Cleo Ray is a likable, girl-next-door type whose influencer status is on the rise. Being associated with her brand ambassador and influencer boyfriend Sandy is rapidly increasing her follower count. At the same time, Cleo’s girlfriend, Beck Alden, is expecting her to propose during their romantic visit to a secluded lake. THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE opens with documentary filmmaker Duncan McMillan following Cleo as she awaits the verdict of her trial for Beck’s murder. Did Cleo actually do it – murder her supposedly beloved girlfriend, whom she was going to marry? The world is waiting with bated breath to find out, and everything is at stake for Cleo – her fame, her fortune, her love, and her life as she knows it.
Readers that enjoy thrillers and suspense will enjoy this unique take on both genres. Many pieces of the puzzle are already assembled as you start reading – you know who died, you know how she died, and you know who is on trial for said murder. The treat of THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE comes in following along with multiple different perspectives to form your own opinion in determining whether Cleo Ray is in fact guilty of murder or not. L.R. Dorn cleverly divides this work into titled episodes instead of chapters, further bolstering the documentary structure within which the story unfolds.
Often, many true crime documentaries spend a fair bit of time exploring their main subjects’ backgrounds – what events shaped their lives? What catalysts started their journeys into darkness? Unfortunately, Cleo and Beck lacked depth and seemed to be oversimplified in this story. As well, some of the societal commentary that Dorn strove to make remained cursory, lacking a powerful and meaningful integration into the novel. Dorn could have effectively used the documentary concept to explore and comment on the impact that being an influencer has on someone’s life. On the other hand, Dorn effectively posed some questions to draw you into directly engaging with the work – what rights do influencers have to privacy in their personal lives? What do their fans “deserve” to know about them?
If you enjoy watching true crime shows on Investigation Discovery, or found yourself really invested in analyzing and debating about shows like Making a Murderer or The Staircase on Netflix, you’ll definitely enjoy THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE. The documentary-like style lends itself well to audible enjoyment, so put this novel on your must-listen list of audiobooks!
A modern tale of American striving, social media stardom, a fatal love triangle, and a young woman on trial for murder—a mesmerizing reimagining of Theodore Dreiser's classic novel of crime and punishment, An American Tragedy.
Claire Griffith seems to have it all, a thriving career, a gorgeous, successful boyfriend, a glamorous circle of friends. She always knew she was destined for more than the life her deeply conservative parents preached to her. Arriving in Los Angeles as a flat broke teenager, she has risen to become a popular fitness coach and social media influencer. Having rebranded herself as Cleo Ray, she stands on the threshold of achieving her most cherished dreams.
One summer day, Cleo and a young woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a quiet, picture-perfect mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water, her face cut and bruised, and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play and news about Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck and what was the nature of her and Cleo’s relationship? Was Beck an infatuated follower who took things too far? If Cleo is innocent, why did she run? Was it an accident? Or was it murder?
As evidence of Cleo’s secret life surfaces, the world begins to see just how hard she strived to get to the top— and how fast and far the fall is from celebrity to infamy.
L. R. Dorn’s reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s novel, told in the form of a true crime docuseries a la Serial and The Jinx—with characters speaking through the “transcripts” of recorded interviews—The Anatomy of Desire exposes the ambition, sexual passion, and dark side of success that readers will find as achingly poignant as they did a century ago.
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