REVIEW: Cleopatra and Frankenstein (Coco Mellors)

Book: Cleopatra and Frankenstein

Author: Coco Mellors

Premise: New York is slipping from Cleo’s grasp. She’s at a different party every other night, but she barely knows anyone and her student visa is running out. But then she meets Frank. Twenty years older, Frank's life is full of all the success and excess that Cleo's lacks. He offers her the chance to be happy, and the opportunity to apply for a green card. She offers him a life imbued with beauty and art.

This story is of a couple who come together then slowly spiral apart. The two orbit the artsy, bohemian circles, which is stereotyped with a lot of drug and alcohol misuse. Personally, I found most of the characters unlikable. So many were self-centred and needed a good dose of reality. Even reading chapters from their points of view didn't help endear them. I did like the central couple of the story and wanted them to work things out. An alright book but didn't stand out for me.