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ganyuuz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
atsilak's review against another edition
3.5
Not as interesting as I thought. The summary made it seem like it was only going to be about Cleo and Frank so I was a bit surprised at the other 4 or 5 POVs we got! They were refreshing but I don’t think any character was strong enough to have a whole story in their voice. I do like “no plots just vibes” kind of novels but I found this one dragging and not relatable. The writing though, at times, was beautiful and breathtaking. I hope Blue Sisters shows growth!
courrtneyellen's review against another edition
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
4.0
1000journals's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Let me start by saying I’ve developed a bit of a parasocial relationship with Coco Mellors. She’s an author AND Fashionista AND living an international lifestyle, everything I want for myself. Well, my interest in Coco is more that of research and manifestation, not parasocial, but that’s an essay for another time. I say this because I expected to have bias and to make a disclaimer for my bias, but I feel pretty unbiased when I think about all the work that should’ve been done to this book. She said it was in edits for a long time, and you can tell because it has that “I’ve been working on this forever so now I’m rushing to just get this process over with” feel. It had quite a few typos, corny lines that were so corny and frequent they were distracting, and random characters with random plot lines. However, I loved this book, and I already feel the shadow of it following me for months to come. Yes it could’ve been cleaner, but Cleopatra and Frankenstein might’ve changed me a tiny bit, and anything that’s ever changed me has always been kinda messy.
The ending… the ending!!!! The art installation? This is NOT a romance book. This is about the things that make us who we are. As someone who also deserved more love than I received as a child, this book is a reminder that having a late start does not make the race. My childhood hasn’t irredeemably damaged me. I wish I could get to know these characters even more!!! I wish Coco got to know them more as well, but she said her second book is even better and not many people can say that after a bestseller so I trust her as a storyteller. She treated so many diverse topics with such care, which is evidence of her rich and varied life.
The ending… the ending!!!! The art installation? This is NOT a romance book. This is about the things that make us who we are. As someone who also deserved more love than I received as a child, this book is a reminder that having a late start does not make the race. My childhood hasn’t irredeemably damaged me. I wish I could get to know these characters even more!!! I wish Coco got to know them more as well, but she said her second book is even better and not many people can say that after a bestseller so I trust her as a storyteller. She treated so many diverse topics with such care, which is evidence of her rich and varied life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism
teavani's review against another edition
4.0
- there was a lot of potential with the side characters, and i don't think it was achieved. only Eleanor felt like a whole person, and maybe Anders. but not Santiago, Zoe, Quentin, etc. Quentin's demise too. we go from him meeting a guy to being a coke addict? the way santiago was written…like all of chapter 12...gross. it’s just so annoying because i’ve noticed in a lot of these sad-girl books (which i realize is a big oversimplification but still, that is what they are) the poc are always the ones that are berated and fat and ugly and insecure. and zoe and audrey (the other two poc) are also written in a weird way. like the first chapter about zoe felt almost useless. and the second was also weird, with all the jiro stuff. and my favorite character Jesus the sugar glider died. and my favorite human character was sidelined.
- i liked following cleo and frank's relationship. i was not rooting for them from the start, given the age gap, and then especially with the infidelity (both physical and emotional). i really liked the ending. it ended how it should, as in they ended. and i liked the last conversation between Cleo and Frank. their fates and separation made sense.
- i liked ch 13. it was very good. this book had a lot of ups and downs, and i do think the writing was good. i'm really between 3 and 4 but i rounded up.
lines
When was the last time you were with a straight man, I'm talking any straight man, and he said something more interesting than what you were already thinking? (43)
Even with Cleo, it was her intelligence and sexual charge he'd been drawn to; he'd never once considered whether she was a good person (67).
Two parts contentment, one part desire. It seemed like a good formula for living, though one she had not mastered yet. Her mother certainly never did (114).
The idea behind it is that if one of us had to live it, the other should too. I guess that's friendship or something (132).
I was in my pajamas from T.J. Maxx eating cereal for dinner, already destined for a life of mediocrity. Why didn't I just pull myself together back then? I was five! I could have turned it around! (133).
That was the thing about him. He noticed that. He noticed people. It was his gift. Or really, it was the gift he gave you. To be seen (151).
She always seemed to be keeping up an amusing dialogue with herself in her head, one that he was constantly hoping to become a part of (184).
She was back to being a child. He rested his forehead on the slope beneath her belly button. She took his skull in her hands, his lovely curly hair sprouting between her fingers. Devotional. That was the word for two bodies like that. They should have been more devoted; she understood that now (300).
In her fantasies she was like metal, shiny and cold and impenetrable. But all her feelings, her stupid hurt feelings, kept bubbling to the surface (304).
She wanted them out. She wanted a river heavy with men's bodies sucked out of her. She wanted death by flood (306).
