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kristid's review against another edition
3.0
There have been reviews for this book all over the place, well now it’s my turn! First off, I just want to express my concern that some readers have been surprised that there is sex in this book. Number one: It’s called “Anatomy of a Boyfriend,” number two: there is a naked man-doll on the cover, number three: are there still really people out there that think teens don’t have sex? Let me throw this little factoid at you, nearly half (46%) of all 15-19-year-olds in the United States have had sex at least once. If you don’t believe me check out Guttmacher.org.
Now that I’ve aired that out. I only wish I would have had something like this to read when I was a teen. Thankfully I have an extraordinary mother that was there for me. The only sex talk my mother ever received growing up was that sex was a dirty, nasty, thing that you only did with the one your love. I guess she didn’t want me to grow up with that same warped view on sex. I’m not condoning or condemning teen sex, but I think that having information available and books like this are absolutely necessary.
Okay seriously I’m off of my soap box now, and on to the review. It’s probably obvious that I liked this book, I enjoyed reading it. It was a great story and I’m sure that is some ways it parallels the first love that many of us have experienced. The only thing that bothered me, and I know I’m not alone in this, is there wasn’t enough “love story” for me. I didn’t see the how of why these two feel in love, or really why Dom fell in love with Wes. Had that aspect been fully represented I think that this read would have been even better.
However the actual depiction of the relationship, was totally believable! The highs, the lows and everything in between. The characters had sex yes, but they did have safe sex. The sex scenes themselves, while they were graphic, never crossed the line of becoming phony or smutty. It’s authentic, maybe that’s why I liked it so much. And probably also because The Princess Bride is my all time favorite movie.
Now that I’ve aired that out. I only wish I would have had something like this to read when I was a teen. Thankfully I have an extraordinary mother that was there for me. The only sex talk my mother ever received growing up was that sex was a dirty, nasty, thing that you only did with the one your love. I guess she didn’t want me to grow up with that same warped view on sex. I’m not condoning or condemning teen sex, but I think that having information available and books like this are absolutely necessary.
Okay seriously I’m off of my soap box now, and on to the review. It’s probably obvious that I liked this book, I enjoyed reading it. It was a great story and I’m sure that is some ways it parallels the first love that many of us have experienced. The only thing that bothered me, and I know I’m not alone in this, is there wasn’t enough “love story” for me. I didn’t see the how of why these two feel in love, or really why Dom fell in love with Wes. Had that aspect been fully represented I think that this read would have been even better.
However the actual depiction of the relationship, was totally believable! The highs, the lows and everything in between. The characters had sex yes, but they did have safe sex. The sex scenes themselves, while they were graphic, never crossed the line of becoming phony or smutty. It’s authentic, maybe that’s why I liked it so much. And probably also because The Princess Bride is my all time favorite movie.
willwork4airfare's review against another edition
3.0
This book was alright. It's not as good as other books in its genre but it's not as bad as most either.
Anatomy of a Boyfriend is an aptly named book about Dominique Baylor, a senior in high school who falls in love for the first time.
The sex scenes are graphic and accurate. I loved that the narrator complained about the tedium of hand jobs and her feelings about sex, no matter how naive, seemed really true to life. All the same, her innocence was annoying as well as her boyfriend's. Amy, her best friend and foil in the novel, was overly risque in comparison.
I really did like Dominique's character because she was embarrassingly honest and emotional. She's an easily relatable character for most girls or anyone who has dated a quiet and slightly aloof guy. He, on the other hand, comes off as irritable and hard to predict. Her parents play a surprisingly big role in her life which seems unnbelievable as well.
In the end, it was a very typical teen novel, nothing of the fantasically written teen fiction I look out for. It was an interesting read, but nothing that's going to stick with me.
Anatomy of a Boyfriend is an aptly named book about Dominique Baylor, a senior in high school who falls in love for the first time.
