Chlorine by Jade Song
Chlorine
by Jade Song
Horror | Fantasy | LGBT
256 Pages
Released March 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
Reader be warned - this one is a tough read. I highly recommend considering the content warnings before picking this one up.
This book follows Ren who, as a child, developed an obsession with mermaids (and not the rose-tinted Disney version). Ren, now a teenager, is living the high school dream: she’s one of the best swimmers on her team, a straight-A student, and is in the process of being scouted by impressive universities. But as the social and academic stress around Ren mounts, her obsession with mermaids soon blurs the lines of reality — until she will do anything to become one of the serpent maidens she so longs to be.
This book is an unfiltered, horrific look into the mind of mental illness. From the get-go you know exactly where this book is going. It is a heartbreak in slow-motion. It is a descent into madness. And all you can do is watch.
While not as visceral as other horror’s I’ve read, it still made me feel squeamish at times. Song does not sugarcoat. But the hardest part was watching as Ren unravelled. Reading from her perspective, it is easy to see the warning signs, the cries for help, the events that lead to her to make the choices she does. But much of this stress and pain is internalized by Ren and so those around her are left unaware until she determines to take fate into her own hands.
Ultimately, this story is one of the absolute best I’ve read all year. It’s the kind of story I know will stick with me long after I’ve put the book down. If you enjoy horror, and feel you are in a good place mentally to take this one on, I highly recommend it.