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itsbilliam's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
another book that sat on my shelf for waaaay too long before i finally picked it up. honestly this was a great book. it was more than what i was expecting. absolutely loved getting insight into the side characters lives. it really made you feel like you were in the story with all of them. truly a great depiction on life, relationships, friendships, and how it all comes together. btw, elenor is my def my favorite character.
magzreadz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gadiaduk's review against another edition
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
4.5
jesslolsen's review against another edition
5.0
I love love loved this book and wasn’t ready for it to end. When trying to describe what reading this story was like to my hubby, I said it was like being there on the fringe of this wild and eccentric friend group and watching what was going on as it happened. Their witty conversations were fast and intelligent, and seeing all their human flaws so openly gave me all the feelings.
It doesn’t follow the flow of a normal novel structure, you’re just kind of plonked down in the middle of their lives and you go with the flow for a while, then you’ve leave and they carry on.
Although I’m happy for Chloe and Frank that they had happy endings in the end, I also selfishly liked reading about their escapades and poor behavior.
It doesn’t follow the flow of a normal novel structure, you’re just kind of plonked down in the middle of their lives and you go with the flow for a while, then you’ve leave and they carry on.
Although I’m happy for Chloe and Frank that they had happy endings in the end, I also selfishly liked reading about their escapades and poor behavior.
lochnessmonster's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Cleo and Franks relationship is like watching a high speed car crash in slow motion. You know what’s going to happen but you can’t look away. Fantastic look into trauma, how it changes you/ effects every part of your life, and how healing can really turn your everything around for the better.
It’s also interesting to see our titular characters from not as glamorous but relatable Eleanor’s perspective and through her I warmed up to Frank a bit. Also loved what little we got of Zoe and her journey.
It’s also interesting to see our titular characters from not as glamorous but relatable Eleanor’s perspective and through her I warmed up to Frank a bit. Also loved what little we got of Zoe and her journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Grief, Drug use, and Blood
rubyjcooney's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
literarycrushes's review against another edition
5.0
I loved Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors from the very first page, but by the end, I loved it even more for an entirely different reason. Even though this book has been all over bookstagram, I didn’t really know what it was about going into it. I assumed it was the story of an unhealthy relationship, told from the alternating perspectives of Cleo & Frank. But it’s SO much more than that. Through the perspectives of everyone close to them, we are given a much deeper account of their lives and the world they inhabit.
It often felt like a fantastic character study of twentysomethings (and 40somethings who live & read like 20somethings) in New York City pre-social media. To borrow that one cliché, I loved the characters not in spite of their flaws, but BECAUSE of them. The juxtapositions between the way we are introduced to each character and then the ways they reveal themselves to be so much more felt very tender and real. This book tackled so many intricate themes: addiction, abandonment, infidelity, friendship, mental illness, and love and I feel like I need to write a much longer (and more polished) review than Instagram allows.
The character that stuck out to me most was Eleanor, the only one who speaks to us in the first person (and present tense). She is an outsider; while most of the others seem to have these shiny, whimsical auras of specialness (though most of them can only see it in others), Eleanor is ordinary, she is not New York City, but the suburbs of New Jersey. And perhaps because of this, she has the sharpest, wittiest one-liners and observations about the world around her. I’ve also been re-watching the first season of HBO’s Girls while reading this, which paired nicely. Highly recommend!
It often felt like a fantastic character study of twentysomethings (and 40somethings who live & read like 20somethings) in New York City pre-social media. To borrow that one cliché, I loved the characters not in spite of their flaws, but BECAUSE of them. The juxtapositions between the way we are introduced to each character and then the ways they reveal themselves to be so much more felt very tender and real. This book tackled so many intricate themes: addiction, abandonment, infidelity, friendship, mental illness, and love and I feel like I need to write a much longer (and more polished) review than Instagram allows.
The character that stuck out to me most was Eleanor, the only one who speaks to us in the first person (and present tense). She is an outsider; while most of the others seem to have these shiny, whimsical auras of specialness (though most of them can only see it in others), Eleanor is ordinary, she is not New York City, but the suburbs of New Jersey. And perhaps because of this, she has the sharpest, wittiest one-liners and observations about the world around her. I’ve also been re-watching the first season of HBO’s Girls while reading this, which paired nicely. Highly recommend!
gabi_m16's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75