Reviews tagging Animal death

Cleopatra and Frankenstein, by Coco Mellors

71 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

madeline14's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Self harm, Animal death, and Suicide attempt

bookswithchaipai's review

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

What first made me believe is a love story, gave way to a very deep tale which touched lightly on a lot of heavy subjects. First off, I was carried away by the title which was quite a mouthful. But what I was not ready to discover hiding under such a frivolous name, was something which would change my perspective on a lot of matters, the first of which is love. The book takes us through a repertoire of emotions, ranging from laughter, sadness, disgust, dread all the way to rapture.

Cleo, at the tender age of twenty four, bumps into Frank who is twenty years her senior and a whirlwind romance ensues. But then we are jolted out of our pleasant reverie with marital problems. 

At first I thought it was only about Frank and Cleo, but then their bunch of crazy friends join the melee and we watch their lives intermingling, interweaving and then spontaneously combusting, as each of them are put in the spotlight to narrate their story.

Infidelity, fat-phobia, racism, depression, suicide, dementia, toxic relationship, addiction, alcoholism, Dysphoria are given a large stage to perform and showcase its abilities. The number of content warnings are shocking. Moreover, the drug-addled, quick New York life and the way it changes a person is examined.

The book is divided into chapters, months apart, with vignettes portraying the viewpoint of different people and their relationship with Frank and Cleo. I found the writing style akin to Sally Rooney, but where Rooney failed to grasp my attention, Mellors burrowed herself into my heart. Especially the Sugar Glider called Jesus!

I am so glad this book did not have the cliche happily-ever-after ending, making love and marriage triumph. It was all about the discovery of two souls letting them live the way they want and finding happiness in their individuality.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Animal death, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Dementia

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

calais_'s review

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-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

3.75

I thought this book was good but just CANNOT do age differences 😫 this man was 20 years her senior! Leonardo DiCarpiroass can leave.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

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

lilawsahar's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I liked the different perspectives throughout the book. I just wish there were more perspectives from the main characters. I feel like I didn’t see how their relationship fell apart. Chloe said frank is like a black hole and boom their relationship was deteriorating. Too sudden for me. I wish this book was longer. I wanted to hear everyone’s endings and journeys. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Infidelity

Minor: Animal death and Death of parent

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

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

suetruong's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

This is a story about an impulsive marriage between Cleo, a 24 year old British painter and Frank, a successful 40 year old man, who have known each other for 6 months and get married so she can have a visa. Then it follows the progression of their marriage, how it falls apart and affects them and the people close to them. This book is well written and follows the topics of love, friendship, mental illness, addiction, drug use, cheating, self harm, and suicide. I can see what happens when 2 people that aren’t meant for each rush into a relationship and how that affects other people. These characters were flawed and unlikeable and I think that was the point because that’s how life and relationships can be. However I couldn’t resonate with them, I didn’t like them, I found this book to be really long and really sad. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Infidelity, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Transphobia