Fondness was the best word she could think of to describe what they felt for each other. Fondness was warm but not tepid, the color of amber, more affectionate than friendship but less complicated than love (307).
"But I could tell she felt safe in that house. She grew up feeling safe and fiercely loved." When he looked up, he was surprised to see that Cleo's eyes had glazed with a thin film of tears. "That sounds nice," she said quietly.
"And you and I didn't get that, not because we didn't deserve it, we just got dealt something else. But the people who did get that love, they grew up to be different from us. More secure. Maybe they're not as shiny or successful as you and I feel we have to be. But it's not because they're not interesting. They just don't feel they have to do the tap dance, you know? They don't have to prove themselves all the time to be loved. Because they always were." Cleo smiled sadly. "But how do you stop tap dancing if you're like us?"
"I just got too tired, Cley," he said. "The shoes didn't fit anymore. And when I stood still, Eleanor was there standing with me. And I think you deserve to be with someone like that, who can provide that safety and that stillness for you in a way I never could. Even though God knows I wanted to Cleo. I really wanted it." (365).
- i liked following cleo and frank's relationship. i was not rooting for them from the start, given the age gap, and then especially with the infidelity (both physical and emotional). i really liked the ending. it ended how it should, as in they ended. and i liked the last conversation between Cleo and Frank. their fates and separation made sense.
- i liked ch 13. it was very good. this book had a lot of ups and downs, and i do think the writing was good. i'm really between 3 and 4 but i rounded up.
lines
When was the last time you were with a straight man, I'm talking any straight man, and he said something more interesting than what you were already thinking? (43)
Even with Cleo, it was her intelligence and sexual charge he'd been drawn to; he'd never once considered whether she was a good person (67).
Two parts contentment, one part desire. It seemed like a good formula for living, though one she had not mastered yet. Her mother certainly never did (114).
The idea behind it is that if one of us had to live it, the other should too. I guess that's friendship or something (132).
I was in my pajamas from T.J. Maxx eating cereal for dinner, already destined for a life of mediocrity. Why didn't I just pull myself together back then? I was five! I could have turned it around! (133).
That was the thing about him. He noticed that. He noticed people. It was his gift. Or really, it was the gift he gave you. To be seen (151).
She always seemed to be keeping up an amusing dialogue with herself in her head, one that he was constantly hoping to become a part of (184).
She was back to being a child. He rested his forehead on the slope beneath her belly button. She took his skull in her hands, his lovely curly hair sprouting between her fingers. Devotional. That was the word for two bodies like that. They should have been more devoted; she understood that now (300).
In her fantasies she was like metal, shiny and cold and impenetrable. But all her feelings, her stupid hurt feelings, kept bubbling to the surface (304).
She wanted them out. She wanted a river heavy with men's bodies sucked out of her. She wanted death by flood (306).
Fondness was the best word she could think of to describe what they felt for each other. Fondness was warm but not tepid, the color of amber, more affectionate than friendship but less complicated than love (307).
"But I could tell she felt safe in that house. She grew up feeling safe and fiercely loved." When he looked up, he was surprised to see that Cleo's eyes had glazed with a thin film of tears. "That sounds nice," she said quietly.
"And you and I didn't get that, not because we didn't deserve it, we just got dealt something else. But the people who did get that love, they grew up to be different from us. More secure. Maybe they're not as shiny or successful as you and I feel we have to be. But it's not because they're not interesting. They just don't feel they have to do the tap dance, you know? They don't have to prove themselves all the time to be loved. Because they always were." Cleo smiled sadly. "But how do you stop tap dancing if you're like us?"
"I just got too tired, Cley," he said. "The shoes didn't fit anymore. And when I stood still, Eleanor was there standing with me. And I think you deserve to be with someone like that, who can provide that safety and that stillness for you in a way I never could. Even though God knows I wanted to Cleo. I really wanted it." (365).
estellegodard's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-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 devoured this. I was so enamored with the characters and their individual lives. I loved the way the author put distinct personalities into each character and there were several moments that were extremely beautiful and resonated deeply with me, while others made me laugh out loud. as a new yorker I also loved the specific descriptions of the city and how vivid certain areas were in my mind. I especially loved the chapter about zoe and her “sugar daddy” experience; it was wholesome to see her complete a satisfying arc. I also thought the end of the book was very lovely and well executed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
la_frankel's review against another edition
3.5
Everyone could benefit from a bit of grief counselling. Also I think Taylor Swift wrote The Bolter about Cleo. Eleanor was my favourite narrator.
prayushi_sharma's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
While it has times that the pacing feels slow even for a character driven book that is genuinely my only critique!! This was amazingly written!!
cjhaley's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rhysdri's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0