Chicklish: REVIEW: Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky (Anatomy book 2)

Review by Luisa.

"After everything that happened—my first boyfriend, my first time, my first breakup—jumping back into the dating game seemed like the least healthy thing I could do. It’s not that I didn’t want to fall in love again, since that’s about the best feeling ever. But as a busy college premed still raw from heartbreak, which is the worst feeling ever, I figured I’d lie low for a while. Of course, as soon as I stopped looking for someone, an impossibly amazing—and devastatingly cute—guy came along, and I learned that having a new boyfriend is the quickest way to recover from losing your old one..."

This is the sequel to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, a book that made a firm nod to Forever by July Blume with its depiction of first love. (Read my review of Anatomy of a Boyfriend here.)

It's not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one; Anatomy of a Single Girl recaps all important past events and works as a standalone. Anyone who enjoyed the frank, explicit descriptions of relationships in the first book, though, will be pleased to find more of them in this sequel.

Dominique is now attending medical school, though this book is mostly set during the uni holidays and Dom is back home with her parents, frequently seeing her lively high-school BFF Amy, who is now in proper love.

Dom is not completely over Wes, her high-school sweetheart, but she's wondering other men. We get to meet Calvin, who is a good friend, and then Guy, who awakens hot new feelings in Dom. Once again, I really enjoyed reading Dom's analysis of everything that goes on in her life. She's a realistic character and a truthful, thoughtful narrator.

This novel isn't a romance. The emphasis, as with the previous book, is on Dom's exploration of herself and what she wants out of life and love. It's also about the way things are changing between Dom and her parents and friends as she grows up. It's an honest, warts-and-all account of late teen relationships, and it's unflinching and absorbing.

Review by Luisa.

Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky