Reviews tagging Sexual content

Cleopatra and Frankenstein, by Coco Mellors

39 reviews

theoverbookedshelf's review

dark emotional reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Grief, and Animal death

Minor: Sexual harassment

hello_lovely13's review

dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Infidelity, Addiction, Animal death, and Death of parent

Minor: Transphobia, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia

tiffanyc's review

dark emotional funny 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

5.0

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors is an exploration of relationships – the good, the bad and the ugly. It follows the story of Cleo and Frank. As readers, we are swept into their world of lust and attraction. In the first chapter, we are introduced to Cleo and Frank as they meet for the first time. There is an instant connection - Cleo is in her 20s and is an art student and painter, and Frank is in his 40s and is a highly successful advertising executive. The two marry early on in their relationship and we start to see an array of weird and wonderfully flawed characters. Mellors masterfully manipulates the reader into thinking that Cleo and Frank’s relationship is going to make it. I became so invested that when things started to get messy I felt uncomfortable, angry and sad. It takes skill for an author to make you love a character one minute and the next minute hate them. There are side characters of ex-lovers, friends, family also depicted in this book faced with their own individual dilemmas.

Cleo and Frank are tumultuous, destructive, and toxic, and we are just going along on the ride. It was fun, provocative and heartbreaking all at once. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Drug use, Alcoholism, Addiction, Mental illness, Self harm, and Drug abuse

lostpaperbacks's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

danaaliyalevinson's review

challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

This book did things to me. An impulsive marriage is a star at the center of a galaxy orbited by friends and family. And when that star simmers and explodes, everyone feels the aftershocks.

I forget exactly when, but at one point midway through the book I noticed the structure of the narrative. Not in a bad way. In a 'fellow writer albeit in another medium appreciating form' way. And I was struck by how complicated it is to pull off a multidimensional ensemble story like this, and yet how effortless the author made it all feel. Not to mention the emotional pay off. 

That is real skill.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Dementia, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

hannalizzy's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

If the song “I’m wearing his boxers/I cry in his bathroom, he turns off the big light” song “Complex” by Katie Gregson-MacLeod from tiktok was a book, this would be it. Or “You’re On Your Own, Kid” by Taylor Swift from Midnights. Or “Moon Song” by Phoebe Bridgers. Take your pick. If any of those songs break you, this book will finish the job 😭❤️‍🩹

Cleopatra and Frankenstein is a literary fiction masterpiece and in-depth character study. It’s the type of book that readers need to put some work into — you learn about the characters passively, by connecting the dots between their dialogue and their actions/behaviors. It’s a book worth annotating because so much is said between the lines. 

Throughout the book you go from loving Cleo and Frank to hating them both, individually and as a couple. They’re messy, flawed, toxic people who bring out the worst in each other, and yet: “when the darkest part of you meets the darkest part of me, it creates light.” 

It’s as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. It’s raw, it’s messy, it’s human. 5/5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Definitely adult content w/ triggering subjects. Check for content warnings ❤️‍🩹

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Alcohol, Cursing, Infidelity, Grief, Addiction, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Death of parent

clxrxdxvxs's review

dark emotional slow-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

2.0

Toxic characters who are miserable in NYC.  Join the club.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Death, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Alcoholism, Blood, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Injury/injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Self harm

inesbnstgry's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.5

Definitely don't read this unless you're mentally strong enough to bear it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Abandonment, Addiction, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Drug use, Racism, Transphobia, Death, Animal death, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

komal_b's review

medium-paced

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

2.5

I really wanted to enjoy this! I think Coco mellors shows a lot of promise as a writer, however a lot of Cleopatra and Frankenstein fell flat for me. The book is largely character driven but there is little time for each individual character to show any development due to the frequent changing of perspectives.  In turn, they all become caricatures of themselves falling victim to predictable literary tropes. This coupled with the over-romanticising of mental illness made me struggle to finish the novel. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

sydneybedell's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Infidelity

Minor: Animal death and Vomit