Friday, August 9, 2013

AimeeKay Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend (Anatomy #1) by Daria Snadowsky

Series: Anatomy #1
272p.
Publisher: Delacorte for Young Readers
Available: Now
Source: From author for review
Before this all happened, the closest I'd ever come to getting physical with a guy was playing the board game Operation. Okay, so maybe that sounds pathetic, but it's not like there were any guys at my high school who I cared to share more than three words with, let alone my body. 
Then I met Wes, a track star senior from across town. Maybe it was his soulful blue eyes, or maybe my hormones just started raging. Either way, I was hooked. And after a while, he was too. I couldn't believe how intense my feelings became, or the fact that I was seeing—and touching—parts of the body I'd only read about in my Gray's Anatomy textbook. You could say Wes and I experienced a lot of firsts together that spring. It was scary. It was fun. It was love. 
And then came the fall.
AimeeKay's Thoughts:
 So I’m 50-50 on this one.

I think the book itself was an interesting look into the life of a girl who is going through A LOT of firsts,  her first boyfriend, her first time, her first year at collage, her first heartbreak, just to name a few.
The main character, Dominique Baylor, who is incredibly intelligent, is also incredibly naïve when it comes to love and relationships.  But she is sweet and I enjoyed seeing her life through her eyes.   I liked her, and while I saw the end of the book coming, I still hoped for the best for her.  Also, even though I only got to know them through Dominique’s perspective, I liked the other characters as well.   Her best friend Amy is a riot.  

I also liked the author’s writing style. There are quite a few laugh out loud moments.  Some of the one liner observations that her main character makes literally had me laughing to the point of tears and I had to share them with my boyfriend while I was reading. 

There are two main reasons I’m fifty-fifty on this one. The first is that it’s written in first person present POV.  This is actually the lesser of the two reasons and it actually didn’t bother me as much as it has in the past.  But it would still catch me off guard on occasion and completely pull me from the book. 

The second is the actual main issue I had.  It is because of the emails in the book.  First let me explain that a huge part of the communications between Dominique and Wesley, her boyfriend, are via email.  While odd that it was email and not text, which seems a lot more common place today with pretty much everyone, I thought it was a unique way to see them interacting. My issue is that the emails themselves just didn’t sound like Dominique.  After being in her head and hearing her thoughts her emails just sound forced and overly formal, especially since she is writing to her boyfriend.  

Overall I think the book is a great light read for summer.  Yes first love is never light and easy from the person experiencing it, yet with Dominique’s voice Snadowsky is able to make it fun as well as touching.  There are sex scenes, but they aren’t erotica graphic. (It’s one of the experiences that’s a first for Dominique after all!) So I don’t think I’d refer it to the younger teen crowd.  But again I think it’s perfect for taking to the beach or on vacation.  Dominique is easy to relate to and the story draws you in without being overbearing.  (Plus the cover is absolutely great! I mean it’s a naked Ken doll with the title covering the naughty bits.  It definitely started a few conversations!)

PS. You can win a copy of the book at AimeeKay's blog (US only)! Just go HERE!

17 comments:

  1. Fun cover and I enjoyed AimeeKay's review but alas I'm not sure this is a read for me.

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  2. Yeah, teens text or Snapchat -- not so much with the email! Hard when those emails don't sound like the character, too. All those firsts are why I love reading YA!

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  3. I haven't heard much about this book, but it seems to be far more realistic than most contemporary YA. I'll definitely have to give it a shot!(:

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  4. This sounds like a great story. I think Chayse read it. I'll have to check it out.

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  5. Nice review!! I never read this one, but I DID just read the second book (since they can be seen as "companion" books in a way) and I really liked it.

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  6. Thanks for trying something different. Great review. It sounds interesting despite the flaws. I think I would have felt the same way about the e-mails.

    Thanks again for reviewing!

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    1. You're welcome! Thanks for sending them my way! :)

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  7. I hate when voice is inconsistent, which is how Dominique's voice seems to be in this. I'm not a fan of the cover, but I am intrigued by it! Great review!

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  8. Can I just say: I missd you and your awesome comments. :) Def. back to blogging.

    I like the cover of this book. I would def. pick it up and check out the summary of it. :)

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  9. Huh. The email thing sounds interesting. I wonder why her voice sounds so different in the emails than it does just in the story itself. Glad it had some laugh out loud moments though, I tend to be forgiving of flaws if a book can make me laugh!

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  10. I didn't have the problem with the emails and Dom's personality in them that you had. I really enjoyed this novel and the one after. We're review buddies today!

    I liked Dom's voice a lot in the novel. And you are so right about the cover!!

    Heather

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  11. I heard this was dated, for example AOL email is mentioned etc. I have read a few reviews that sounded like yours..not quite sure. I am glad that the first person kinda worked. Great review Melissa!

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  12. Thanks for all the comment love!

    I don't usually pick this genre as my first choice, but I was really intrigued by the covers.

    Also the giveaway runs 'til the 16th and it's for print copies of both books.

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  13. I do like these covers! I have heard some mixed things but it does sound like a more summery, lighter sort of read.

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  14. I didn't know this one but it seems there are a lor of ideas in it.

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  15. This does sound like a fun beach read. I'm not usually a big fan of emails in books or letters, but I can deal with them if the rest of the story is good. Great review! :-)

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