Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting. Cleo and frank are two messed up people with messed up friends. These were some wild people! Drugs,sex, etc. I was pretty much annoyed at how messed up all the characters were. I was hoping they would all figure it out but that's not what happened. Different from what I usually read and I enjoyed the storyline for the most part. Can't say I liked any of the people in this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I finished this book a few days ago, trying to digest, trying to see if it would have a impact on me; it didn’t. My biggest complain is: the men in this book are unbearable - all of them. Even the gay friend, all of them rich, spoiled brats, who never grew up. Frank needed 2 women to “fix” him. The women I cared a little more - specially Cleo and Zoey, although they could be at times very annoying. Eleonor… idk, she was there being used as “the good funny person”. I didn’t know shit about this book when I picked it up, maybe if I knew I wouldn’t be so disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Self harm, Death of parent, Alcohol
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Forced institutionalization
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really struggled to read this book, which was a shame after so many recommendations. I felt that things were often repeated. The author kept eluding to Cleo being like cleopatra, beautiful and captivating, however every descriptor she used made her sound odd looking. I found some parts the writer had gone into depth and created great back stories but then abandoned them with no further mention.
At the end I didn't feel like Cleo actually changed or developed as a character ? But the writer emphasises she has by new artwork. All in all I did not find myself wanting to finish it, more to move on to something else.
At the end I didn't feel like Cleo actually changed or developed as a character ? But the writer emphasises she has by new artwork. All in all I did not find myself wanting to finish it, more to move on to something else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Suicide, Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Abandonment, Alcohol
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Cleopatra, the original undoer of men.” “Frankenstein sounds about right. Creator of monsters.”
When the darkest part of you meets the darkest part of me, it creates light.
Why did she feel the need to make everyone, even this waiter, like her? What a thing it must be to be indifferent to indifference.
Everything she had ever wanted to hear from a man was hers from the mouth of a girl.
If you prefer one outcome over another in life, you will likely be disappointed. I prefer nothing and am always surprised.
Sweetheart, love is humiliating. Hasn’t anyone told you that? Do you know the word humiliate comes from the Latin root humus, which means ‘earth’? That’s how love is supposed to feel. Like earth. It grounds you. All this nonsense about love being a drug, making you feel high, that’s not real. It should hold you like the earth.
This was gut wrenchingly sad. Would it be cliche if I said this is All Too Well (10 Minute Version) meets I miss you, I’m sorry by Gracie Abrams in the form of a novel?
I almost dnf’d this at first because I was worried the characters would be insufferable for 300+ pages, but as I kept reading, I realized these are some of the most flawed and realistic characters I’ve ever read. I constantly felt like I’d made up my mind about characters, and then I’d read something that would change my whole perspective. It serves as a reminder that everyone is struggling with something that you probably wouldn’t guess upon first glance. I think this is a statement on how much messed up family dynamics hurt and shape us in adulthood. It’s also about being angry, lonely, depressed, and confused and not knowing what to do about it. On a more positive note, it’s also about love, home, community, sisterhood, healing, empathy, intimacy, forgiveness, and what stillness can mean when you’ve only ever known chaos. I especially appreciated the points made about vulnerability and how sometimes it’s rewarded but not always.
As an aside, Eleanor and her mother are some of my favorite characters I’ve ever read. Funny girl representation!
I can see the Sally Rooney comparisons but I wouldn’t say they’re overtly similar in terms of writing style or characterization.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug abuse
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent