ynaiita_5896 's review for:

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

4.75

challenging dark emotional reflective 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 did not expect Cleopatra and Frankenstein to turn out the way it did! There are so many layers to this book. It was so addictive, I couldn't stop reading, even when it felt unbearably heavy. The characters aren't lovable in the traditional sense, but each one felt deeply real and human, shaped by their flaws and mistakes. I especially loved how we got to explore the lives of those orbiting around Cleo and Frank, gaining more insight into them as the story unfolded.

This was my first read from Coco Mellors, and it felt incredibly raw and vulnerable. It's beautiful and honestly, genius—how she took what starts as a fairly familiar love story and wove in themes of ambition, addiction, greed, and trauma, creating a dramatic, heart-wrenching portrait of romantic and platonic relationships. It captures so powerfully the truth that hurt people hurt people.