The sex scenes are graphic and accurate. I loved that the narrator complained about the tedium of hand jobs and her feelings about sex, no matter how naive, seemed really true to life. All the same, her innocence was annoying as well as her boyfriend's. Amy, her best friend and foil in the novel, was overly risque in comparison.
I really did like Dominique's character because she was embarrassingly honest and emotional. She's an easily relatable character for most girls or anyone who has dated a quiet and slightly aloof guy. He, on the other hand, comes off as irritable and hard to predict. Her parents play a surprisingly big role in her life which seems unnbelievable as well.
In the end, it was a very typical teen novel, nothing of the fantasically written teen fiction I look out for. It was an interesting read, but nothing that's going to stick with me.
sharon_rivas's review against another edition
5.0
such a sweet coming of age book about a girl and a new relationship! easy beach read.
cheeto943's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
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foiltheplot's review against another edition
4.0
Full Review at Foil the Plot
This is a book about sex. Let's talk about sex baby. Let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things... okay, sorry. I just wanted an excuse to hum a few bars of that song. But yeah, Anatomy Of A Boyfriend is totally a sex book. And it's not just about any ol' kind of sex. Oh no. It's about teenage-first-time sex. Awkwaaaaard.
Exactly. So I have a confession. I really didn't know too much about this book before I read it but Daria was kind enough to send me a copy and I thought, "Hey! Cool!" Plus, I saw the naked Ken doll on the cover and had an inkling it would be juicy. And you know what? I love it when I'm right!
Though Anatomy Of A Boyfriend features sex, it's one of those books that's about more than just raunchy foreplay. Rather, it's a coming of age story that explores one girl's tumultuous journey through first love, devastating heartbreak and self discovery. Dom isn't a super hero. She doesn't save the day or have any special powers. She's just your average-bordering-on-goody-goody teenage girl who's got a serious case of the book smarts. And in addition to all her nerdiness, this book features positive female friendships and strong parental relationships which is something that seems to be lacking in many popular YA books. Authors: More of this please! And what made Dom really resonate with me was the fact that she wasn't perfect. She was far from it! But that made her easy to connect with, faults and all. She's naive and vulnerable and inexperienced despite, at times, thinking she's got it all figured out. I mean, isn't that everyone in high school though?
On a side note: Apparently some reviewers were surprised by the sex-stuff, which I really don't get because, hellooo! The book is called ANATOMY Of A Boyfriend. And, well. There's a naked Ken doll on the cover. So yeah. I really don't think Snadowsky could've spelled it out any more literally. But that's beside the point.
What I really appreciated was how tastefully the sex stuff was written. There is no S&M, 50 Shades shit going on. It's authentic and clumsy and awkward as hell. It'll make you uncomfortable. But let's be real here---isn't that the point? I mean, was your first time this super lengthy, totally orgasmic, glamorously erotic sex fest? I don't think so. This is the real deal, baby, and it'll make you cringe. Snadowsky presents sex (done safely!) and teen relationships in a very honest way and that's something I can and do support.
I will say this, though. I did get pretty frustrated with Dom frequently throughout the book. For starters, I really didn't get what she saw in Wes. As a character, I found him kind of blah. So apparently they've got this instant connection and from there she goes from reserved and sensible to being crazy obsessed (or just plain crazy). Eventually, she let's Wes completely dictate her happiness and that drove me nuts. I often found myself with the need to play the older-sister-with-more-wisdom and sit down and talk some sense into the girl. If I could have, I would've given her the following advice: Happiness should be on your OWN terms. You can't expect to make anyone else happy if you can't first be happy with yourself. This isn't it. I know it feels like it is, but it's not. It does get better, TRUST ME on this one.
SPOILER ALERT: Then there's the matter of Dom's broken heart. Honestly, I liked that her and Wes' relationship ended, So many times contemporary books set readers (specifically the younger ones) up for unrealistic expectations when it comes to relationships. But life just isn't that way. Things don't always work out, and when they do fail, it never ends in the way you think/want it to.
