Well…that was certainly disappointing. Perhaps the most disappointing book I’ve read in an extremely long time. Prior to the interview that came out with the author and the resulting discourse, I was very excited about Anatomy: A Love Story. Unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to my expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy of this book!

I initially requested this book for a couple reasons: 1) I’ve been a fan of Dana Schwartz for a while now - following her tweets - so I was excited to see her writing in a full fictional form. 2) the synopsis, and 3) most importantly, the cover design. This cover art is incredibly effective and just jaw-droopingly gorgeous. I can’t get over it. That alone is worth a full star.

I think my primary problem with this book was the way that it was marketed. Its by-line states that it’s a “gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.” But…that’s not really what it’s about. I went in expecting this gorgeous, feminist, gothic romance but it’s more of a YA Historical Thriller than anything else.

The pacing is all over the place. The first 30% or so is unbelievably slow - hardly anything happens except for Hazel attempting to get into the Anatomist’s lectures, promenading with her betrothed, and waxing poetic about her life. It picks up very quickly around the 50% mark, which is by far my favorite section of the book, and it falls apart again in the last quarter.

Ultimately, this is a book that just didn’t know what it wanted to be. Conceptually, it should have been this strong tale, but it floundered under over-explanation and poor character arcs. The “twist” at the end is obvious and the mystery never fully came together for me. The ending was just a mess, frankly, and it didn’t make sense to have certain elements be brought up on a whim.

In all, I didn’t enjoy this and wouldn’t recommend it.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I liked this quite a bit, it is a fun historical fiction, with some slight magical realism, and an intriguing topic. However, the story feels very unfinished and ends very abruptly; I believe this is a stand alone but maybe it is a start to a series.

I really enjoyed both Hazel and Jack. Hazel is a neglected wealthy young woman who wants to become a surgeon which is very unacceptable for the Victorian time and age. Jack is a resurrection man who steals dead bodies and sells them to doctors for their study. The two end up meeting and joining forces; Hazel wants Jack to provide her with bodies to study so she can study for taking the Medical Exam.

I really loved this book up to the last 20% or so. It's a good story and an intriguing topic and Jack and Hazel are easy to love. However, things get a bit weird towards the end with Hazel's desperate studying abruptly giving way to her involvement in a mystery of disappearing people. Then some subtle magic is involved and it feels very forced.

To add to that Jack's story takes a turn that seemed unnecessary as well. Too much was packed into the last part of this story and it felt contrived. If this is the first book in a series maybe the author was setting up for book 2, however I believe this is supposed to be a stand alone and as such it left me feeling a bit confused and hollow.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a well done historical fiction with some magical realism. I loved most of the book and enjoyed the unique subject matter and engaging characters. However, things got a bit weird at the end with too many new things packed in and left the book with a hollow, unsatisfying feeling to it. I would recommend this if you are fascinated by the practice of grave-robbing in Victorian times and are looking for an engaging fictional story set around that.

One of my most highly anticipated 2022 releases did NOT disappoint! This one came out today and is the winter YA @reesesbookclub pick! ❤️

🫀 REVIEW: ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY 🫀

By @danaschwartzzz

📖 SUMMARY: Hazel is a young woman living in 1800s Edinburgh, and she wants, more than anything, to be a physician… but she’s living in a time where women aren’t expected or allowed to be anything more than ladies of society. She’s determined to attend anatomy classes given by the famed Dr. Beecham, but she’s kicked out because, you guessed it, she’s female. She finds an unlikely ally in Jack — a “resurrection man” who digs up recently deceased bodies to sell to doctors for study — and together they uncover sinister secrets in the medical community.

💭 THOUGHTS: I absolutely devoured this one! I have been a fan of Dana’s podcast Noble Blood for a while, so when I heard she was releasing a YA romance (my kryptonite) I knew it was a must-read. You can clearly tell that everything was well-researched, and she perfectly blended the history into the tale. Learning about resurrection men was fascinating and I will now go into the rabbit hole to read more about them. 🤓 History aside, the story was riveting and there was a twist in there that I definitely wasn’t expecting! I highly, highly recommend this one to anyone, but especially those who love reading historical fiction where it feels like you learned something.

