Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Chlorine

I don't even know what to make of this book. I thought I knew where it was headed in the first 30% of the story, and then after that it took a very bizarre turn. By the time I re-acclimatised, it took a particularly horrific wtf turn in the last 30% of the story

as we the reader are included in Ren's plans to sew her legs together and become a mermaid, I found myself screaming internally that surely somebody will notice and stop this, but it just keeps going...

I will say there isn't so much a sapphic romance, as there is sapphic longing.

This story was dark and bizarre combination of coming of age, and body horror. Some of the prose was awkward and clunky but I found I was more enthralled with the subject... In the way that you can't look away from a train wreck.

Content Warnings

aileron'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? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

bluedilly's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

chughes5'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? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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komaedacoffee's review against another edition

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emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

savvylit's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Chlorine left me speechless. Even as I write this review, I am struggling to formulate coherent sentences to explain just how much this story affected me. Chlorine is a devastating and powerful glimpse of the myriad pressures that young women face just by existing. Then, add to that already immense pressure the specific difficulties of navigating a highly competitive sport while being a queer Asian American teenager who is also trying to maintain excellent grades. Protagonist Ren captured my heart - her intensity, perfectionism, and derealization were all highly relatable. And then her increasing mermaid obsession... it ultimately tore me apart. I've been gutted ever since I finished this novel.

Chlorine is not for the faint of heart! This is a horror novel that features some unforgettably gruesome imagery. Luckily for all of us, Jade Song includes a content warning at the very beginning to prepare her readers. However, I will say that I was still surprised by the extent of the detail in the horror scenes; but that's just me and my own comfort level with body horror.

Content Warnings

alicelalicon's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

Content Warnings

marythekoreanfoodie's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad 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

2.0

Content Warnings

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