Genre:
Modern fiction, contemporary romance.
Themes/TW's:
Love, marriage, friendship, addiction, art, trauma, mental health, suicidal ideation, healing, sexuality, relationships.
Synopsis:
Modern day New York, Cleo is going from party to party but she's running out of money and her student visa is about to expire. It's New Years Eve, and with her New York dream slipping away Cleo is preparing for the worst until she bumps into Frank, a successful and wealthy advertising executive. His life oozes everything Cleo desires and their instant chemistry leads to an intricate yet complex, impulsive marriage that ripples through the lives of everyone they know.
Thoughts:
At a glance this was absolutely my type of book, what I gravitate towards and I was super excited to read it. It has been on my wish list for the longest time and I have seen its popularity literally everywhere. I was expecting complex characters, lyrical writing, relatable thoughts and stand-out quotes. And I was prepared to take in each word, coloured tabs and pen ready to annotate. Now, I did get all of this but I felt like there was something missing and can't quiet place my finger on it.
There are many things I loved about this book, Cleo and Franks relationship is an interesting one and is of course a critical part of the story but there are so many layers to this book. From the beginning, opening with joy to the unconventional end and all of the messiness in between, it covers everything. For me, this was more about two people finding themselves, navigating life in the best way they can, given their childhoods and the difference in maturity that a 20 year age gap can have. I was grateful to see the supporting characters get their space in the pages, knowing their own stories and seeing Cleo and Frank's marriage through their eyes, let me see things from multiple perspectives.
Parts of this story were difficult to read, Cleo's mind was a dark place to be and I definitely feel like I got the full impact of her mental health struggles, with a true feel of what she was going through. Similarly, I found Quentin's chapters quiet graphic and dark - very well written and complex. However, I thought there wasn't enough focus on the high's of Cleo and Frank's relationship or on Frank's biggest problem which was his drinking, given it is mentioned throughout the book again, I was left wanting more background and afterstory. I have to say that Eleanor was my favourite character, her wit and dark sense of humor brought some substance and comedy to the book overall, I found her to be the most realistic and relatable. The writing in this debut was ethereal and the dialogue was enjoyable. I found beauty in some simple yet impactful quotes, but I was still left wanting a little more detail in the plot and didn't understand certain choices the characters (in particular Cleo) made.
Being a character-driven novel there is still a fair amount of storyline and it was delightful to see the character development through their years. Although I didn't absolutely love this book it was still an enjoyable read. The opening chapters were the strongest and I wouldn't classify it as a romance, more of a 'feeling lost and finding yourself' genre. Overall, this little novel was a good reminder that mistakes are meant to be made, no matter their gravity, nobody has their life figured out at any age, people and your feelings towards them can change (and that's ok!) and finally there is so much to discover in the world through taking chances and moving on. I can easily see why so many readers were drawn to Cleopatra and Frankenstein and I am intrigued to read more from Coco Mellors!
Favourite Quotes:
'When the darkest part of you meets the darkest part of me, it creates light.'
'Here's the thing. We want because we're wanting. Both senses of the word. The lacking and the longing, all rolled into one. The more you find yourself, the more you want.'
'She had finally learned to be by herself in public without thinking about what others were thinking of her. It was a relief to live from the inside out a long last.'
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