Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Cleópatra e Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

283 reviews

leeshahhh's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

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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, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Transphobia

jennifer_krebs's review against another edition

5.0

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

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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, Alcohol

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

levtitticus's review against another edition

2.75

emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, Sexual content

Minor: Death, Homophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

akgrantmatz's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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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, Injury/Injury detail

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

Minor: Transphobia, Vomit

cayliehausman's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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A proper show of the delicate balance that relationships, big and small, have on one another. Balancing between opinions and perspectives, feelings and foreshadowing, this book beautifully describes the messiness of human relationships, mental health and addiction.
From love, to attention, to jealousy, this books ranges every human emotion there is and brings you to empathize with each character as you watch the tangles of lives over this short year and a half span. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail

jettiphoned's review against another edition

4.75

challenging 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Suicide, Blood

Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Grief, Death of parent

Minor: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

meaghanslibrary's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I’m confused how to rate this book. I’m maybe between a 3.5 and 3.75 because the ending was kind of a “huh, that’s it?” kind of ending to me, but the writing really did have some great quotes.  I’ll go 3.76 because I’m feeling generous today but could be lowered.

This book barely has a plot.  It is definitely more of character driven studies.  My favorite character comes in at what felt like the 75% mark where we get first person narration and chapters almost written like short stories.  I found that writing and the quotes in Eleanor’s chapters to be the most engaging.  The rest of the book is written in close third-person pov.  There is one random chapter following a side character Quentin.  And a few chapters that follow a side character Zoe, but otherwise the book mainly follows Cleo with some more sprinkles of Frank.

I did think the writing was very beautiful but this book took quite a while for me to read. It felt like it dragged in parts. I do generally prefer more plot driven books to character driven books.  I probably will read another book by this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Dementia

random19379's review against another edition

3.25

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Medical content

Minor: Homophobia, Racism

juhmeejohns's review against another edition

2.0

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I hate this book. It’s like fleabag but less smart. I dont think

its fair that Frank gets to live a happy changed life and we get stuck with not knowing what happens with Cleo. I think its a disservice to not give an inkling of hope that she can be better. I don’t think Frank was redeemed. Santiago was the only one with a happy ending. The emotional and physical violence thats described to happen only to Cleo was devastating. No one got what they deserved, it was deeply disturbing and unsatisfying. 

Upon reflection i hate this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book was really satisfying. I loved the writing style - it felt like we followed each person's thoughts and actions in a natural and interesting way, and Mellors seems to know exactly when to leave a person's perspective for maximum impact. Cleo and Frank are deeply interesting and complex, and the vignettes of their lives over the first year of their marriage paint a thoughtful portrait of two people trying to make when they are so different. I found many parts of this book profound and loved getting insights into the people in Cleo and Frank's lives, especially Zoe, Eleanor, and Santiago. New York City is also a vivid character in this book, which I always love. I found this book really affecting and will definitely be reading more of Mellors' work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Classism