This book has everything: sapphic themes, body horror, mermaids, feminine rage... stop me but don't stop me, I could talk about this one all day. It left me breathless!

Ren Yu is a competitive swimmer whose commits her life to the pool and the chlorine within. We follow Ren through her experiences as an Asian girl in Pennsylvania, through her fraught relationship with her coach, Jim, and through her relationship with her best friend, Cathy, who pines for her.

What made "Chlorine" truly stand out for me is its exploration of the darker side of human nature as well as the context of different creatures of the sea. Ren's desire to become a mermaid, to escape the confines of her human body and become something more, was moving but difficult to read, as we see Ren wriggling against the constraints of her human life.

I really loved the themes of rebellion in this novel, as well as how raw I felt like the characters were. I both understood Ren and was completely mystified by her, which is a delicate balance as a reader. Overall, "Chlorine" was really powerful to me and I absolutely anticipate it becoming a community fave for those who love body horror and dark magical realism. If you're looking for a thought-provoking read that will keep you up thinking even after you're done reading it, then this is where you wanna go. I am looking forward to seeing more from this author after such a strong debut!

Thanks so much to William Morrow as well as Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced galley of this book ahead of its publication on 03/28 in exchange for my honest thoughts!