Thank you to @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for the arc! This one came out today, January 18!

✨ RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you love the Noble Blood podcast and appreciate a young female MC who rebels against societal norms

CW: description of gore, corpses, body parts, etc.

3.5 rounded up

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press, Wednesday Books for an eArc in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this gothic horror, love story. The setting of 1817 Edinburgh was rich and atmospheric. The story of Hazel wanting to become a surgeon was interesting and her relationship with Jack was cute. This was a very quick read, Schwartz's writing is easy to read and the story unfolds at a good pace. This is a love story but it surrounds the practice of surgery and stealing of dead bodies to further research and experimentation. There is a lot of "body horror" in that there is explicit scenes of cutting into bodies and cutting off limbs. If that bothers you I would not read this book. There is also speculative elements within this book that I personally did not care for. For me it took away the unease and the stakes. However, I did end up enjoying this book.

If you enjoy a combination of gothic settings, historical fiction, romance and horror elements I would recommend this book.

Wow, okay. A truly fascinating story with an absolutely gorgeous cover.

I went into this book thinking it was kind of like Stalking Jack the Ripper. And while, yes, the main character Hazel does share Audrey Rose's fascination with the body and the confines of wanting to do a "man's" job, that it where the similarities end for the most part. SJR is definitely more historical fantasy while this one is more historical fiction, with the exception of some strange medical stuff.

Perhaps because of my misrepresentation of the book from the beginning, this story was at times slow, but still captivating once things got going.

Hazel is an upper-class girl trapped by her requirement to marry her cousin and *not* become a doctor. Jack is a resurrection man, someone who digs up dead bodies to sell to science. Their meeting is fate.

While both sides of the story were interesting, I have to admit that Hazel felt a bit more real to me and I would have loved a bit more from Jack's side of the story. (I will also say that their POV's were a little strange. Their chapters alternated at the beginning of the book, but after they started spending time together, their POV's would blend together and both be present in one scene. So, that was weird to me. Pretty sure we got the POV of a side character or two a little bit, too.)

Anyway, while the story was a little bit slower than I was expecting, I still loved the atmospheric way that Dana Schwartz told the story. The mystery was fun to follow and the ending was, while a bit predictable, still wild. I hope to read more books like this in the future.

Well I loved this thank you very much. It has a fantastic lead, a fascinating plot, and had me unable to put this down. Having just got back from vacation I was afraid I might end up in a bit of book slump but this read did not see me with such issues. I was excited to pick this read up every single time.

Ok, the ending was a bit rushed. If I had one complaint, it would be that. Also, I would have liked to know more about Jack. I feel like his character still felt a bit vague to me and I wanted to spend more time getting to know him. That said, Hazel is such a compelling and dynamic character that she had no problem carrying this story along. I was behind her 100 percent.

I enjoyed this read so much that I am sad it is over. It has so much going for it – competent leads, graveyards, body snatching, I mean what else do you want? Don’t you want to read about graveyards? Yes, yes you do. I am being a bit silly, but the setting and subject matter here is unique. Historically this did happen and stealing bodies from graveyards was a way medical students learned anatomy once upon a time believe it or not. It is wild to think this really happened. With an interesting historical background that is combined with a mystery-filled plot, I do not think this one will let many readers who choose it down.

“But she knew safety was temporary. Her future was coming for her even as she was riding away from it, pulled by four horses, as quickly as she could.”

Three reasons to read to pick up this book:

That cover!
Reese’ s Book Club selection
A dramatic, tender gothic story.
I enjoyed that this book felt fresh. While there are themes similar to other books, the combination in Anatomy didn’t feel like anything I’d read before. Part forbidden romance, part gothic mystery, part plague drama, part historical fiction, there’s much to love in this story. I appreciated the tension between what Hazel wanted to do for herself with her life balanced precariously against the responsibilities of what she must do in order to maintain an economic future for herself. As a woman of means and privilege she understood “marrying well” was her only reality. But, her heart and mind belonged to an entirely different realm. Sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy plucky heroines who refuse to live by convention; curious, kind heroes who refuse to bow to their situation, and a cast of kind-hearted people struggling to be ok.