But I guess that's why this book was so great, because it evoked such strong emotions out of me. It was relatable on nearly every level. It brought about those "does he, doesn't he like me" memories. It made me think of when I had my heart broken for the first time. And yes, I thought about sex. It's funny reading it now with the hindsight and wisdom of someone who's been through it all before. It makes me wish I had read it as a teenager, if only to see what my reactions would've been back then. Either way, it was an enjoyable read with astoundingly realistic characters in easily relatable situations and I'm happily devouring the sequel as we speak.
This is a book about sex. Let's talk about sex baby. Let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the good things and the bad things... okay, sorry. I just wanted an excuse to hum a few bars of that song. But yeah, Anatomy Of A Boyfriend is totally a sex book. And it's not just about any ol' kind of sex. Oh no. It's about teenage-first-time sex. Awkwaaaaard.
Exactly. So I have a confession. I really didn't know too much about this book before I read it but Daria was kind enough to send me a copy and I thought, "Hey! Cool!" Plus, I saw the naked Ken doll on the cover and had an inkling it would be juicy. And you know what? I love it when I'm right!
Though Anatomy Of A Boyfriend features sex, it's one of those books that's about more than just raunchy foreplay. Rather, it's a coming of age story that explores one girl's tumultuous journey through first love, devastating heartbreak and self discovery. Dom isn't a super hero. She doesn't save the day or have any special powers. She's just your average-bordering-on-goody-goody teenage girl who's got a serious case of the book smarts. And in addition to all her nerdiness, this book features positive female friendships and strong parental relationships which is something that seems to be lacking in many popular YA books. Authors: More of this please! And what made Dom really resonate with me was the fact that she wasn't perfect. She was far from it! But that made her easy to connect with, faults and all. She's naive and vulnerable and inexperienced despite, at times, thinking she's got it all figured out. I mean, isn't that everyone in high school though?
On a side note: Apparently some reviewers were surprised by the sex-stuff, which I really don't get because, hellooo! The book is called ANATOMY Of A Boyfriend. And, well. There's a naked Ken doll on the cover. So yeah. I really don't think Snadowsky could've spelled it out any more literally. But that's beside the point.
What I really appreciated was how tastefully the sex stuff was written. There is no S&M, 50 Shades shit going on. It's authentic and clumsy and awkward as hell. It'll make you uncomfortable. But let's be real here---isn't that the point? I mean, was your first time this super lengthy, totally orgasmic, glamorously erotic sex fest? I don't think so. This is the real deal, baby, and it'll make you cringe. Snadowsky presents sex (done safely!) and teen relationships in a very honest way and that's something I can and do support.
I will say this, though. I did get pretty frustrated with Dom frequently throughout the book. For starters, I really didn't get what she saw in Wes. As a character, I found him kind of blah. So apparently they've got this instant connection and from there she goes from reserved and sensible to being crazy obsessed (or just plain crazy). Eventually, she let's Wes completely dictate her happiness and that drove me nuts. I often found myself with the need to play the older-sister-with-more-wisdom and sit down and talk some sense into the girl. If I could have, I would've given her the following advice: Happiness should be on your OWN terms. You can't expect to make anyone else happy if you can't first be happy with yourself. This isn't it. I know it feels like it is, but it's not. It does get better, TRUST ME on this one.
SPOILER ALERT: Then there's the matter of Dom's broken heart. Honestly, I liked that her and Wes' relationship ended, So many times contemporary books set readers (specifically the younger ones) up for unrealistic expectations when it comes to relationships. But life just isn't that way. Things don't always work out, and when they do fail, it never ends in the way you think/want it to.
