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caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
An incredibly unique book, brutal and funny, grotesque and unhinged, dark and strange. It's a fierce queer coming of age and coming into a body story centred around a Chinese American girl named Ren and her years of competitive swimming. Men's and boy's violence -- a teammate, a coach -- hover on the edge this story, but Ren's intense, intimate friendship with Cathy, another swimmer, is the central relationship. That is, if you don't count Ren's obsession with mermaids. Song's prose is quick and smart, her ideas bold. I can't wait to see what she writes next.
jennschrauben's review against another edition
3.5
Relatable yet unlikable characters. Reminds me of Ottessa Moshfegh.
jocelynlee113's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
anikafuloria's review against another edition
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
annamack2023's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up
Over all, an engaging coming of age story with a horrific twist. This book does a good job of helping you understand exactly how the main character comes to commit seemingly bizarre actions and also pulls off ambiguity well, leaving a lot of the story up to the readers interpretation. I also like how this book treated the main characters personhood: sometimes she was the victim, sometimes she was the perpetrator, but it was always her story.
Things I did not enjoy: literally every side character. Truly as flat as can be. Even the love interest and alternate pov was so boring I had to skim through her sections. One interesting side character appeared and disappeared within 20 pages, leaving me once again with the equivalent of cardboard cutouts.
Over all, a good book that I’d recommend to any student athlete, especially swimmers. Happy to knock this mashed potato book off the list
Over all, an engaging coming of age story with a horrific twist. This book does a good job of helping you understand exactly how the main character comes to commit seemingly bizarre actions and also pulls off ambiguity well, leaving a lot of the story up to the readers interpretation. I also like how this book treated the main characters personhood: sometimes she was the victim, sometimes she was the perpetrator, but it was always her story.
Things I did not enjoy: literally every side character. Truly as flat as can be. Even the love interest and alternate pov was so boring I had to skim through her sections. One interesting side character appeared and disappeared within 20 pages, leaving me once again with the equivalent of cardboard cutouts.
Over all, a good book that I’d recommend to any student athlete, especially swimmers. Happy to knock this mashed potato book off the list
culpeppper's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Overall, I really loved this book. I listened to the book, and the two readers they chose for Ren and Cathy's chapters suited the story really well. The story was hard to listen to, at times, with this looming threat of others preying on Ren's psyche that became reality. But I was hooked. Though Ren was definitely a sharp and guarded character, her narration of her life made me ache for her, making the ending of the story so cathartic. The main criticism I have was the pacing felt off at some points, and while it never dragged there were some drawn out parts. But, mostly, I really liked Chlorine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Body horror, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, and Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Medical content, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pregnancy, Racism, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Bullying, Drug use, and Eating disorder
Minor: Vomit and Violence
kavishkade278's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
This book is baisically the term "girlhood is horror" brought to life in my opinion . Its visceral but still poetic in a really disgusting, creepy way
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
sarah011101's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
dashie's review against another edition
4.0
1st Read for AAPI heritage month
TW: self-harm, visceral descriptions of blood and gore
I didn't realise this was a horror novel until I got to the horror bit and had to listen, very uncomfortably. There are instances when body horror actually works in the context of a story. Han Kang does it very well, and I am assuming that's what the white women's princess OM did with Lapnova, not that I will ever read it.
In the case of Chlorine, it works.
As a competitive school athlete, I know first hand just how stressful, traumatising and desperate I was all the time. It consumes your whole life. You form a very disturbing attachment to your teammates. Ren's constant praise of the scent of chlorine throughout the book, her almost cultish veneration of it made so much sense as when I think back to my years as an athlete the first memory I get, is the stench of stale sweat mixed with Salonpas. (IYKYK)
TW: self-harm, visceral descriptions of blood and gore
I didn't realise this was a horror novel until I got to the horror bit and had to listen, very uncomfortably. There are instances when body horror actually works in the context of a story. Han Kang does it very well, and I am assuming that's what the white women's princess OM did with Lapnova, not that I will ever read it.
In the case of Chlorine, it works.
As a competitive school athlete, I know first hand just how stressful, traumatising and desperate I was all the time. It consumes your whole life. You form a very disturbing attachment to your teammates. Ren's constant praise of the scent of chlorine throughout the book, her almost cultish veneration of it made so much sense as when I think back to my years as an athlete the first memory I get, is the stench of stale sweat mixed with Salonpas. (IYKYK)