The interesting, vulnerable characters made me care for them as Hazel and Jack traded the narration between them. He, collector of multiple jobs to make ends meet, works in both the theater and as a resurrection man who digs up bodies for hopeful surgeons to dissect. She, the daughter of wealth who will inherit nothing. Focused less on being the society girl with a protected future, Hazel’s more interested in becoming a surgeon while her father is off guarding Napoleon in his final exile. Together, they are tossed together in impossible circumstances. Set in Edinburgh, 1817 Anatomy shackles Hazel and Jack with convention, gender norms, and class norms. Yet, buoys with small kindnesses and tenderness.

A good selection for any high school / teen library collection. Readers who enjoyed the Jackaby Series will find much to enjoy in Anatomy

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review an ecopy of this book.

Despite not being a huge fan of reading about teens and also people in the past, the premise hooked me and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. There is plenty of female empowerment in Hazel Sinnett, our lead, and it was fun watching her develop in both the field of anatomy and in her relationships with Jack and her family.

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz was one of those books that I just devoured. I listened to this one on audiobook and I didn’t want to stop. The narrators brought this book to life for me. It was so well executed and the story was so beautiful!
I don’t know how I couldn’t fall in love with a character that has so much hope and belief in making her dreams come true. Hazel was so young, but so strong and determined. And Jack! What a beautiful souls he was. This is an unconventional(in my opinion)love story at its core and I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

Most times, when I hear a book is historical fiction, I will leave it right on the shelf. But this time, I just couldn’t. There were so many “me” things that have come up in this book. The grave robbers thing. And then the romance part. And ugh it just sounded so good. So I gave it a shot. And I was correct. It was a me book.

Hazel is a woman who wants to be a surgeon. In the 1800’s. All the men in her life have told her not to even dream of it, but she knows she can do it. Jack is a resurrection man (grave robber). They meet when Hazel is kicked out of the famous Dr. Beecham’s lecture because she’s a girl. She gets in touch with him again to see if he can help her out. Add on to this the fact that Hazel has to try to stay involved in society and make sure her (hopeful) husband to be is happy. What can go wrong?

Normally I don’t like historical fiction because I don’t find myself enjoying them. I look too much into the events or things they’re talking about and I have to do research into them. I of course also did this with this book too. But it was on the resurrection men. I didn’t know they were a real thing. (Whatever lol) But I found out this was a large thing. I was able to learn a lot from this book. It was pretty cool to see Hazel taking charge of her interests and doing whatever it is she wanted. Hazel was a boss and I loved getting to know her character.

As for Jack, he seemed super quiet. But it was obvious he was into Hazel. I was cheering for them from the beginning. Which was weird because there was already someone that Hazel was supposed to be with? I ended up hating them. (You’ll understand why when you read it!) I also was super scared for Jack. He was so sweet and trusting. It opened him up to so many bad things.

The plot was what I didn’t care for about this one tho. There was WAY TOO MUCH going on. There was a mystery on who the men that were coming for the bodies were. Then there was the mystery on the missing people. There was the romance between the person she was supposed to marry. The budding relationship with Hazel and Jack. Jack’s POV with getting the bodies and getting the money for them. It was a lot. I know it was setting the tone for the 1800’s, but listening to this as an audiobook made it hard to keep some things together.

The ending tho? EPIC. I knew where it was going at a certain point, and I got a bit upset. But then once I finally read it, I had to go back and re-listen. It was so sweet. I hated that it meant that it was separate, but I was also happy that it all came together. Definitely wasn’t what I thought it would end on, but it was amazing nonetheless.

This ends on an “opening” for a sequel. If not a sequel, more like a companion. Especially on this person’s next location. I think it would be cool to see. So Schwartz, here’s my formal ask for another lol Let’s see what she decides!

I was excited for this one because it sounded like it would be something along the lines of stalking Jack the Ripper, which I loved. This one was only okay for me though. It was too slow, the plot dragging for the first half of the book. I liked the main character and thought she was well done but the romance of the story didn't draw me in at all. Overall it was just an okay read for me.

I suppose I should have expected it to be romantic from the title. I thought it would be more focused on the mystery and the darkness. I didn't find the writing to be florid and overly gothic so I was mildly disappointed. The characters were enjoyable enough, though I wish there had been more punch to the reveal.

