ARC Review : Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius

Title : Anne & Henry
Author : Dawn Ius
Genre : YA retelling, contemporary
Release Date : September 1st, 2015
Publisher : Simon & Schuster

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In this wonderfully creative retelling of the infamous—and torrid—love affair between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, history collides with the present when a sizzling romance ignites in a modern-day high school.

Henry Tudor’s life has been mapped out since the day he was born: student body president, valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like his father’s. But ever since the death of his brother, the pressure for Henry to be perfect has doubled. And now he’s trapped: forbidden from pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who isn’t Tudor-approved.

Then Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.

Wild, brash, and outspoken, Anne is everything Henry isn’t allowed to be—or want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and even his girlfriend warn him away, but his desire for Anne consumes him.

Henry is willing to do anything to be with her, but once they’re together, will their romance destroy them both?

Inspired by the true story of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, Anne & Henry beautifully reimagines the intensity, love, and betrayal between one of the most infamous couples of all time. 

*I receive an arc from the publisher through Edelweiss. Thank you Simon & Schuster for the book!

First, let me tell you that this book is nothing like I'd expected. I originally thought that it's just about two lovers that cannot be together for some reasons. Well, it is, but it's also so much more than that. Eventhough it's really different from my expectation, somehow, I still enjoy Anne & Henry.

Anne & Henry is a retelling of the real Anne and Henry. I didn't know anything about Anne and Henry, except that they used to rule England, and Anne die because someone beheaded her. That's why I googled them before I read this book, and I'm glad I did, because if I didn't know the original story, I will give this book 1 star. One of the reasons I like this book is because the way Dawn write it. It's not easy to make a retelling of something that happens hundred years ago, yet Dawn manage to make the scenes in this book both similar to the real events and in real life.

As the summary says, Anne is nothing but trouble. She's wild, bold, and reckless, but she do that due to some dark past with her family. On the contrary, Henry is the typical 'perfect guy'. He's rich, popular, a valedictorian, a quarterback, and has a beautiful girlfriend, Catherine. In a life like that, he should be happy, but he's not. He feels pressured. He didn't want to be a politician, but he has too because of his mother. That's probably why he finds solace in Anne, because she's everything he cannot be.

At first, I was a bit skeptical about the romance. It started with an insta-lust, and definitely didn't end happily. But surprisingly, I enjoy the romance in it. I enjoy their banter, and their happy and 'pressured' moments (what I mean is, since Henry's mother didn't like Anne, it's pretty hard to keep their relationship), even though there's some part that's weird for me.

If there's one thing I didn't like with this book, it would be the ending. Personally, I think it's both unreasonable and got me thinking, "What? Just like that?". Also, I wish there's more character development in this book, especially to Henry. Overall, Anne & Henry is a great retelling, and I think you should read this if you like retelling. Just remember that it's a retelling, which mean the events in it have to be similar with the real events, so there's some scenes that probably feels weird for you.