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!

Content Warnings

mecmccann's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense 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

5.0

I had high hopes for Cleopatra and Frankenstein, and it definitely lived up to my expectations.

This book follows Frank and Cleo, who quickly fall in love and get married so that Cleo can obtain a visa. But a flame dies down as quickly as it rises, and they quickly run into marital problems. We follow as their relationship ebbs and flows, until their inevitable demise.

This book hits hard at what it means to be human. It's complicated and beautiful, devastating and joyful. If you are an empathetic human, you will enjoy this book.

Content Warnings

j_hamps's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

4.0

Content Warnings

noveltay's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

Writing style is so similar to Eliza Clark. I enjoyed this book and the writing style. I liked how it was a romance but romance was not the main focus ever, even during weddings and affairs.

Content Warnings

luluellis33's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

Content Warnings

susiemilani's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Content Warnings

virgcole398's review against another edition

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challenging emotional 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

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?

Content Warnings