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gabsdiore's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
_luuucy_'s review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Usually I’m really picky with fiction that deals in historical worlds I’m pretty familiar with (in this case, mid-19th century medical history), and while this had some definitive departures from strict reality, it did a great job of setting the stage accurately enough for the story to shine through without me going “aseptic technique wasn’t in practice yet!!” or whatever. I was kind of resistant to the titular love story at first (give me more really-intense-for-technically-YA surgical gore!) but ended up getting into it, and I think it did justice to how very weird this time/setting actually was!
jpluff2334's review against another edition
4.0
This was an unexpected gem. I didn’t get into it right away but by the end I was turning pages so fast. It definitely leaves you wanting to read the second book immediately! The plot of a girl in the regency era wanting to become a surgeon despite societal norms & the building of a relationship with a grave digger was definitely plotting & the twists were definitely twisting! It definitely had a lot of elements teen readers would love.
janeleng's review against another edition
5.0
4.5! Can I just say how nice it is to read a competent YA novel for once. I've been steering clear of the genre lately due to one too many attempts to read clumsily written stories that have the same trope-y characters and well-worn plots. But Anatomy: A Love Story has renewed my hope in the genre.
I was worried early on in the book that it would be another anachronistic girl power story that feels out of touch with its time period's reality. However, Schwartz does an excellent job of rooting Hazel's unfailing belief in herself in her privilege and naïveté rather than some feminist deus ex machina.
I also appreciated the pacing of the love story between Jack and Hazel. Schwartz fully fleshes out both character's lives before they ever meet. Giving us their full backstory and even other romantic interests before their courtship begins gave a depth to their romance.
Also, the audiobook had a fun little conversation between the narrator and the author at the end!
I was worried early on in the book that it would be another anachronistic girl power story that feels out of touch with its time period's reality. However, Schwartz does an excellent job of rooting Hazel's unfailing belief in herself in her privilege and naïveté rather than some feminist deus ex machina.
I also appreciated the pacing of the love story between Jack and Hazel. Schwartz fully fleshes out both character's lives before they ever meet. Giving us their full backstory and even other romantic interests before their courtship begins gave a depth to their romance.
Also, the audiobook had a fun little conversation between the narrator and the author at the end!
schlavina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
gabrielle_mendez's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
louesums's review against another edition
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 3
“Being a woman had closed many doors to Hazel Sinnett, but it had also revealed to her a valuable tool in her arsenal: women were almost entirely overlooked as people, which gave her the power of invisibility.”
While this book did not blow me away there were many things about it that I did enjoy. I really liked Hazel’s determination in adversity and how she had a goal and ran towards it no matter the obstacle in her way. However as the reader I found a lot of the plot to be quite predictable and have more of a “cozy” book vibe. Other than the obvious there were no real stakes and a lot of things were not tied up as neatly as I would have liked. I wanted to have more gore, and for something titled a love story there really was not much of a love story. I’m hoping the sequel changes my mind about the series thus far.
“Being a woman had closed many doors to Hazel Sinnett, but it had also revealed to her a valuable tool in her arsenal: women were almost entirely overlooked as people, which gave her the power of invisibility.”
While this book did not blow me away there were many things about it that I did enjoy. I really liked Hazel’s determination in adversity and how she had a goal and ran towards it no matter the obstacle in her way. However as the reader I found a lot of the plot to be quite predictable and have more of a “cozy” book vibe. Other than the obvious there were no real stakes and a lot of things were not tied up as neatly as I would have liked. I wanted to have more gore, and for something titled a love story there really was not much of a love story. I’m hoping the sequel changes my mind about the series thus far.
hauntedhexgirll's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a bit of a slow burn for me, but it still was hard to put down. I loved the main character, I loved her ambition and how she felt so real. I loved that the romance didn’t overshadow her personal journey. It was a great fast read, nice short chapters. I think there was also some very beautiful dialogue between the main two characters. I loved this.
jeskareadsandteaches's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0