I’m going to preface this review with a warning. The themes explored in Anna are likely going to act as a trigger for some readers. There are elements to the narrative that cover the trauma of physical and mental abuse.  Beaten. Branded. Defiant. Anna is a possession. She is owned by the man named Will, shielded from the world of struggles by his care. He loves her, protects her, and then breaks her. Anna is obedient, dutiful, and compliant. Anna does not know her place in the world. When she falls pregnant, Anna leaves her name behind, and finds the strength to run. But the past – and Will – catch up with her in an idyllic town with a dark secret, and this time, it’s not just Anna who is at risk. This week’s review is a dark, powerful story of survival. Anna by Sammy H.K. Smith is a near-future exploration of a world in decline viewed through the eyes of a young woman. The larger dystopian elements of the novel are subtly done. Society has collapsed in upon itself through a series of conflicts that have ravaged the world. In the aftermath, humanity has reverted to type. The…