Anatomy of a Boyfriend

Warning: Sexual scenes A very honest portrayal about a girl's first everything: first love, first boyfriend, first time. I found myself laughing at some of their thoughts and some of the dialogue. This is a cute and fun read and I loved how brutally honest it is. Never have I read about a book where the main story or plot is about sex. If I ever read this book as a teen I would have been majorly grateful. The relationship game is so evident in this one. Should I call him back? Do I look too clingy? Am I being too clingy? Etc. There are just so many questions a teenage girl needs to get answered and I'm happy to note that this one does answer them. I didn't particularly like the characters, but I did enjoy all the fun escapades they got themselves into. Dom is a great person wanting to be a doctor but her dislike for animals really bothered me. Especially when Jessica was around. I don't understand how Dom would just give up her only dreams for a boy. It felt so quick. And she's not in love, she's in lust. Overall, Anatomy of a Boyfriend is a fun and fresh take on the contemporary genre!show more

It's been less than 24 hours after reading Anatomy of a Boyfriend and I still can't stop thinking about it, and there are many reasons for that, most of them being that this book was just plain awesome. The reasons why Anatomy of a Boyfriend was just plain awesome: 1. It's gotten me back into a contemporary genre mood. You know those contemporary books that are pretty much just a mirror of ones that have already been done before? The ones where the girl gets the guy and it's all, happy day! The ones that make you not want to read more contemporary? This book was not one of those. It was quirky, intelligent, and most of all, risqu�?�© (FYI, that's an understatement). 2. Every feeling and reaction that Dom felt during her crush-months was everything that I'd felt over years of thinking I liked a guy (and realizing later that I was so wrong). Those butterflies, the awkward silences, getting to know a guy's parents . . . the whole thing just made my heart race and brought a smile to my face. Her observations and mistakes were so relateable. 3. The clinical terminology in the make-out and sex scenes was so good, and definitely necessary! I loved it when Dom remarks on the hormones and pheromones, different scientific theories, constantly drawing parallels between her comfort zone (science textbooks and the boardgame Operation), and her boyfriend's body. Without this I think it would have just turned into a sappy romance novel, done hundreds of times before. 4. I knew from the start what was going to happen, but that was fine, because I couldn't have imagined it any other way, and it was set up from the beginning to be just that! It was Dom's first boyfriend, she wanted the physical stuff, a lot, and some of the doubts from the earlier chapters definitely indicated what was to come. This book isn't a love story, it's a story about growth and flawed relationships. 5. The doubts about what to do after high school: what program to go into, what university to attend, how to know you're in the right program once you're there, were all things that I went through, and I identified so much with Dom during these parts especially. There's a scene where she questions whether or not she's actually ever liked medicine and science. I remember going into graphic design, and thinking to myself, do I actually like what I'm doing? I don't do art in my free time, and I definitely don't enjoy my projects as much as I should be. I just wanted to reach through the page and stifle her confusion because it was just bringing up all those feelings again (which is a good thing because it means this book is super well-written). 6. I couldn't put Anatomy down. It definitely helped that it was under 300 pages, but I whipped through it. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough because I wanted to know what happened to Dom with Wesley. Were they going to go all the way? Would she regret it? Would they still be super awkward after dating for several months? When was that stupid guy going to cheat on her?!! I had the same doubts every time Wesley brought up Jessica or made some stupid decision to go out with his friends or walk his dog. 7. Dom is not a perfect, sweet girl. She's a little self-centered (what can you expect from an only child?) and she's pretty entitled. She's also hyper-emotional. But that's what makes her such a great character! Yes! to flawed, realistic characters like Dom, a huge no! to Barbie perfect characters (which is kind of ironic, seeing as the cover for the next book, Anatomy of a Single Girl, has a Barbie doll on it). I only had several minor issues with this book. Some of the dialogue seemed a little too forced, especially the banter between Dom and her best friend Ames, and her conversations with her parents. The last part had so much stuff happen in it that it seemed a little too much. I was thinking, how many bad things can happen to these people? But these issues aren't terrible, I'm just being nitpicky. Overall, this book was a great read that really stood out from the crowd with its realistic portrayal of teenage dating and sex-life without being an over-the-top romance and sob fest. I still have butterflies in my stomach and that good feeling I got right after turning the last page knowing that the last four hours reading had been time well-spent.show more

In ANATOMY OF A BOYFRIEND, author Daria Snadowsky examines first love, sex, and relationships among two teens. Dominique, a high school senior with dreams of becoming a doctor, meets and quickly develops a relationship with Wes, another senior who attends a different school in town. Things quickly become hot and heavy for the two inexperienced teens, until fall, when they decide to attend colleges on opposite sides of the country. Thus, their feelings for one another change, and they're forced to reevaluate their relationship. Very similar in plot and character to Judy Blume's young adult classic FOREVER..., Snadowsky still manages to find a unique point of view in her story through Dom. The readers take an adventure with Dom as she discovers many new adult experiences, and feels what it's like to truly love for the first time. The book provides a very frank look at sex, and can sometimes be very graphic. However, with all of the candidness, the book stands out from other young adult novels that glaze over the reality of high school relationships without really exploring them. ANATOMY OF A BOYFRIEND is an honest gem that will provide readers with a sincere and at times painful portrayal of adolescent life.show more