Cleopatra and Frankenstein: ‘Move over Sally Rooney: this is the hottest new book’ - Sunday Times

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I overall highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something that will make your heart warm and shattered at the same time. And then there is a whole cast of family and friends that are broadly described, although they hardly add to the main storyline and remain equally cliched: The mean stepmom, the jealous sister, the gay best friend. The last thing I'll say is that lately I have been holding a pen in my hand while I read, but I'm rarely prompted to use it. i like flawed and unlikeable characters, but there was something about the way it was written here that did not work for me.

Whether it's Cleo's best friend struggling to embrace his gender queerness in the wake of Cleo's marriage, or Frank's financially dependent sister arranging sugar daddy dates to support herself after being cut off, or Cleo and Frank themselves as they discover the trials of marriage and mental illness, each character is as absorbing, and painfully relatable, as the last.cleopatra and frankenstein starts with a classic meet cute: two strangers meet in an elevator as they’re both trying to escape a new year’s eve party early. He offers her the chance to be happy, the freedom to paint, and the opportunity to apply for a Green Card. After graduating with an English Literature degree and taking on a Communications job, Sophie's Edit focuses on her love for literature and film, good food, pop culture and her love for Scotland. If you can grip me that quickly, we're off to a good start, which is exactly what this book did (which is super rare for me!

Mellors, in conjunction with the theme of growing up, shows how addiction and success are in the veins of such a place, which is why Cleo struggles so much to find herself.The effects of their marriage reverberate out into the lives of their family and friends: Zoe, Frank's ambitious half-sister; Quentin, Cleo's best friend grappling with his sexuality; Eleanor, a new hire at Frank's office; and more. the first pages suck you in with it’s witty and perfectly romantic start… but then… oh jesus… it does crumble hard.

However it's a really good thing to be aware of these topics before starting this book especially if you have any triggers yourself; just be mindful! The comparison to Rooney is a reason I kept passing on reading this book as I was scared it would be another book that would take too much effort to stay engaged with. But I guess if you want to read about a variety of characters and how they relate to Cleo and Frank while delving into the shallowest waters imaginable, pick this one up. It's the latest in a string of literary fiction pieces that I've read that feel aspirational to that title.Sure, dining in chic restaurants, and taking in the NYC art scene is fine for a while, but before long, things to begin to unravel. You have to be willing to go on a journey that doesn't necessarily leave our protagonists shining and shimmering in the end. The lives of all of these people, their feelings and the events they attend feel stale, like déjà-vus. but most of all, it seems that the book is about the journey to discovering who you really are and what you really want - a journey which seems to never really be complete. If you'd like to read a good book I'm sure that anything else you have on hand would be a better use of your time on this planet.