Before I begin this review, I would like to point out that I was forced against my will to read this book. My co-editor, the ever-imposing Bailey Valente, decided that she wanted to read Daria Snadowsky’s first book, Anatomy of a Boyfriend, and “asked” me to read and review its sequel, Anatomy of a Single Girl. (If you cannot tell by now, it wasn’t much of an ask).
Anatomy of a Single Girl is clearly marketed towards teenage girls. However, I was surprised to find that this book was quite enjoyable and actually taught me a lot about the inner workings of girls’ minds.
Anatomy of a Single Girl is the story of Dominique, a rising sophomore at Tulane University, who returned home to Florida for the summer. Dominique recently broke up with her high school boyfriend who she considered her “one true love.” She doubted she would ever have feelings for another person.
Lo and behold, it turned out that Dominique did have feelings for someone else – a strapping young lad by the name of Guy.
Guy and Dominique date – well, they do a bit more than date – and Dominique, while not finding love, got over her boyfriend, and learned a lot about herself in the process.
This book was cute. It was an easy read, and enjoyable. Besides being a fun read, this book taught me a lot about the way girls think.
Oh boy, did it ever.
Much of what I learned cannot exactly be printed in a high school newspaper, so I will skip that and talk about the more moderate lessons I learned.
According to this book, girls are always looking “for the one.” At one point, Dominique said that she always thought of her boyfriends as “fiancés-to-be.” In my humble opinion, I would say that is a little ridiculous – the average high school relationship probably lasts a month. However, now I recognize that commitment and marriage are big freakin’ deals to girls, and if I want to be with them, I’m going to have to respect that.
I’m also going to have to respect their boundaries. I will avoid graphic detail, but if a girl says “no,” it means “no.” I guess I always knew that in the back of my head, but this book only reinforced that thinking.
As an awkward 16-year-old male high school student, I basically need all the help I can get in the department of attracting girls’ attention. While by no means did Anatomy of a Single Girl have all the answers, it certainly taught me a lot about what is important to girls, and turned out to be a very enjoyable read. I may have to ask Bailey for the first book in the series.
