Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Kleopatra i Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

444 reviews

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I don’t know what to rate this book. Some of the dialogue was great but Cleo & Frank were insufferable.  I loved Eleanor’s storyline and the relationship with her mother. Honestly, I wish the entire book was from her POV. However, the constant comparisons to how “beautiful” and “special” Cleo versus how “masculine” Eleanor was were depressing to read. Especially, given that Cleo is a blatant self-insert character. Don’t even get me started on how Mellors wrote the POC characters in this book. For instance: “She learned to dance like a Black American.” I beg your finest pardon? 🤨 It was all so fetishtic and…weird. Has Mellors ever interacted with any POC in real life?

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

I finally fucking finished this book. And I want to cry about it. This was an emotional roller-coaster and a real coming of age story — of all ages. Self-harm, self-hate, self-sabotage, trauma, depression, dysmorfofobia, addiction, alcoholism, co-dependency. I’m really happy I paced myself reading this since it turned out to be one of the best — yet most painful — books I’ve read this year. I feel empty and full at the end of this and through it all still a message of hope, of overcoming once own adversities and somewhat killing your darlings. I genuinly recommend you to read this. However beware — you’re going to need to eat your feelings at the end of it. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Very good book, well written and nice to read. Unfortunately, it contained a number of topics that difficult for me. That somewhat diminished my enjoyment. I'm sure I could have liked it more at a different time in my life .

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I thought that this book was satire until I realized it wasn’t. To me, much of conversation between characters seemed contrived, and I initially thought that could be intentional. I found parts of book compelling—particularly the Eleanor chapters—but overall felt the changing perspectives in each chapter were more gimmicky than constructive. Plot points are introduced and then abandoned, or major events/conversations overlooked or only referred to as having happened off screen. I’m thinking specifically about
Quentin’s character and how he is sidelined soon after being introduced — there’s little we hear from him after his introductory chapter, only to have it revealed at the end of the book that he’s been struggling with drug addiction, with little followup or commentary from any of the other characters
. I did finish the book and found it to be a quick read, and despite it dealing with some very serious issues, did not find it weighed down or overly dragging. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Cleo and Franks relationship is like watching a high speed car crash in slow motion. You know what’s going to happen but you can’t look away. Fantastic look into trauma, how it changes you/ effects every part of your life, and how healing can really turn your everything around for the better. 
It’s also interesting to see our titular characters from not as glamorous but relatable Eleanor’s perspective and through her I warmed up to Frank a bit. Also loved what little we got of Zoe and her journey. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I really enjoyed this book. it felt so raw, so real. In man was i found myself in this book. 
but man - i fucking hate Frank. every other character i could still see their good sides, but not Frank. i will never forgive him for what he did to the sugarglider. i will die a Frank hater.
also im really sad about quentins end.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings