Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - Chlorine

this book had sooo much potential but fell short in so many ways. the writing style/ren’s voice read like a teenager trying too hard to be edgy and it just doesn’t quite work here. sucks because the synopsis had me expecting something along the lines of black swan meets tusk but it didn’t go as dark as i wanted it to go.

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lexim's review against another edition

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4.0

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ktbee's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition

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dark

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

Excellent litfic for those who can stomach body horror.
As a former swimmer, this one cut a little close. I loved the way the story was told with mermaid Ren and epistolary Cathy. Poor Cathy, Ren didn't deserve Cathy.

Ren's breakdown after the DQ was hard to read. I was thoroughly disturbed by Ren's tail. I was expecting a different kind of body horror lol.

Overall, this made me very sad.

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themadsonlibrary's review against another edition

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4.0

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alisarae's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was drawn to this book because of I grew up swimming competitively. Jade Song so intimately captures the sensation of being a teenage swimmer that it is clear they also lived this experience.
The book is written mostly in first person, with the mc Ren Yu narrating her transformation from a human girl to a transcendent mermaid. It is a tense, dark, isolating journey, with her best friend/paramour Cathy being the sole source of light. Cathy and Ren's relationship is complex, interesting, and unhealthy on both sides tbh. There is also the uncomfortable and intrusive presence of their coach Jim, whose million little actions add up to a picture of a predator. Ren's relationship with her parents and Chinese identity is also complicated and layered and refreshingly well-written with many scenes showing Ren not embarressed by her otherness but trying to fit herself into a world that isn't ready to accept her. At the very least, the world doesn't care enough to try to understand. And when Ren reveals herself as a mermaid, only Cathy is willing to accept her for who she is.

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kepler's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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tigger89's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book gave me chills. Song(she/they) completely sold me on the main character's devotion, navigating that fine line between truth and delusion. The horror reminded me a bit of Black Swan — there's even a sapphic side plot — though far more ambiguous in its ending. I have no background in competitive swimming, but despite my unfamiliarity I never found myself confused by the setting or plot. The descriptions of Ren Yu's interactions with water were perfect, especially for someone like me who's not overly fond of anything deeper than about four feet.

I was a bit confused about the intended audience of this book when I picked it up. As I read the early chapters it felt somewhat young to me, and I remember thinking it was the kind of book I would have loved when I was 14-15 but maybe it was only okay for me anymore. But it accelerates hard when it takes its dark turn, and ultimately I feel this is a book best appreciated by adults or older teens rather than the typical YA audience. The author includes a content warning in the front of the book, and she means it.

Despite the sapphic plot being very side, this nevertheless read to me as an incredibly queer book. Ren Yu's longing to become a mermaid, her certainty that she was and would be, felt very authentic to me while remaining distinct from issues of gender and sexuality. Some readers might find it troubling that the narrative doesn't wrap up with a clear bow, telling an unambiguous story of queer liberation. I personally didn't feel it was a problem; after all, the queer reading is only one possibility, albeit the one that feels correct to me personally.

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