11/10

 

I’m not going to lie; I’ve read this book about twenty times. Every time feels like the first though, and it is one I absolutely cannot wait to read again.

 

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors (2022). Yes, 2022, and I have really read it that many times within the last year. I usually stay away from new releases with shiny New York Times Bestseller stickers on the cover, however, this changed my opinion on that. Funnily enough, the first time I read the book, the whole time I was thinking to myself, ‘This is great; I could have written this’ However, on the final page of the book, it details that Mellors took seven years to write the book and I now see why. Its execution is so effortless that it feels natural and, therefore, is easy to get stuck into, unlike far too many books nowadays that require a skim read of the seemingly off putting and boring first hundred pages before anything gets near to juicy.

 

Right, to the actual book. Nope, this book is not a Non-fiction biography of Frankenstein and Cleopatra but a Fiction account of the romantic endeavours of Frank and much younger Cleo. Cleo is beautiful and intelligent beyond her years, so after an encounter in a dairy, she gets intertwined with Frank, who is much older and, therefore, seemingly wiser than the men Cleo usually dates. However, happily ever after is not achieved through one simple dairy encounter, so the book continues to follow the twos for lack of better words, ‘spicy’ relationship. Frank’s issues with substance abuse and Cleo’s burning desire for something more or arguably a way to escape are present in the form of Frank’s best friend- who is a retired model. Go, Cleo, I say. Her relatability and likeability make her the perfect protagonist for this 312-page journey. I wish I could spoil the ending, but I fear I’ve said too much already!

This book is for the beach, in bed and frankly, on the toilet, and everywhere in between because it’s impossible to put down. It’s seriously better than sex- give it a try! As much as I think we all agree Netflix adoptions don’t tend to honour books very well, I really hope this gets made into one- so that I can audition for Cleo and have all these encounters with charming older men!