Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - Chlorine

Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Chlorine by Jade Song

54 reviews

cryptidstar's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

This book was so goood! as a queer ex swimmer also obsessed with mermaids (to a less intense degree) I was super excited to read this book and it didn’t disappoint. I feel like even though

sewing your legs together and ultimately escaping into the water to be a real life mermaid

is most definitely unhinged, it’s also the kind of unhinged that I think really represents the feeling of being a high achieving, mentally ill, queer high schooler. My least favorite part of the book was Ren and Cathy’s relationship simply because Ren clearly didn’t actually care for Cathy. I wish Ess was in the story for longer, but then again I also think smoking more weed might have made changed Ren’s trajectory a little too much.

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jcnfia's review

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dark 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

4.5

OH MY GOD. Thank you for your time.

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archaicrobin's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Chlorine is a hauntingly twisted coming of age tale about a girl obsessed with mermaids and professional swimming. Ren is such a compelling character and the sapphic romance is bittersweet and enthralling. I honestly could not put this book down even during some of the most gruesome scenes in the story. I loved the sports centric plot and loved reading about a strong, athletic, female character slowly losing her touch with reality. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because the ending fell flat for me, I can see why it ends the way it does and it fits the story but personally it was not to my liking. If you’re looking for a weird, slow burn horror with a strong female lead I highly recommend Chlorine. This book was so disturbing to me, I’ll be haunted by for it months…

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bibrarian_'s review against another edition

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dark reflective tense 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? No

4.75

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biobeetle's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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natlren's review against another edition

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dark 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

4.5

For me, Chlorine was almost a perfect book. It explored themes of girlhood and obsession and bodily autonomy SO well, all against a backdrop of competitive high school swimming. I must gives props where props are due: I never imagined myself getting so invested in a story about a teenage athlete but alas. Ren's descent into madness was masterfully done and there were so many instances in this novel that I felt pure rage on her behalf.

Chlorine is a heavy novel though, and while I might have had a good time (though good, in this context, is not entirely accurate, just the best word for the sentence lol) reading it, it is undeniably heavy. I think that it's definitely one of those stories that will be polarizing among readers, but it really, really worked for me.

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frogggirl2's review against another edition

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challenging dark fast-paced

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

4.5

I love the main character, the writing, the queer perspectives, and the examination of female friendship that goes beyond friendship. I'm always a fan of people who are fish, or think they are fish or merpeople who want to be human, or merpeople onland, or anything similar. What I had a little trouble with is the idea that she's a mentally ill girl, and she's going to have permanent disability. I don't think that's what I'm supposed to take away from this or that I'm even necessarily right about the conclusion of the book.

From a storytelling perspective, the friend/girlfriend's letters detracted from the depth of the story and its momentum.

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librarysage's review

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dark emotional mysterious 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

3.75

This book was a lot. I liked it, and couldn't put it down. It would not be for everyone, but I'm a fan of morally questionable narrators and decisions. Audible noises of confusion/worry/disgust made throughout.

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sweddy65's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

5.0

Although this is a beautiful book I will only recommend it with a tremendous amount of warning because of the graphic self harm which I had to skim.

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james10's review

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dark reflective tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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