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challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wanted to give this a 1 star but added a little bit extra because there are some nice lines here and there. The titular characters were not nuanced, complex, or interesting enough to carry me through this character-driven book. The side characters were tokenized and stereotyped, and a racial slur for Romani people is used. There are mentions of serious topics, such as addiction and depression, but these were not explored deeply enough to garner meaningful commentary. Because of this, their traumas just felt romanticized/sensationalized for shock value. Overall, this did not work for me personally but I do understand why some people love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
challenging
dark
emotional
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
a masterpiece. this books dives into the complexities of life like I've never read before. this devastating story is told from such a relatable perspective. i am enthralled by this book, quite literally in love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Transphobia, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Boy oh boy. Is two stars too generous? (Edit: yes it is and I'm changing it to 1,5 which still feels too generous...) This was in turn exciting to read, because the author is actually pretty good, and also excruciating to read because the characters were unbelievably self-absorbed, annoying and fake. The only character I kind of liked was Zoe, but she got like no time at all in the book. Why even include her if she wasn't important/going to get a good story arc? Well, it's for "diversity" of course. Tell me, why were all side characters part of a minority when the main characters were (mostly) straight and white??? It's just comes off as cheap, I'm sorry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Vomit
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When Cleo and Frank meet, they give each other the very telling nicknames of Cleopatra and Frankenstein: to him, she’s a queen, a goddess — an affirmation she shares about herself deep down; to her, he’s a monster, and through her eyes he sees himself as such too — because of this, when with her he is. This is important, because as the book progresses, every character goes from likeable or unlikeable to utterly intolerable in their differently horrendous ways of being. I adored this book mightily, but then couldn’t stand it to the point it put me off reading entirely for a while. I had to force myself to continue reading. Most characters are at least, to a degree, self-aware, but the book’s titular Cleo is so full of herself, so self-victimising à la yt woman, and the book never makes her take any accountability in anything at all. Cleo’s dependence on men - when coupled with her ungrateful character and puerile lack of responsibility - made reading this book a pain for me in the second half. Cleo is emotionally manipulative and physically abusive, and all other characters by virtue of some sort of self-awareness are slightly better, but you’ll still be reading about privileged addicts playing victims. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is great, but half of the book made my blood boil. P.S. The graphic animal deaths felt needlessly reactionary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide attempt
Minor: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment