A review by serendipitysbooks
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

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

4.0


Cleopatra and Frankenstein is the story of the relationship between Cleo and Frank. She’s a young artist struggling to keep her New York dream alive; he’s much older and owns a successfully advertising agency. I loved their meet-cute and witty banter. There was genuine connection, passion and respect in their relationship. But there was also addiction and mental health battles. Despite their flaws I liked both Cleo and Frank and thought the group of supporting characters was especially strong. I’m glad I gave this a go. I was afraid it was going to be too “messy 20-somethings” for my taste. But I found there was enough depth, poignancy and meaningful exploration of themes like love, loss, grief, trauma, gender, and sexuality as well as the aforementioned addiction and mental health to counter any frustrations I had along the way. 
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