I love a good historical fiction with a dash of fantasy, mystery, and romance. When I saw this cover and read the synopsis I knew it was my cup of tea. Unfortunately, that said tea ended up leaving a bad aftertaste. It’s a quick read with a lot of potential, but sadly I didn’t end up enjoying it as much as I’d hoped.

This book started off so strong. The main character, Hazel, wants to defy gender and societal norms of the time by going to medical school and having a career. She’s curious, eager to learn, and smart. She’s also privileged compared to the love interest, Jack. That’s an interesting dynamic because in a lot of historical fiction, either the woman is less privileged, or they’re equals. This is not the case here.

The class divides actually play a prominent role, as it becomes clear that those who are privileged don’t consider the poor or working classes to be human. That’s some powerful discourse, and I 100% supported the commentary that the rich consider everyone else as less than. It also offers commentary on gender, and how women are viewed as useless and stupid. Annoying save for how pretty they are. The book is good at being blunt about these topics.

The book is eerie and dark, with literal fog rolling in as the villains stalk their prey. (Or am I remembering that wrong)? The fantasy element is actually really intriguing and I liked the way it unfolded, though it wouldn’t have hurt if there was more of it. It added to the dark tone, and allowed for later events in the book to be truly horrific.

Where the book falters is mainly in its ending. I saw the ending coming once we got to the climax but I was hoping I was wrong. Turns out I wasn’t, and the book took a sharp turn. I’ve spoken with a friend about this book, and she feels the same. We both LOVED the beginning, but struggled with it as it went on. Largely because the romance feels flat, and because Hazel’s decisions become increasingly frustrating. Morals were a constant thought running through my mind when reading this book, because even Hazel sometimes gets a little fuzzy on where the line is. It also felt unrealistic that she would’ve been able to accomplish what she does.

I don’t want to make anyone feel like they shouldn’t give this book a chance, or like they shouldn’t enjoy it. I just personally feel that there are much better books out there that are very similar stories at their core (Stalking Jack the Ripper, anyone?). A lot of readers are raving about this book on Instagram in particular, so I might be in the minority here. But even now, despite having read it back in October 2021, I’m still wavering between a 1.5 and 2 star rating.

Well rip my heart out why don’t you!

Hazel Sinnett wants to be a surgeon but it’s 1817 Edinburgh so no one takes her seriously. She finds out about a medical class being held at the Anatomist’s society and decides she must attend. While outside, she meets Jack Currer, a redirection man, tasked with supplying bodies to the medical theater. Together, they discover a nefarious plot masked as the Roman fever and work together to find the culprit. Along the way, they fall in love and realize there is no one else for each other.

This book was absolutely mesmerizing. In a world where there is so much YA historical fiction, this stands out as a unique take on a decidedly tired trope, the girl in Victorian era wanting to be a doctor. Dana Schwartz has created an immersive universe with vivid and beautiful language and a story enticing to even the most reluctant reader.

Amazing! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy to review

The cover of this book was what drew me at first, so whomever did the cover art deserves major kudos as it's eye-catching and unlike so many of the other YA covers at the moment.

The story was also an excellent lure as well. A historical fiction where the protagonist is denied the use of her intelligence simply because she's a female, and then how she sets about correcting that ignorant opinion. Give it a gothic twist, an interesting romantic counterpart in a resurrectionist man, a mysterious disease ripping across Edinburgh and you've got quite the tale.

It went slowly at first and things were pretty easily deciphered as far as the mystery went. The ending felt a bit abrupt and I'm hoping there's more coming because it felt somewhat unfinished, or at least as if the author has more to say.

Twitter has been abuzz over ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY by Dana Schwartz, so I was beyond thrilled when NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read an e-ARC.

From the beginning, I was immediately drawn to Hazel's character--fascinated by her excitement over a dead frog. I definitely connected with her faster than I did with Jack. She is an extremely sympathetic character (seriously wanted to knock some sense into her mother) with dreams of becoming a physician that place you firmly on her team right from the beginning. Despite the story taking place in 1817, the career-related setbacks and disappointments are all too relatable as Hazel faces challenges that many women still face today. It was a stroke of genius for the stakes to impact not just Hazel but any woman who might have interest in becoming a physician one day. The informational excerpts and letters in between chapters were integrated nicely and really enjoyable.

