Anatomy of a Boyfriend

Author: Daria Snadowsky
Delacorte Press, £8.46

Understanding Those Tricky Things Called Men

ANATOMY OF a Boyfriend is a fun, well-written and emotional account of a college student’s journey through life, love and heartbreak.

The main protagonist, Dominique Baker, falls head over heels in love with Wes Kershaw in her last year of college, changing the way she looks at life, and her decisions about the future. She no longer consults her anatomy books or her best friend, Amy, for advice on love and sex; she experiences it first-hand with humorous incidents along the way. Dominique’s life changes yet again when she goes to university and, detached from Wes, it is their constant emails that make their separation that bit easier.

Meanwhile, she experiences family drama, which begins the start of another whirlwind of emotions when Wes reveals that his feelings have changed. Although devastated, by the end of the novel Dom’s self confidence and character is well and truly rebuilt, and she is willing to take on the challenge of another man!

Snadowsky’s debut novel is a rather explicit and intense portrayal of Dom’s sexual discovery. It is extremely well-written, as she seems to pinpoint and detail the feelings and experiences of teenage love with a confident, honest and realistic style, ensuring that readers such as myself felt great empathy with the lead character. The fact that Snadowsky tackles a tricky subject with such honesty makes the book a worthwhile read, coupled with the fact that she incorporates a wide variety of issues related to growing up, such as family issues, university, pregnancy scares and heartbreak; there is something that every teen can relate to!

This is in essence a ‘chick flick in a book’, a light, uplifting novel that draws the reader in from the first page (the witty title grabbed my attention!), and it is the presence of humour throughout that ensures the plot remains lively and not stagnated. Although the novel is specifically aimed at teenage girls, its appeal could most definitely extend into the twenties as well, because lets face it, all us girls are intrigued by the anatomy of a boyfriend…aren’t we?!

7/10