Anxiety towards the future dominates Daria Snadowsky’s young adult novel, Anatomy of a Single Girl.

The book conceptualizes growth and moving on through the fictitious experiences of Dominique as she spends her summer off campus and meets a boy who might just be her second chance since a shattering breakup about one year prior.

Of course something is missing, though. Dominique comes to the realization that her relationship can go one of two ways: it can either become an eternally mutual infatuation, or life will get in the way and the fling will come to an end.

“I tried to show Dom’s entire thought process as she struggles between ‘forever versus fling,’ and hopefully readers can identify with some aspect of her reasoning even if they don’t agree with her final decision,” says Snadowsky.

As the reader attaches to the protagonist, they begin to feel her restraint; her anxieties and insecurities. Dominique, like most people her age, prefers to be in control of her emotions and subconsciously creates a barrier between herself and those around her. She is always at least mildly aware of the impact they can have on the life she has salvaged and is slowly restoring.

“Of course I tried to create a unique and memorable character in Dominique. But I intentionally kept her vague enough so that any reader can see him/herself in Dom’s shoes as she braves the universal journey through first love, first time, first heartbreak, first rebound, etc,” says Snadowsky.

Lessons from the book coincide with situations faced by Snadowsky’s demographic, developing a stronger connection between characters and readers. While the story is not necessarily groundbreaking, it is relatable and can strongly connect to readers who may identify with Dominique.

Kirkus Reviews described the novel as a work that “presents a multiplicity of opinions and stories about sex, intimacy and relationships and lets readers come to their own conclusions.”

While the novel is specifically marketed to girls in high school or college, I would recommend it to a broader audience including both younger and older readers.