Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Chlorine by Jade Song

68 reviews

lilminx's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Buckle up
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culpeppper's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Overall, I really loved this book. I listened to the book, and the two readers they chose for Ren and Cathy's chapters suited the story really well. The story was hard to listen to, at times, with this looming threat of others preying on Ren's psyche that became reality. But I was hooked. Though Ren was definitely a sharp and guarded character, her narration of her life made me ache for her, making the ending of the story so cathartic. The main criticism I have was the pacing felt off at some points, and while it never dragged there were some drawn out parts. But, mostly, I really liked Chlorine. 

Edit: bumping this up to 5 stars, it's been weeks and I can't stop thinking about this book.......
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bookishsapphicshay's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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madisonbleeker's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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bowelhaus's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This was such a fantastic concept but I don’t think it was executed very well. The body horror was so elegantly done and so horrifying, and I love the concept of girlhood as horror and self-transformation. 
However, all of the characters’ and the way they interacted and spoke fell flat. There were a lot of moments where the way the speaker spoke felt corny or cliche which shocked me since this concept is so unique. I just couldn’t see the through line.
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kermittothebook's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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_sappho_wannabe's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.75

This book was so intense and horrifying in the perfect way. If you liked Our Wives Under the Sea you would like this.
Would be 5 stars if I could see myself rereading but I don’t.
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adhesivedolphin's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

Holy. Shit. I was recommended this book and it's one of the most intense things I've ever read. I wanted to share it with some friends, but this is one of those books that is tailor-made for a specific kind of person. I was lucky enough to be one of those people. I feel like some of the themes of Sorrowland are also at play here. I felt so strongly for Ren and Cathy through the story. This is one of those stories that's hard to talk about without spoiling it. So if you're into sapphic, body and psychological horror and feminist themes, read this!
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teresaelj's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

This book is making me think. First of all- it’s an incredibly easy and fast read. Something about it hooks you in. There is a lot going on in the book that I think gets left out with Ren as the narrator ; you know Ren loves Cathy and her parents but you also know her mental illness tells her it is not mermaid like. She battles with horrific things that don’t often get explored when a teenaged female narrator is telling a story; the pain of periods, doctors not believing you, men that are supposed to be trusted taking advantage of that, “boys being boys,” the struggles of being perfect in a world that wants women to be nothing more. It’s beautiful. You can take this literally or not. The book starts literal and then it becomes a fairy tale. A tale of either a girl transforming into a mermaid literally or a girl shedding her trauma or a girl leaving choosing death over the trauma of the world. It’s a fairy tale ending leaving a lot to think about. The letters from Cathy definitely want to lead you into a different director but even then, it makes you wonder what has happened to Cathy since the water? It is a body horror, fairy tale, horror novel. Brilliant, disturbing, and thought provoking. 
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foresturken's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-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

3.5

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