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narzibenoucdel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
maecaitlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
As a psychological horror, the setting of a small suburban town creeps in throughout. Ren’s transformation is deeply disturbing. I have certainly never thought about mermaids as a horror device before this. Song is extremely original and I look forward to whatever she writes next.
The only area of development I would like to see is more introspection. Song does a solid job in describing the mixed emotions of experiencing an assault, yet this nuance is not consistent throughout her prose. Many of the male characters are one-note and fall flat as antagonists. Ren and Cathy’s relationship is inconsistent in a way that could be purposeful. However, this inconsistency makes the ending lose weight as a sense of mutual desire and connection is never felt between the two.
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Blood
Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma
Minor: Pedophilia
slaywithsteph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
pryingblackbird's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying, Racism, and Xenophobia
ra22ouille's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
danimacuk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Sexual content, Blood, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Drug use, Racism, and Pregnancy
peakoldladylife's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment
charlie_woodchipper's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Having done 1 year of competitive swimming in high school, and quitting because it was hella toxic, I 100% relate and 100% remember being horrified by the girls whose swimming was there whole life. It was uncanny and unsettling, just like in this book. Boys and men were also forbidden in my school from participating or being coach, because there had been too much sexual violence in the past. Men and boys are really all the same
I related with Ren and Jim ""relationship"", knowing what it's like to fall prey to predatory adult men, feeling valued and special by them
I related to how traumatic putting a tampon on is for the first time. My mother's impatience. How I HAD to do it, because I had swimming practice. How she made me put lub on for it to finally work. I went through the same thing
I related with Cathy's codependency. I had a Ren of my own during childhood all the way to highschool
Being born with OCD from family genes, I related to Ren obsessive and compulsive behaviours
I can't wait to read more from Jade!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma
Minor: Animal death
tejanafeminist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Self harm, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
phdyke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Minor: Body horror, Eating disorder, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship