A review by anjelica
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

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

1.5

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.
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