But I guess that's why this book was so great, because it evoked such strong emotions out of me. It was relatable on nearly every level. It brought about those "does he, doesn't he like me" memories. It made me think of when I had my heart broken for the first time. And yes, I thought about sex. It's funny reading it now with the hindsight and wisdom of someone who's been through it all before. It makes me wish I had read it as a teenager, if only to see what my reactions would've been back then. Either way, it was an enjoyable read with astoundingly realistic characters in easily relatable situations and I'm happily devouring the sequel as we speak.
purpleketchup's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
3.5
mariethelibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
Dom annoyed me, Wes annoyed me, a lot of things annoyed me. But I liked the ending. Or yeah. Well. This is not my type of book.
kricketa's review against another edition
2.0
this was kind of like reading an updated version of judy blume's "forever" except a little more realistic and, at the same time, silly. dominique meets wes after falling down in the mud trying to get to a porta-potti at a football game. slowly and steadily they fall for each other. at this point the plot focuses in on their blossoming sexual relationship to the exclusion of just about anything else, but because the characters aren't really that interesting, that's the only part the reader really wants to hear about anyhow. the sex is meant to be educational ("look, i can see wes' urethra!"), condoms are used, and awkwardness abounds. then it's time to make college decisions. what will happen to wes & dom?
i think this could be good for teens in the same way reading "forever" was a pretty eye-opening experience for me back in the day. but as literature i can't really say much for it.
i think this could be good for teens in the same way reading "forever" was a pretty eye-opening experience for me back in the day. but as literature i can't really say much for it.
katelynmccarty's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was extremely relatable which is why I gave it four stars. Dominique experiences what we all go through at some point, the end of high school, the beginning of a mature relationship, a first love, a first heartbreak. It was well written and I enjoyed the few chapters that were entirely in email form, it allowed the reader to get to know each character a little better.
Definitely recommend to anyone who is at this stage of their life, in high school and struggling with a crush. This book adds insight to anyone who is young and in love and scared. It's humble and Dominique is likable, though to a certain point. There were times when she annoyed me like when she considered attending NYU just because of Wes. (Some independence well needed here). Other times she thought it was the end of the world and acted like a typical clingy girlfriend excessively. But like I said, relatable.
Quick, easy, fun, guilty-pleasure summer read for sure!
Definitely recommend to anyone who is at this stage of their life, in high school and struggling with a crush. This book adds insight to anyone who is young and in love and scared. It's humble and Dominique is likable, though to a certain point. There were times when she annoyed me like when she considered attending NYU just because of Wes. (Some independence well needed here). Other times she thought it was the end of the world and acted like a typical clingy girlfriend excessively. But like I said, relatable.
Quick, easy, fun, guilty-pleasure summer read for sure!
juicelina's review against another edition
3.0
I was honestly kind of expecting this to be a hate read but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. The relationship between Wes and Dom felt really realistic. And the way the author described the sex scenes in that completely no bars un-romanticized way was really refreshing (similar to Judy Blume's writing).
The only thing that really bothered me was Dom's attitude. She did that totally teen girl thing where she makes her life start to revolve around a boy. Dom was extremely bratty and immature throughout the book. She got irrationally angry and jealous over little things and she definitely took the "crazy girlfriend" stereotype seriously. Her friend, Amy, was really great I wish we got a little more of her, but she was kind of put on the sidelines for Wes. Amy was extremely patient and sympathetic with Dominique and a really amazing friend considering she had to deal with Dominique's bitchy crazy girlfriendness.
Anyway I'm kind of happy with how it ended and I won't be reading the sequel just because I feel like it doesn't need it. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick and hilarious read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The only thing that really bothered me was Dom's attitude. She did that totally teen girl thing where she makes her life start to revolve around a boy.
Spoiler
she did the thing where she decides to give up her college to go to the one he wants to go to and is completely unbothered when her dream college doesn't accept her. Fortunately she did the smart thing and went to her second choice which was offering a half ride scholarship instead of following Wes to NYU.Anyway I'm kind of happy with how it ended and I won't be reading the sequel just because I feel like it doesn't need it. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick and hilarious read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.