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Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Chlorine by Jade Song

231 reviews

noetherboltzmann's review against another edition

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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.  
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cryptid_crow's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense
  • Loveable characters? No

2.5

Building dread and tension that fizzles out by the end. Like,
it's obvious that this delusional girl is going to fucking drown and die
.
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pey333's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

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zazula's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

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kooky_kayla's review against another edition

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When I saw the horror genre I was thinking this would involve an actual half-mermaid half human eating people or something but this was definitely not that. The stress Ren is put under is horrifying in itself. I was expecting a fantasy aspect of her actually developing a tail (not creating one) and was confused towards the end on what exactly happened to Ren. 
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k8lynn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

gorgeous writing, an unexpected turn, but i'm left with a bunch of unanswered questions. 
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grimintuition's review against another edition

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

3.75

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nightlight_reader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

Incredible, horrifying, the living embodiment of “oh no” and “what the fuck” and “oh god”. Absolutely check your trigger warnings and then buckle up.

I learned so much about swimming culture in a way I wasn’t expecting and how that seems to cause almost a type of dysmorphia of what Ren’s body should be instead of what it was. The opening chapter hits so hard that it was hard to understand what all else was coming next and how it would be delivered to the reader, but this was incredible.

The only thing that kinda didn’t hit for me was Cathy’s portions, I guess? I can kinda see what they’re adding, but she wasn’t a character who I related to very much and so it was hard to sink into her perspective when Ren was just so much more interesting, but it’s a minor qualm at best. I wonder if I went back and read those sections now, knowing the end, if that would help contextualize them more?


This is the kind of writing that should be taught in schools, like it should be an option on reading course book lists for those with an iron stomach. It feels like a book that should be explored in a book club amongst safe friends to talk about all of the trauma Ren suffered and her escape from it.
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lianne_rooney's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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mudep's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

3.5

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