Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Cleópatra e Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

292 reviews

emisbooks's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense 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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i could not put this book down. SO. GOOD. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Self harm, Transphobia

Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment

sofiadanielle's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Hmm, I’m still trying to capture how I feel about this book. It’s certainly not my usual type of read, but I was hooked after giving the first few pages a read at a bookstore. 

I think there were moments of brilliance in the book, for sure; to highlight- Zoe’s and Santiago’s chapters were wonderful. 

I can’t say that all the content was really ‘for me,’ (the depictions of a craze, drug and alcohol filled life, parties galore, etc), but I’m aware this lifestyle exists outside my own, and it was ‘interesting’ to read about. 

Breezed through the book, though, and thought the writing was quite nice!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Death of parent

franziw21's review against another edition

4.0

dark hopeful reflective 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

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol

goldseamedglass's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny 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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This was like reliving my 20s in a way. I felt so ambivalent about every character the same way I felt about my own close friends during that time. That impressed me but what really astounded me was how realistic the conversations and especially the arguments were. How the disagreement comes in waves. How a lull would, in most books, be the moment when the characters turn it around and make amends, but in real life, and in this book, instead turn into a hint at something unresolved that simply sends tensions soaring again. Superbly well written! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Transphobia, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, Gaslighting

teigancollins's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional 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: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Sexual harassment

Minor: Death, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy

theoverbookedshelf's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional reflective 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

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual harassment

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional reflective medium-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: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Infidelity, Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Transphobia

tiffanyc's review against another edition

5.0

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

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Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors is an exploration of relationships – the good, the bad and the ugly. It follows the story of Cleo and Frank. As readers, we are swept into their world of lust and attraction. In the first chapter, we are introduced to Cleo and Frank as they meet for the first time. There is an instant connection - Cleo is in her 20s and is an art student and painter, and Frank is in his 40s and is a highly successful advertising executive. The two marry early on in their relationship and we start to see an array of weird and wonderfully flawed characters. Mellors masterfully manipulates the reader into thinking that Cleo and Frank’s relationship is going to make it. I became so invested that when things started to get messy I felt uncomfortable, angry and sad. It takes skill for an author to make you love a character one minute and the next minute hate them. There are side characters of ex-lovers, friends, family also depicted in this book faced with their own individual dilemmas.

Cleo and Frank are tumultuous, destructive, and toxic, and we are just going along on the ride. It was fun, provocative and heartbreaking all at once. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content

lostpaperbacks's review against another edition

3.5

emotional sad slow-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, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny 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

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This book did things to me. An impulsive marriage is a star at the center of a galaxy orbited by friends and family. And when that star simmers and explodes, everyone feels the aftershocks.

I forget exactly when, but at one point midway through the book I noticed the structure of the narrative. Not in a bad way. In a 'fellow writer albeit in another medium appreciating form' way. And I was struck by how complicated it is to pull off a multidimensional ensemble story like this, and yet how effortless the author made it all feel. Not to mention the emotional pay off. 

That is real skill.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Dysphoria