Anatomy: A Love Story (The Anatomy Duology, 1)

*INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
*INSTANT #1 INDIE BESTSELLER*
*INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER*
*A REESE'S YA BOOK CLUB PICK*

"Schwartz's magical novel is at once gripping and tender, and the intricate plot is engrossing as the reader tries to solve the mystery. She doesn't miss a beat in either the characterization or action, scattering clues with a delicate, precise hand. This is, in the end, the story of the anatomy of the human heart." - Booklist (starred review)

Dana Schwartz’s Anatomy: A Love Story is a gothic tale full of mystery and romance.

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, Beecham will allow her to continue her medical career. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books—she’ll need corpses to study.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets, and the dreaded Roman Fever, which wiped out thousands a few years ago, is back with a vengeance. Nobody important cares—until Hazel.

Now, Hazel and Jack must work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

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Published Jan 18, 2022

368 pages

Average rating: 7

228 RATINGS

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DecayedChain

Mar 03, 2025

5/10 stars

The book for written like a historical fiction until you get to the end, where they kind of just add a touch of magic out of nowhere. If they had left the book grounded in reality throughout I would have liked this book better.

Summer1108

Jan 22, 2025

3/10 stars

I think the concept of this book was interesting, however, I found it quite boring + not much happened. I think the historical time period may have been an afterthought or to try to give it some Sweeney Todd vibes but it just fell short for me. I think this would have been a really great story to be written as a horror book to lean into some of the more grotesque themes that were skipped over or lightly touched. I'm not saying it was a horrible book, but I did listen to it at 1.8 speed so it was only 5 hours long but I probably would have dnf'd it had I physically read it. I enjoy some YA but this was unfortunately not it for me.

Anonymous

Jul 23, 2024

10/10 stars

I initially gave this book 4 stars and then as I thought about it and thought some more and am still thinking about this book, I am changing it to 5 stars. Thhis book is a YA Gothic novel and I heard a review from someone else that they enjoyed it and I was drawn to the cover. That being said I was nervous because sometimes YA historical fiction and romance is not always quite my thing. To be honest I don't particularly think I would describe this as YA romance at all as the love interest and relationship are nice and there is a relationship that grows there it doesn't actually feel like a YA Romance. I suspect that the actual love story is Hazel's love of medicine and the science of human anatomy. I was also drawn to this book as I have read the non-fiction Women in White Coats which I highly recommend actually pairing with this book. The history aspect of resurrection men who were stealing bodies as well as the other bits of history about school of medicine in Edinburgh was well done. Hazel was a facinating character who is initially very practical about her own arranged marriage and social situation. There were layers to her practical way of seeing that she was expected to get married so she would marry her cousin and she also wanted to study medicine. There was also layers of discussion about class and how that plays a role in medicine historically and the exploitation of the poor and marginalized for the benefit of the upper classes. There were just a lot of layers to this book and I am looking forward to the sequel.

Yesi

Feb 18, 2024

7/10 stars

I expected more love, less medicine... I have so many unanswered questions

margardenlady

Dec 27, 2023

8/10 stars

Hazel is a young woman with a mission! She is a privileged daughter of a wealthy family in the early 19th century, but she dreams of becoming a surgeon. We witness her experiments and study which leads her to dissecting corpses and providing care to those in need. oh, and there is a love story.