Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

365 reviews

racholivia's review

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal death and Grief

lavishrebellion's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

Probably one of the hottest it-books of the last two years, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but it did feel very vibe-y, which was accurate. Taking place in Manhattan and featuring characters of a certain milieu (flashy; social) “Cleopatra and Frankenstein,” about the rise and fall of a couple who surprisingly get married, alongside the lives of their friend groups and relatives, had moments of depth, was a juicy read at times, detailed and committed to its alternating POVs, and at times very graphic in its sexual imagery and violence. (I want to note that I really appreciated how she wrote the characters of color too). Its author Coco Mellors cared a lot about her characters and it showed in her writing. And as someone who lived in NY in the 2010s, this book also heavily harkened to that time period for me and thus, a ride of bittersweet nostalgia.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

pencil6556's review against another edition

dark emotional 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

asb51's review

dark emotional funny hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

mybestfriendsarefictional's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

Melancholy personified.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

madzsmiled's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

Please read all content warnings if applicable!

I initially picked this book up for the title - Cleopatra and Frankenstein, how unique - and found I could hardly put it down. Mellors' mastery of the mundane made every moment magical (alliteration absolutely intended). It was by no means a fantastical story, rather one of pain and humanity. Self-discovery and change can happen at any age, at any stage, and the lessons that Mellors teaches are gentle in a way I didn't expect. I was brought to tears time and time again, dancing from highs to lows. I railed at each character for poor choices, but not once did I feel that they were constructs. They felt like real people, and Mellors simply pointed the camera at their lives. 

Cleo and Frank were childlike in so many ways. Their brash decisions and whirlwind of parties and events represented all that New York could offer, everything and anything. Cleo was unmoored from her mother's death, her own struggle with mental illness, and her search for purpose. Frank was aching for belonging, but chose to muffle the pain instead of facing it. His alcoholism didn't make him a villain, but his choices and ways he treated others soured his relationships. They were yearning for stability that neither one could offer, so they ended up spiraling. 

The other characters were no less interesting than the titular duo. Each were undoubtedly intertwined with the Cleo and Frank, moving like a complicated dance, pushing and pulling. Each had their own sets of longing and battles to fight - Zoe searching for something to ground her, Quentin struggling with drugs and identity, Santiago aching for love and acceptance, and Eleanor learning to love herself. And not everyone had a happy ending, but each finds their own path for better or for worse. 

I loved the writing style between perspectives. The first and last chapters are evenly split between Frank and Cleo's thoughts. The rest of the book is regimented to one character per chapter, looking through their eyes. Where it shifts is Eleanor - her perspective is in short snippets and thoughts, focusing on the world around her. It's a refreshing change of pace and from the first person instead of the third. It becomes more personal.

Overall, this story left me feeling emotionally drained in the best way. It was introspective and beautifully written. 

 #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #litfic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Dementia

Minor: Suicide

lisapisa8's review

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

It’s a story about a toxic couple with friends around them who have bad influence on them. It makes the characters live in this devil circle where everyone makes bad decisions. The very very End shows character development. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

gewrgia_lightwood's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

give me a toxic, raw and complex relationship over any cringy, smut-and-trope-driven romance!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Alcohol

leeshahhh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Transphobia

gizelleinak's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.25

I saw a description of this book as "no plot, all vibes" and I agree. I didn't like most of the characters with the exception of Santiago and sometimes Eleanor. That said, it did keep my interest despite all the characters and their self-destructive traits so there's that. Despite lowish rating, I'd recommend to others just to get their opinions on it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia