Thank you to Wednesday Books for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Edinburgh, 1817. 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, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect. Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then. But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society. This deliciously creepy Gothic tale about a female surgeon, the resurrection man supplying her with bodies, and all the magical horrors they face is sure to haunt readers in the best of ways. Anatomy certainly delivers on compelling characters--Hazel is ambitious, relentless, and definitely reliant on luck and privilege as she attempts to navigate the wealthy, male society of medicine in Edinburgh. She was just plucky enough to get into some terrifying scrapes, but empathetic in using her surgical skills and country home resources to help others. I rather liked the challenge she set to the instructors at Dr. Beecham's lectures. That provides a fantastic lesson from the outset in never giving up on your goals despite facing ridicule from classmates and authorities. The graveside romance aspect comes on a bit strong at moments--not sure I would call kissing in a grave the most romantic thing I've ever read--but Hazel and Jack fit well together, and their partnership seemed borne out of genuine attraction rather than instalove, which I appreciated. Pacing was spot on throughout the novel, and the last quarter is packed with exciting reveals. I always appreciated Schwartz's attention to keeping page count moderate. Anatomy never drags, and each scene feels like it takes the proper length of emotional time to process. I sped through the novel in a day because I didn't want to stop reading! There are some fascinating parallels between Hazel's world in 19th century Scotland and the modern day in regards to who is viewed as medically expendable, and whose lives are worth saving. The conspiracy that Hazel discovers is far beyond the scope of malice evident in contemporary healthcare systems, but the underlying premise is the same. Anatomy is not just a love story, it's also a book about systemic inequality and the difference in care between the rich and poor residents of a city. Overall, I'm giving Anatomy 4/5 stars, and recommending it to any reader craving a magical Gothic mystery.
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. As you may know, Barnes and Noble had a massive sale on hardcovers a few weeks ago. Needless to say, I was drawn to that and immediately lost all sense of reason. I'm talking 16(!!!) new books, and I'm here to share my entire haul with you. Some of them I've read but didn't own, and some are books I picked up on the spot. This fits in with one of my bookish resolutions for 2022, which is to go on a book buying ban for the first three months of the year. Stocking up on new reads will help me avoid the urge to visit my local indies or fill my online cart on bookshop.org. Without further ado, here are my picks!
Happy New Year! I have a feeling 2022 is going to bring great things for all of us, and I'm excited to see what the new year holds. At the moment, I've been cozied up at home doing lots of reading and tackling a massive book organization project. See, Barnes and Noble had a 50% off sale on hardcovers that you may have heard about... and I kind of went overboard. Now I have 16(!!) new books that need shelving, and I'm desperate to give my shelves a makeover. It's a perfect project for those snowy New England days that I hope we'll get soon. I've also just finished my first two reads of 2022: That Summer by Sarah Dessen, which I read so I could cull it from my shelves; and Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire, which continues my slow trek through the Wayward Children series. I adore her writing and am looking forward to picking up the next books in the series.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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