Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Cleopatra und Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

57 reviews

sydapel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

3.5

This book is ostensibly right up my alley, and if we were judging on the last chapter alone, this would get five stars for the sheer audacity of making me cry alone at a wine bar. However, I found myself more drawn to (most of) the side characters who were brought in for a single chapter before then disappearing to the background, and desperately wanted to spend more time with them. I also have some concerns about one of the queer side characters being used as a potentially problematic plot device, which casts a further shade. Ultimately though the writing in this is quite good and I love the arc it takes, it feels very emblematic of Sally Rooney without actually creating a broader theme or heart to it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Abandonment, Animal death, and Mental illness

Minor: Death of parent

nai__reads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Blood, Infidelity, Self harm, Drug use, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

swetha062's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I think in any case that love would sustain you, their life would be a prime contradicting example of that. Cleo and Frank find solace in things except each other. Coco mellors does a great job of catching the intricacies of love between two beings and what makes them want to choose the other. She captures the depth of falls and misses in these moments. Empathy being the key to finding peace, she explains every relationship in the book desperately needing that for themselves. It's beautiful and none of their reasonings fell flat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Child abuse, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, and Death of parent

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

ludmireads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Death of parent, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Infidelity, Animal death, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Mental illness

addie's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Drug use, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Addiction, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Transphobia, Alcoholism, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Fatphobia, Abandonment, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

writingcaia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

Haunting and beautiful.
Cleo and Frank have had a shit childhood and although they’ve 20 years difference their darkness pulls them together to try to make light. Green card or not Cleo loves Frank and a few months after they met they get married.
This is really a story about the group of people surrounding the recent couple and Cleo and Frank themselves, a story where the characters move the plot, which is a picture of addiction, pain, broken childhoods, depression and to be an adult filled with grief and confusion, to still be finding yourself, to realise sometimes it takes forever, the journey is it, sometimes it’s laugh, friends, finding a support system.
I did saw myself in the details of many of them and none.
It’s weird, it moved me but it didn’t fill me, maybe my own grief and depression made a barrier between me and this grief stricken story so I wouldn’t hurt - it’s been a rough year.
Still, loved it just not immensely.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Death of parent, Suicide, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Forced institutionalization

a_alves00's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

adamparrishlover's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

it's kinda like gosspil girl for people that are currently debating wether or not they should get a sugar daddy to pay for their expenses. mostly questionable with some strong feminism sprinkled in here and there. 

Ah and also everyone in New York does coke like EVERYONE 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Grief, Death of parent, Addiction, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Mental illness, Drug abuse, and Infidelity

Moderate: Sexual content, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Suicide

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