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A review by fangirljeanne
Chemistry by C.L. Lynch
3.0
TW: ableism (really clumsy and ignorant discussion of autism among the characters that is not challenged)
DNF
I really enjoyed the writing. The fat rep was great and especially meaningful for me as I was a lot like Stella when I was a teen. I especially enjoy the banter between Stella and her parents (who are both present, alive, and fleshed out characters in their own right). It is especially enjoyable for me because of my familiarity with Twilight.
Sadly, it’s riddled with intellectual ableism (Tbf no more than most media), but the way the characters talk about love interest possibly being autistic paired with the way very common autistic behavior is characterized as soulless, creepy, or as sign of low intelligence made it too difficult for me to keep reading.
I think this would be a very enjoyable read for a (white) fat neurotypical YA fan. A fun twist on a lot of beloved Paranormal Romance tropes.
PS I felt a little weird about the monster man who wants to eat the human girl trope applied to a fat girl. It feels fetishistic, though it’s obviously not the intent of the text. This might just be my own experience of being a fat woman of color where metaphors of consumption are heavily intertwined in how our bodies are romanticized and are rooted in our bodies being commodified for consumption of white colonizers. Ymmv
DNF
I really enjoyed the writing. The fat rep was great and especially meaningful for me as I was a lot like Stella when I was a teen. I especially enjoy the banter between Stella and her parents (who are both present, alive, and fleshed out characters in their own right). It is especially enjoyable for me because of my familiarity with Twilight.
Sadly, it’s riddled with intellectual ableism (Tbf no more than most media), but the way the characters talk about love interest possibly being autistic paired with the way very common autistic behavior is characterized as soulless, creepy, or as sign of low intelligence made it too difficult for me to keep reading.
I think this would be a very enjoyable read for a (white) fat neurotypical YA fan. A fun twist on a lot of beloved Paranormal Romance tropes.
PS I felt a little weird about the monster man who wants to eat the human girl trope applied to a fat girl. It feels fetishistic, though it’s obviously not the intent of the text. This might just be my own experience of being a fat woman of color where metaphors of consumption are heavily intertwined in how our bodies are romanticized and are rooted in our bodies being commodified for consumption of white colonizers. Ymmv