Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Cleopatra und Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

392 reviews

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

This book was really satisfying. I loved the writing style - it felt like we followed each person's thoughts and actions in a natural and interesting way, and Mellors seems to know exactly when to leave a person's perspective for maximum impact. Cleo and Frank are deeply interesting and complex, and the vignettes of their lives over the first year of their marriage paint a thoughtful portrait of two people trying to make when they are so different. I found many parts of this book profound and loved getting insights into the people in Cleo and Frank's lives, especially Zoe, Eleanor, and Santiago. New York City is also a vivid character in this book, which I always love. I found this book really affecting and will definitely be reading more of Mellors' work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

kimsterkman's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Death of parent

gemmasbooknook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

An interesting people focused story. However  I found the emotionally low mood of the book, sometimes quite relentless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

jeslis's review against another edition

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

5.0

Notes:
- A really great character-driven litfic book! I felt so so incredibly invested in these characters and I had rather long and intensive reading sessions because of it.

- Especially started to feel this in the second half of the book after Cleo comes out of the hospital and she and Frank stay at the house by the lake. All through Eleanor's POV getting with Frank to the conclusion as well!

- This book centres around flawed people with really strong emotions and their impacts on those around them — essentially my favourite theme that could be explored in literature.
- Extra sidenote: would recommend this to someone who wants to read A Little Life but doesn't want the intensity that comes with it (ie. this book is both shorter and not quite as graphic without losing the impact of its shared themes).

- Forever thinking about that scene where Cleo shows Frank her art installation in the dirt. Insanely impactful; I felt that SO deep in my body.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death

caseylovett's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

midnightrain_'s review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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, Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death

ev_loy's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Drug abuse

alicia03n09's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful fast-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

4.25

I loved the narration. The story was told from the perspectives of all characters involved. In this way, the side characters felt complex and real, instead of simply being there to support the main characters. At times, it was difficult to keep track of all the story lines that resulted from this, but that’s fine because those are not the most relevant to the story of Cleo and Frank. It was an interesting book, full of life and emotions. Nevertheless, I have to say that the emotions remained abstract for me - I read and understood them but did not feel them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide

ams5x9's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

literarylucy's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.5

overall i enjoyed the premise. however i felt that some of the character development felt half-finished at best. Especially pertaining to frank (by the way i hate him) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, and Self harm