Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Cleopatra e Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

98 reviews

afternoondreamer's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.0

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____nique's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

I saw this on Fully Booked– the cover page piqued my interest and made me want to read it when I read its blurb. Thankfully, I fought the urge to buy the physical copy of this book because I would be so disappointed if I did as I didn’t enjoy reading it. The first chapter of it was eye-catching and it was the main reason why I continued reading it. However, the chapters following that were disappointing. Maybe the story was not just for me, but I really can’t see the logic and sense of reading a story without an actual plot (I mean, I would get it if the story is non-fiction, but a fiction book without a plot? Oh, come on!)

Since it has no plot, I found the book very tedious and tiring to read– it took me 2 weeks to finish it which was unusual for me as I only read books at least a week. The chapters were just too long; I found the descriptive words very detailed; and the stories in each chapter were not really linked to the main storyline (if a storyline/plot really does exist in this book). Some readers prefer this kind of writing, but I found it unnecessary which prevented me from connecting with the story.

I can see the similarities between this book and The Year of Rest and Relaxation. They both gave me mixed feelings towards the book because I genuinely think that the story, characters, and overall setting of this book have potential, but something in the writing was lacking that made the story feel lost somewhere. So sad, I would’ve loved to enjoy reading these kinds of stories, but my impatient ass cannot stand it.

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alexandram's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

i don’t usually cry reading books but i cried reading this one. it was a fucking journey and i lived every second of it. my heart ached so much for the characters and i really felt like i learnt a lot. and it’s so well written like aghhhh!! i’m not much of a re-reader either but i’d read this again.

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lailajm's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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ktwoolen's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

Tore me apart in the best way. I love the reflective writing in this book and the raw depiction of human nature and relationships.

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dany_casimiro's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

Check out the trigger warnings beforehand!

Long Story Short: New York in a whirlwind of art, sensible depictions of mental illness and heartbreak seasoned with a strong sense of irony.

Coco Mellors has terrific writing skills: each POV reads like being inside the character's mind, and the recurring humor never gets old. I particularly enjoyed the switching between Cleo and Frank and their friends and acquaintances. The pacing helped to maintain a constantly refreshed narrative while providing each character with the breathing time they needed to be explored and developed. This includes the city as well since we get the feeling that New York is always present, its lights glistering in the background.
Perfect for anyone who enjoys Sally Rooney's representation of toxic relationships looking for a more hardcore read!

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sammyjogeara's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

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.

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