Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Cleopatra en Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

45 reviews

jordkuba's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very good book, well written and nice to read. Unfortunately, it contained a number of topics that difficult for me. That somewhat diminished my enjoyment. I'm sure I could have liked it more at a different time in my life .

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Addiction, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Infidelity, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Dementia, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, and Grief

Minor: Self harm, Violence, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Dysphoria

avery_hutchinson's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Even I cannot deny that this is a well written book. The writing itself is beautiful. However, it felt as if the book had little to no plot, and it also felt as if the characters all had so many issues for the sake of having issues

The book is utterly vulgar throughout, and it seems every character is either toxic, irresponsible, cheating, an alcoholic, or constantly on drugs.

Because of those things, the book only really toed the line of feeling realistic and relatable. The ending was bittersweet, but I wasn’t rooting for the characters to get there, especially since they felt like they had only undergone half a character arc. However the author did manage to establish clear voices for each of the characters, though the decision to include the voice of side characters for only a chapter then pushing them back to ensemble was an interesting choice.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Self harm, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Death of parent, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: Transphobia, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

Toxic age gap relationship of about 20 years.

alisbleu's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Drug abuse, Death of parent, Suicide, and Adult/minor relationship

aleilvandrea's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Blood, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Sexual content, Body horror, Alcoholism, and Infidelity

Moderate: Classism, Gore, Abandonment, and Grief

Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Transphobia, Ableism, and Antisemitism

fairyko's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

2.25

 Often I have walked past this book in the bookstore and thought about buying it. At the request of a friend, I did, because she said she would need someone at the end to exchange her thoughts about it and quickly it became clear to me why she said that. Right at the beginning a big warning. Please read the trigger warnings on the internet if you plan to buy this book. I did not know that certain topics are discussed so intensively and I claim to be able to handle a lot well - but here even I felt sick to my stomach now and then. A content warning at the beginning of the book would have been good in my opinion. Now about the content. I did not like the characters. Except for Santiago, I found every single person introduced annoying, boring, tiring, or just plain mean. Or all at once. The relationship between Cleo and Frank was doomed to fail from the start and you practically watch the two of them gradually destroy themselves and each other. Other characters (especially Quentin) leave too much room for interpretation and are there, but ultimately do not contribute to the development of the plot. They are all tragic in their own way, but only superficially so. Each character has their own story, their own trauma, and their own fate, but each character would need their own book to properly deal with all of this and not just skim over it. Coco Mellors does a poor job of addressing the problems of each individual and illuminating them in a light that does them justice. The wounds of each character are opened, but then not treated with the necessary sensitivity. At best, a small plaster is put on the metaphorical stab wound, but the reader does not get more. It was a very frustrating experience and from halfway through I prayed on every third page for a quick end to my reading experience. The novel presents itself as a shimmering, profound love story between a successful middle-aged man and a nearly childlike artist, but brings the reader nothing but pain. Not even because the story is so tragic, but because it just drags on. What one must credit Coco Mellors with is that she achieves her goal. People talk about her book, it stays in the mind for a long time and one thinks a lot about it, as each of these characters leaves a strange feeling in the stomach. Her writing style is also very appealing and especially graphic. She has certainly mastered "show, don't tell" as few others have. If she now also creates a story that does not claim to be something it is not, I can certainly imagine reading something from her again. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual harassment, Blood, Cursing, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Animal death

anh_read's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

While the novel centers around the relationship/marriage between Cleo and Frank, it also depicts its impact on their surroundings. As the novel follows a different character in each chapter, the reader gets a more in-depth look into their relationship

Therefore, the reader gets a better understanding why things didn’t work out between Cleo and Frank.

 

As I am not a big fan of romance novels, I am relieved that this novel didn’t turn out to be a typical and cheesy love story. Moreover, if you like Sex and the city, it definitely catches the vibe - just in a darker manner.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Violence, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal death and Sexual harassment

theraindiary's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Abandonment, Animal death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Transphobia

booksofpanda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.5

A great debut novel that I almost couldn’t put aside. Coco Mellors describes in Cleopatra and Frankenstein a love story that doesn’t feel like one at all. Instead her novel is full of tragedy, everyday reality, absurdities and heartbreaking honesty. The story revolves around the name giving couple Cleo and Frank, but also around their friends and family and their lives in New York. It is told from all their different perspectives. The author describes with refreshing bluntness the different sides of a toxic relationship as well as other hard topics like loss, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide and depression. This novel has moved me in many ways and made me feel all sorts of feelings from rage to pity up to sadness. It also made me laugh a lot about many absurdities that you get to experience when you live in New York. At times I thought the chapters were a bit too long. All in all an absolute pageturner that doesn’t feel like reading a debut novel. I can’t wait to read what’s next to come from Coco Mellors.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Terminal illness

anna456's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Grief, and Animal death

inchy_squinchy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Blood, Self harm, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Drug use