ensuing trial. What I thought made it interesting was that it was told as if it was a documentary film, incorporating the perspectives of a variety of people – from Cleo herself, to her boyfriend, her uncle (who also happens to be her agent), her lawyer, Beck’s parents, the police in charge of the investigation, the DA who prosecutes the case. It took a few pages to get into the rhythm of that form of storytelling but in the end, I really enjoyed the way it allowed the author to slowly reveal facts, theories, and some forms of resolution. The author based the story on the book An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, which you don’t have to have read to enjoy the book, though I suspect that it adds an extra layer of interest to see how they paid tribute to the original. A great choice for readers who like the unreliable narrator!