Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

53 reviews

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

chsm8's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, and Sexual content

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

film_oddity's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Transphobia, and Vomit

akgrantmatz's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

The characters in the book are highly unlikeable, but their facets are also like those of every person you have ever met. It is dark, and triggering, and you constantly wish they would all make better decisions and better relationships, but also understand them making those choices. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Transphobia and Vomit

emilysshelf's review

This book felt like someone trying way too hard to be edgy and artsy. I understand that everyone is flawed but the characters in this book were wildly irritating and all toxic. The dynamics in the friend group were frustrating and I found it hard to care for any of them. I had heard lots of love for this book and was super excited but was definitely let down. Most of the characters were so self absorbed. The age-gap, and “but shes an old soul and so mature for her age” personality had me stressed. Book was insufferable and it genuinely stressed me out, I couldn’t even hate-read and push through it. Maybe in the future I’ll try to reread but it’ll be in the FAR future once the sour taste it left in my mouth is gone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

kimmberr's review against another edition

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

5.0

i think Coco Mellors is genuinely becoming one of my favorite authors. she writes stories about people who feel so real and broken and raw. the books aren't plot driven, they're all people driven. and the people all mess up a lot, but she somehow pulls out the beauty in all of it. I will be thinking about this book for a long time

i technically would dock points for the couple chapters written from the random friends' povs (Quinten and Santiago) because i don't feel they added anything to the storyline, but the rest of the book was strong enough to me that i am choosing to ignore those 2 chapters

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent

ssaammii's review

emotional reflective 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

This was an entertaining read that I was compulsively drawn back to. 
The prose was successful in capturing a very specific atmosphere at points that resonated with me, but did sometimes fail to thread the needle between the observation and critique of familiar internal demons, and indulging/condoning the worst actions of its characters. I found myself very much riding off the vibes the characters as a collective, bevause as individuals they could be somewhat unbearable at times. I did find the passage of time to be very well articulated through the seasonal changes and the character interactions that developed naturally.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Transphobia, and Vomit

eloot's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

4.5

I have never connected with each character of a book so fast. I need Greta Gerwig to make this into a film. I’m 24 and I love Cleo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Animal death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

dracucore's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

excellent read, though it took me longer than usual. very emotional, points off for the rushed ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol