Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Chlorine by Jade Song

89 reviews

lexiesophocli's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

2.5

felt a lot like ‘our wives under the sea’ in that the mystical element was very confusing, despite the rest of the story being an interesting read. I was waiting for a deeper dive (pardon the pun) into the characters and their motivations but it never came - all in all, this book felt a bit shallow (wow two for two on the wordplay) and lazy for what could’ve been an incredible read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Medical content, Body horror, Blood, Self harm, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Addiction, Drug use, Abortion, and Car accident

moonmisandrist's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

A dark surrealist coming-of-age story that explores gender, misogyny, sapphic love and the Chinese American immigrant experience.

The story reads like a fever dream, and Ren Yu and Cathy are wonderful narrators. Cathy is filled with regret and yearning over in action, while Ren is a character who takes her future into her own hands. She knows who she is, and who she needs to be, and while she can cruelly block out the world and her loved ones to become herself, she has moments of love and introspection over her choices.

I greatly prefer this kind of story/character and intention over seemingly similar books of the "girlhood is a horror story" genre like 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation'. Where My Year of Rest and Relaxation is gross purely for the shock factor and features disgusting apathy for humanity, the dark obsession and gore of Chlorine is far more nuanced and impactful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Racism and Eating disorder

Minor: Medical content and Sexual assault

thepharmdreads's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

If you like mermaids and unhinged girls this book is for you 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Sexual content, and Eating disorder

frogggirl2's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexism

tacochelle's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.0

I love me some weird girl coming of age stories. Taking a story about finding your identity and making it so physical and visceral. Ren is an interesting narrator, I feel for her journey, especially how her discovering her true self runs parallel to a queer awakening of sorts. Her voice is also very decidedly that of a teenager. She's dramatic in her declarations, in a way that reminds me of friends I had in high school. I've seen some criticism of it in other reviews, but it feels believable to me. But I also  was in the sort of friend group where one could claim to be half-vampire, go on about what everyone gets wrong about her kind, and no one would bat an eye. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Body horror, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Blood, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault

rhiannonmohar's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Self harm, Blood, and Body horror

Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Body shaming, and Bullying

charliepeculiar's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Gore, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Eating disorder, and Body horror

lyrelyre's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

a bit of a tedious and overdone book that could've used a heavy hand with edits.  repetitive in terms of pacing.  the main character and the "love interest" have the same character voice which hurts with the main character's personal identity (being misunderstood/suffering unique problems).  Best part was the peek into swimmer's life. might recc for someone new to the horror genre because the scenes are few but visceral.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Self harm

srosa037's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Body horror, Pedophilia, Medical content, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Blood, Body shaming, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

pryingblackbird's review against another edition

challenging dark 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Medical content

Minor: Racism, Xenophobia, and Bullying