Strange Fiction Book Club

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In the vein of The Pisces and The Vegetarian, Chlorine is a debut novel that blurs the line between a literary dark coming-of-age narrative and an unsettling tale of body horror, told from an adult perspective on the trials of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodies… a powerful, relevant novel of immigration, sapphic longing, and fierce, defiant becoming.

Ren Yu is a swimmer. Her daily life, in the intense world of competitive swimming, starts and ends with the pool. Her teammates are her only friends. Her coach is her guiding light. If she swims well enough, she will be scouted, get a scholarship, go to a good school. Her parents will love her. Her coach will be kind to her. She will have a good life.

But these are human concerns. These are the concerns of those confined to…