Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe's Reviews > The Anatomy of Desire

Libro.fm has done it again, this time with a full cast audiobook! The Anatomy of Desire is the first audiobook I’ve listened to with a full cast and I loved it. It was so fun to hear the different voices and it made the book so easy to follow. This book was told in the form of a true crime documentary/podcast and I was here for it. It reminded me of Serial which was extra fun to listen to.

The story was about Cleo, a social media influencer who has it all. She has worked hard to become a popular fitness influencer and now she is being accused of murder. She was seen taking a canoe into a lake with Beck, another girl, who never comes back. What follows is the trial mixed with interviews and backstory. The story explores the characters of Beck and Cleo and how they were really involved with each other. The case brings up Cleo’s past and present, and how she got to where she is today.

Thoughts: I loved the way the audiobook had the characters speaking through “transcripts” of recorded interviews. The execution was well done and reeled you in from the beginning. This was a fun and unique format that made you feel like you were really following the case. I can understand how reading this as opposed to listening to it would be confusing though, so keep that in mind.

The story explored the darker side of success and influencer culture. It talked about desire and fame and addiction to technology. I loved the way the book made you feel like you were behind the scenes of a production. This is a retelling of An American Tragedy which I haven’t read, but would be interested in reading now. The courtroom aspects were not realistic at all, but still made an interesting subject. While there wasn’t a twist in this story, I still didn’t expect the ending. 4-stars for me!