Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Cleopatra und Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

37 reviews

philippmk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Self harm

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Animal death

lidia7's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

took me a while to get into it (about 20%) and i thought i was going to dnf but then i ended up reading 80% or more of the book in one night.
love the writing style
a lot of TWs, sorry if i forgot some

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Animal death, Cursing, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Medical content, Sexism, Vomit, and Suicide

laurafrances's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Bullying, Addiction, Animal death, Body shaming, Cursing, and Eating disorder

dexlud's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Cleopatra and Frankenstein is a stunning novel, especially as a debut one. Coco Mellors puts so much passion into this novel and it just makes you love the characters and then rips them apart. I love this book so much! Mellors may have written my current all-time favourite! I will 100% be reading her other works!

Cleopatra and Frankenstein is a book whose narrative changes as the story goes on. LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD FOR STRUCTURE -

During the start, when everything is happy and fine, the narrative is joyful and happy, however once everything goes downhill, it switches to an emotional and beautiful narrative that honestly just makes you want to cry. Once everything begins to get better, the narrative once again changes, this time back to the start, where everything is getting better, however it's like the narrative is like the start, but with experience from the middle part.

For people who would like to read this, be warned that there is a lot of drug use and sex throughout this book, and some topics that some people may dislike or be triggered by!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Terminal illness, Dementia, Infidelity, Sexism, Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Cursing, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts

mpeach's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cursing, Blood, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Fatphobia

rory_coleman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I had originally given this a 4 but my book club discussion made me realize I had a lot more negative to say about it than I’d thought. I think that because I was coming off of some heavy non-fiction this was a departure from that and therefore a breath of fresh air. But in the end, that fresh air WAS NOT fresh, the themes were heavy, and almost every character is hate-worthy. 

I laughed out loud at sections (which is really rare for me) and had a very soft spot for the chef, so I can’t give it lower than this rating. I appreciated how complex the characters were and in scenes of conflict I really felt like I was there with them, I could hear their voices and see their faces and feel their energy. So that’s gotta count for something! But not enough to redeem the initial rating I’d given.

I agree with other reviewers who are wondering what the point of this story was. It made New York sound like a dump, the art installation at the end made me furious and nauseated, the fact that Everyone is so Charmed by Beautiful Stunning Cleo got so old so fast (especially after seeing the author might have been writing those descriptions about herself 🥴) and why some characters are redeemed and others aren’t had little rhyme or reason. Anyway, it was fast and entertaining!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Infidelity

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, and Grief

beriboo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Chronic illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Cursing, Animal death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Mental illness

daisywilliams's review against another edition

dark emotional relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The characters were very complex which made it an interesting read, I just wish it was longer 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cursing, Self harm, Eating disorder, and Suicide attempt

leils's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.25

Bad plot with some interesting parts popping up a few times. The only reason that I actually bothered to finish it was to see how the conflicts were resolved, and ... safe to say I was disappointed lol. If the author has focused on just Cleo, Frank, Eleanor and Anders the book would have been more solid, but instead 30% of it was dedicated to side characters. The story of the side characters really didn't add to the main storyline, so .. could have easily been chopped and nothing would be missing.

The author does have a way of digesting hard themes with her easily flowing writing style, which made this book actually readable.

Wouldn't recommend this to anyone, but I am going to see what the author comes up with next 🪩⚡🤍

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

tarnya_smith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is the perfect book for me and I loved it. 

We follow Cleo and Frank who meet and quickly marry. He's much older, successful and an alcoholic and Cleo is a young English artist who is seduced by his charm. We follow their relationship, their friends, family and life as it changes. 

This was beautifully written with so many tender moments. I listened to the audiobook and immediately bought the physical copy after so I can sit and go through tabbing all the moments I want to remember. 

As a modern romance story with some very dark themes, this is still easy listening, fun in parts and honestly raw in others. It's been compared to Sally Rooney and I agree but would say this felt well rounded and darker, like the 18 rated version of Conversation with Friends. 

An author to keep an eye on in the future for me!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Self harm, Body shaming, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Cursing, Alcoholism, and Drug use