Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Chlorine

Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Chlorine by Jade Song

68 reviews

benjiisabookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

LOVED THIS BOOK!! As a young queer girl, I grew into my true self right along with the main character. She wants to be a mermaid and I want to be a unicorn, a zombie, a wolf. I am already magical <3

Content Warnings

ollietarp_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This was my favorite read so far this year. Wow. I started reading and couldn’t put it down the rest of the day until I finished it.
If you had a complicated relationship with sports growing up, this book will tear into your soul.
Had me crying while reading and after finishing.
A truly gut wrenching narrative that gives perspective from two kids who grew up with a toxic relationship to their sport.

Content Warnings

hxdfn's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Favorite read of the year. So so great.

Content Warnings

q_bert13's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.25

I had only heard great things about this book- and I leave it with mixed feelings. I heavily enjoyed Jade Song’s writing style (writing from future POV/easily transitioning between different character’s POV), and look forward to their future works- but overall, I don’t see myself coming back to this story. It has much to appreciate, much to dislike- but overall, it’s a very unique work, carving its own vein of styled horror.

Content Warnings

noetherboltzmann's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective sad 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

4.75

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is no motive of trying to create a character to root for or a hero to develop. It is a girl growing up as a foreigner, being exposed to the cruelty of adults and peers and her descent into her own madness.

Content Warnings

bunky_jones's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

Content Warnings

rantsandreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

3.25

I picked up this novel at a local horror-centric bookstore, intrigued by the synopsis and excited to dive in 😉 🧜‍♀️

First off, I wouldn’t label this as horror. Apart from one descriptive body horror scene, the rest doesn’t fit the genre. Ren’s fixation on mermaids and how the story will eventually stitch 🪡 🧵 together is revealed early on, yet I still enjoyed the final chapters and how it concluded.

The author tackles various challenging topics—generational trauma, racism, body autonomy, sexual assault, misogyny, sapphic exploration, athletic pressure, and abandonment. However, the coming-of-age story sometimes felt contrived.

I wanted to fully immerse in Ren’s delusional narration and her primal urge to escape inferior human confines to become her true self. However, the descriptions often felt overly wordy, losing the impact simplicity could have delivered.

Cathy’s heartbreak was palpable as she struggled to realize and then accept that Ren was too consumed by her pursuit of authenticity to be present in their budding relationship. Her letters to Ren were particularly moving.

Overall, it’s a commendable debut that often reminded me of the movie Tusk and Charlene Elsby’s novel The Devil Thinks I’m Pretty—but with far less horror.

Also, I noticed that my copy has a clear defect in the cover graphic which will now haunt me for the rest of time. 😭

Content Warnings