Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Chlorine by Jade Song

43 reviews

another_dahlia's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Fatphobia, Excrement, and Vomit

criticalmiss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense

• 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

5.0

Is this book compelling? 100% yes, was it fascinating and did it grab me from page 1? 100% yes. Will I ever read it again, no. 
Strong trigger warnings for body mutilation and self harm, and suggested underage SA. Topics of mental health and mental abuse as well. 
1st person, sapphic and non binary rep.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Self harm

courto875's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

shea_proulx's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Self harm, Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

juniper_reads_things's review against another edition

dark

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Self harm

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Pregnancy

infinite_helix's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Loved it, devoured it, but the ending after the climax kinda drops off? Are we supposed to believe in magic and self ascension like Ren and Cathy? Or are we grounded in reality like Ren’s mom and the doctors?

Does she actually get to live her mermaid dream and is ignoring Cathy’s letters like she said she would, or did she swim downstream and die from her injuries, and Cathy is still deluded by love?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Blood, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Blood, and Classism

It is hinted at heavily throughout and even more so during the build up but the big body horror/gore/SH is that Ren

cuts flaps of skin on her legs and sews them across to the other side to make her tail

pleasereadittome's review against another edition

Unfocused plot, unlikable characters. Went for shock value over emotion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexual assault

raybudbury's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Blood, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Vomit

gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

This book won't be for everyone, but as a former competitive swimmer (who still swims, albeit recreationally) it was everything to me. 

Chlorine is a story about a girl who's over-powering drive towards obsession rewards her with a freedom that comes with the highest stakes. Ren's dark journey through competitive high school swimming spoke heavily to my own experiences as a swimmer, from the back-breaking practices to the high intensity of swim meets to (almost) everything in-between. 

I particularly enjoyed how the author gradually stacks the dominos against Ren, building up layers upon layers of trauma laced with issues ranging from abandonment, sexual trauma, and emotional abuse, culminating in the final breaking of her psyche. The writing was highly compelling, spurring me onwards to determine what was in store for Ren. The only thing I found issue with was the ending; I felt like the conclusion of the story dragged on for longer that was necessary, especially after reaching the climax of Ren's transformation. 

Nonetheless, even though I don't normally gravitate towards the horror genre, I still enjoyed this book very much and I look forward to exploring more of Jade Song's works in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Vomit

ofbooksandechos's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Medical trauma

additional content warnings: detailed description of menstruation and menstrual pain, descriptions of sexual harassment perpetrated by an authority figure (the coach), athlete abuse,