While I enjoyed the story and found it compelling, something about the language and writing itself made it obvious the author is American. I found myself having to suspend disbelief with regards to the setting being Edinburgh because the story felt like it could have been transplanted into somewhere in the US and somehow be more believable. The pacing and character development--especially with Jack--seemed a bit uneven, and there consequences for conflicts did not seem as severe as they could have been. Things resolved towards the end a bit too easily and neatly for my liking. Ultimately, I feel like maybe ANATOMY received a little too much hype. Perhaps my experience with the story would have been different if my expectations had not been so high.

That being said, ANATOMY is still a wonderful story with a modern heroine you will cheer for. This feminist story is bound to resonate with readers.

It took me some time to decide how I feel about ANATOMY (after finishing it in 2-3 days). For seven days, my mind ran over and over the ending, the plot, the relationships, the foreshadowing, the main character. Only for me to realize THAT was my answer. I spent days haunted by this book and the root of my dissatisfaction was wanting MORE of the story.

I was instantly laughing from the first page, and while the main character reads a little young at first, her fire and determination and pure disregard for societal rule had me LITERALLY feisty while I was reading it. My responses were hilariously snappy and particularly feminist that week :)

Perhaps, what most caused my extended reflection — and is my favorite part of the book — is the elegantly subtle embodiment of the title in the story itself. While the title may feel overstated or obvious, the way it threads through the story and directs it is understated. It leaves so much room to interpret the true connection and meaning for yourself -- again and again, with a new theory forming every time.

She’ll mislead you. She’ll fire you up. She’ll make you angry squint (and possibly ugly cry). She’ll haunt you, my friends.

(And cause you to shout at strangers at the bookstore, you’ve been warned)

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was spot on, and I loved the character's depths and how they interacted with everyone. It was such a fast, fun read, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get lost in a great story for a while! It was such a unique concept, and it was executed really well.

Let me start by saying I love gothic horror, but I’m not 100% sure I enjoy gothic horror as YA at this point. I requested this awhile ago before I actually committed myself to reading the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and had I done that first, I don’t think I would have requested the ARC of this book because I didn’t enjoy that series as much as I seriously thought I would despite my love of gothic horror. The two were kind of similar in regards to the general plot with the main character being from a prominent family and hoping to enter a field of study not open to women and generally morbid. I love gothic horror, so I just don’t understand what about this YA aspect doesn’t work for me. Maybe I need my characters to be older and more afraid to make waves and yet still have to think about things like money when she does?

Still, I did enjoy Anatomy: A Love Story and wouldn’t actually categorize it as much of a romance at all. The story did not linger too much on any romance for very long. It was mostly Hazel’s POV and her drive to learn and attend classes about surgery. She was kind to the staff, she wasn’t into the limitations of her time period and attending parties, and she was stubborn. Jack had a few POV chapters and he was a likable guy who dug bodies for the surgical doctors in his spare time as well as worked at a theatre. He just wanted to survive and wasn’t afraid to get a little dirty to make money. He didn’t initially fall all over Hazel, either, and they both were simply curious about each other and then slowly got to know each other.

I did think the ending was actually pretty realistic and good.. not a super outrageously inaccurate way to wrap up a story set in this time. Overall, I liked the story and I think I just wanted more.. more details, backstory, and development of the rest of the characters and their motivations.

Anatomy was an interesting gothic tale and one I recommend to fans of YA, gothic time periods, and historical fiction.

*3.5

Anatomy was a fun read. It follows Hazel Sinnet, a young girl who wants nothing more than to become a surgeon in a time when women weren’t allowed. It also follows Jack, a resurrection man.

I felt no chemistry between the main characters and did not believe at any moment that they were in love. There were also a few characters that could have been left out and the story would have been the same.

While not wholly original, it had an intriguing story. The mystery and plot twist were predictable, but it didn’t bother me too much. I still don’t know how to feel about the ending. While it was different, it felt rushed and I feel it needed at least a few more pages.