Hazel Sinett is a lady of high society who prefers dissecting bodies to attending balls. “Anatomy,” by Dana Schwartz, is a fast-paced story filled with romance, mystery, and a lot of gore.

Schwartz tells the story of Hazel Sinnett in the 1800s who wishes to become a surgeon in Edinburgh, Scotland. There is just one problem- she’s a woman. Women at this time were forbidden to learn medicine, and even if she could be a surgeon, her mother had other plans for her, including becoming an aristocrat and marrying her cousin Bernard. 

Due to rumors that a deadly plague is spreading, Hazel’s mother and little brother flee, giving Hazel the perfect opportunity to pursue her grisly passion. 

Hazel makes a deal with the head of the Edinburgh Anatomists Society. If she can pass the physicians exam on her own, she will be given the opportunity of a lifetime, to apprentice to the head surgeon of a hospital, and women in the future will be able to train as surgeons. But if she fails, she will never be able to accomplish her dream. 

In order to complete this impossible task, Hazel teams up with Jack, a poor boy who makes his money “resurrecting” the dead. Jack is part of a profession that calls itself the resurrectionists, or as the people of Edinburgh call them, body snatchers: Men who steal bodies from graveyards in the middle of the night and sell them for dissections. 

Entertaining and hard to put down, it’s the type of book you stay up till 2 a.m. trying to finish. The romance in the story is not the main focal point, but is sweet and interesting. The author also shows you both sides of the story by showing two different perspectives. One is that of a wealthy high-class young woman who is striving to be her own person and one of a poor young man just trying to survive. 

The two main characters, Hazel and Jack, are very likable and you will constantly find yourself rooting for them and their relationship. Hazel is bold and not afraid to take what she wants while Jack remains cautious yet willing to work hard for those he loves.

While this book is thoroughly entertaining, it is not original. I felt as though I had read this book before and the twists towards the end either felt obvious or confusing with no real surprise.The ending is the exact opposite of satisfying, especially with all the amazing possible places the story could have been taken. It seemed as though the ending was just set up for a sequel and not actually to finish the story off.

Other aspects left the reader confused altogether. Some of the characters critical to the plot were completely forgotten about. 

Overall, I would rate this book three out of five stars. If you like fast-paced romance with resilient characters and mystery and don’t mind gore or an open-ended ending, this is the book for you.