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A review by bluelilyblue
Chlorine by Jade Song

dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.0

Chlorine is an unsettlingly intimate coming-of-age story about a young competitive swimmer wanting to belong. Belong as a second generation Chinese immigrant in American society, belong as a girl in a patriarchy, belong as a swimmer amidst rivalry and fierce competition, and belong as a queer person in a heteronormative world. Failing to fit into all these roles, she dreams to escape to the water worlds of mermaids. 

The horror/thriller elements of the book mostly come from the visceral and raw descriptions of what a teenage girl (all too often) goes through. The focalization through our main character also makes for an interesting tension between the unreliable narrator and the world around her. Is Cathy really a traitor? Is coach Jim as abusive/parental as Ren thinks him to be? Should we side with Ren because we get her perspective and know what she's been through, or do we ultimately condemn her mentally ill and, in doing so, confirm her claims: that we can never understand, because we are human. 
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