The Anatomical Shape of a Heart (udgave 2015)

I know a book is good when I was so immersed in it that I couldn't be bothered to tell Goodreads I started it! I absolutely adored The Anatomical Shape of a Heart! I actually went into this book with fairly low expectations. I picked it up on a whim from the library, because the name sounded vaguely familiar, and I was pretty sure a blogger I like had reviewed it. The only thing was, I couldn't remember whether it had been a good review or a bad review (It was a good one, I checked after 😁). So I was a bit wary of it. But it sounded sort of interesting, so I figured I'd give it a go. Wow, am I glad I did!

This book was absolutely amazing! I loved the characters so so so much! The book was SO well written, and I am just I awe! There were so many layers to it, AND OH MY GOODNESS IT WAS AMAZING!!!

I could flail about how good this book is all day, but I don't think I'm going to be much more coherent than "IT WAS SO SO AMZING!! ASHJDAGDHJASGDJKSAGDKASJDG!!!", so I'll move on to the very few things I didn't love about this book.

So the first thing was just me personally. It wasn't at all a problem, it was just that they were very descriptive about anatomy, and dead bodies. And this stuff completely grossed me out. I ended up having to skim those descriptions, because I just couldn't quite stomach it. This was very much just me. The fact is, although I can read about murder and torture and whatnot no problem, as soon as anything remotely medical is mentioned I go green. It didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the book, but it did make it a slightly more difficult book for me to read.

The other thing that bothered me was the ending. I mean, I liked the ending, it was great, but it seemed a little bit too neatly tied up. And this is coming from me. I hate open endings. But it felt like they tied up every single tiny little plot thread, and it just didn't seem quite realistic.

But whatever. Those were two tiny complaints, and aside from those, I adored this book with all of my heart! I cannot praise this book enough! ( )

This was very cute! I’m always a sucker for books about artists so this automatically checked a lot of boxes for me. I’m kind of iffy about the central conflicts and the way it was resolved - I just can’t imagine someone doing a 180 just like that - but overall I think it was still handled in a way that made it believable. ( )

This was sitting on my TBR bookshelf for a long time and the other day it jumped out at me as if begging me to read it. I don’t hesitate when things like that happen because I truly believe that’s the way the universe works; it triggers your subconscious to suddenly pay attention to something you had previously ignored.
Beatrix (Bex) is interested in pursuing a career where she does medical drawings. She meets Jack, a charming notorious graffiti artist. The two of them have instant chemistry and as Bex gets to know him, she likes him more than she would have believed possible.
Don’t want to tell you more. I will say that it’s a mature YA read; Bex and Jack do become physically intimate and it’s pretty descriptive so I’d reserve this for high school rather than middle school. Still a great romance though. ( )

A fairly formulaic romance but not badly written.
I am weirdly bothered by the fact that our narrator supposedly has all these different braided hairstyles but she never actually spends any time braiding her hair. ( )

"And then he was kissing me like we were both on fire and he was trying to put the flames out, and I kissed him back like an arsonist with a pocketful of matches."

The universe was against me, but I finally finished this book! It didn't take me long to read, but it was "misplaced" for over a week. My son thought my shelves were too full, so he decided to add a few to his. 🤷💕

I absolutely adored this book! Jenn Bennett is a wonderful author that writes truly authentic stories with relatable characters. All of the characters, regardless of their roles, were meaningful. A few were only mentioned a handful of times, but their overall impact was great and fit seamlessly into the rest of the story.

I loved watching Bex and Jack form a relationship. It was awkward and intense at the beginning, but slows down once the two finally start interacting with each other. It's like they've finally found another person they can confide in, which is good, because there is no shortage of secrets.

I was surprised by some of the revelations, and it was exciting to see how they would start to play into the story. It was so awesome watching all of the pieces come together! The family fights were not over-the-top, and the sibling relationships made me smile. I was disappointed with the parents a few times, but I can understand the reasons for their actions. They also love their children and make an effort to fix their mistakes.

Bex and Jack are practical when it comes to the physical aspects of their relationship, and they're able to talk about it reasonably before moving forward. There were a lot of times I forgot these two were in high school, and loved the level of maturity they had already achieved. They were open and honest, and both wanted assurances from the other that they were happy. They were so selfless and sweet. (Bonus: If they had a problem, they actually talked about it.)

It isn't an angsty romance, or even a slow burn, but a simple and honest connection that blooms over time. They're able to connect through their love of art, but it's really so much more than that. Bex and Jack are two people that know what they want in life, and they're not afraid to go for it. I loved their confidence and enthusiasm, and their willingness to help others. Brilliant book!

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on Friday, March 9, 2018.
http://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2018/03/the-anatomical-shape-of-heart-by-jenn.html ( )