Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Cleópatra e Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

266 reviews

ashlynregan's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny 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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This book is for New Yorkers cause I swear I know all of these characters IRL.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

florenceassetto's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional funny reflective relaxing sad tense 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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i inhaled this book and i actually really liked it! there was some reluctance to read it at first but when i got started i found that it is incredibly well-written and full of touching stories and real characters. i feel like this is a coming of age story in the best way, for many people (of ALL ages) but the care with which mellors handles all her characters is really something very special, and it really brings the book to life. a special mention must go to the character of santiago, whose relationship with food and life and body and soul and friendship was one i felt particularly touching, and i really really connected with his character in the one chapter that highlighted him! but importantly, mellors makes everything feel so fleshed out and so human so even when we are looking at characters who are not cleo and frank, the book is just as compelling, and just as moving!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship

lemonyanne's review against another edition

4.0

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book feels like you’re invited into the world of well-off socialite New York as a total voyeur. You’d never want to be part of this circle as all the characters are flawed and unlikeable in their own ways. However, Cleo and Frank’s relationship IS interesting and this discussion of how they destroy one another in the mutual distraction of themselves is why you keep reading it. You don’t want to look away from the car crash on the highway. (SPOILERS:) However, Eleanor’s 2 chapters felt really misplaced. First person was the wrong choice for her (esp when then rest of the novel is in third) and felt like an ill-attempt at making her feel normal, relatable or quirky - this I think was the more unsuccessful element of her narrative. I also don’t think she was Frank’s saving grace and I’m unsure if she was written to be. Although, her pining love for Frank could serve as an interesting contrasting how Anders pined for Cleo, as Eleanor’s love showed far more compassion, maturity and self-awareness as opposed to Anders’ vapid, self-absorbed obsession with Cleo was. All in all, this book felt like reading gossip, and for that purpose it worked fabulously. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

toadtiger's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Minor: Domestic abuse, Vomit

v_____'s review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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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Dezember. Sie stand schon im Fahrstuhl als er Einstieg, er nickte ihr zu und schloss mit einem Rattern das Eisengitter...

- Cleopatra und Frankenstein, 1%

🎧 gehört als Hörbuch

Einerseits war dieses Buch eine berührende Liebesgeschichte gone traumatic.
Andererseits bildet es verschiedene Menschen, die in verschiedenen Beziehungen miteinander stehen ab, die teils problematisch sind, teils liebevoll. 
Und dann ist die Geschichte auch Klischee beladen, aber durch den wundervollen Schreibstil kann man darüber hinwegsehen.

Cleo und Frank sind die titelgebenden Hauptfiguren, aber sie leben nicht isoliert, sondern man bekommt auch die Gedankenwelt der Menschen um sie herum mit. Dadurch entsteht ein schönes, rundes Bild. Was mir hier nicht so gefallen hat war, dass man von Cleo gefühlt nicht recht viel mehr POVs bekommt, als von so manch anderem Nebencharakter. Da hätte ich mir mehr erwartet, da Cleo ja immerhin eine Namensgeberin des Buches ist. Außerdem hätte ich gerne mehr darüber erfahren, was sich Cleo bei so manchen Aktionen gedacht hat (zB

bei der Affäre mit Anders

).

Das Ende war

heilend und positiv. 
Ich fand es einfach super, dass Cleo und Frank sich normal über ihre beendete Beziehung unterhalten konnten, ohne großes Drama. Von dieser Sorte brauchen wir unbedingt mehr! Es gibt leider viel zu viele Beispiele in Filmen und Büchern, wo sich Ex-Partner auch lange nach der Trennung bis aufs Blut hassen, anstatt einfach zu versuchen drüber zu stehen und weiterzumachen. 
Mein Lieblingscharakter war Cleo (Romes Version). Ich hatte wirklich den Eindruck, dass es ihr besser geht, dass sie heilt und sie es schaffen wird.
Von Zoe hätte ich gerne noch mehr erfahren, wie ging es mit ihr weiter?
Dass es für Frank so einfach war mit dem Trinken aufzuhören hat mich sehr überrascht. Meist braucht es bei sowas mehr Anläufe, und natürlich wissen wir nicht, ob Frank es nicht vor Beginn der Geschichte schon mal versucht hat oder er nach dem Ende nochmal rückfällig wird... Aber das Framing "er hat mit dem Trinken aufgehört, weil er ist jetzt in Eleonor verliebt" finde ich nicht nur unrealistisch und unauthentisch, sondern auch sehr problematisch. Jemand der jahre- oder jahrzehntelang Alkoholiker war, hört nicht so einfach auf, unfortunately that's not how the world works...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

jennymchugh's review against another edition

2.5

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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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Really enjoyed the book until the end, when it decided to make a judgement about what “trauma” is more painful (alcoholic parent vs. being groomed by an older man). And it also forgives a highly problematic man, giving him a complete pass at the end. Just ick. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

shaleen64's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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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If you’re a reader that likes a true plot then this isn’t really the book for you. However, whilst the majority of characters cannot be described as lovable, all are relatable and the book really explores the difficulties of navigating complex relationships  in the modern day world. 

Several really important topics are covered with enough depth that they’re not trivialised but evoke thought. The title of the book is the most perfect symbolism. However, excluding Santiago, I didn’t have a true connection with the characters hence the rating, but it’s still a book I would recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent

Minor: Sexism, Terminal illness

krmreads2024's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Self harm, Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction, Toxic friendship

jazzy_cat's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual violence, Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent

cecereads__'s review against another edition

4.5

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Hmm. I thought this was an immediate 5 stars from that first chapter, it had me fully invested and intrigued. I was surprised how it switched up and gave us multiple pov’s and really focused on showing that chain reaction from the ppl close to us getting into relationships, meeting new ppl, etc. Once I got used to it, I thought it was really well done and such an interesting choice. Different from what I expected, but in the end it really came together imo. And most of all it’s a book about healing.

(I’ve had my own version of a Quentin as well as a Peter and Miriam …)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol