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veryroundbird's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I enjoyed this book but also the characters really stressed me out. Cuts close to the bone, so if you're into that, this book is for you.
madstar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Really enjoyed this. The writing was great and it was a really interesting dig into the complexities of sexuality and gender in particular womanhood and motherhood. Some sections were hard to read and I’d recommend checking trigger warnings but it was an eye-opening read!
jess_mango's review
4.0
Longlisted for the 2021 Women's Fiction Prize
This book has made history as the first MtF transgender author being nominated for the Women's Fiction Prize. The story itself is also about transgender characters. Sit tight, this will take a little explaining as it is tad complicated, as life often is.
Reese thought her life was in a pretty good place. She had a decent job and lived in New York with her girlfriend Amy. Reese and Amy were both MtF transgenders who "came of age" in the modern age where they could benefit from many of the advancements made by their transgender predecessors. They had their circle of transgender friends. Reese longs to be a mother to make life with Ames truly feel like a family. Then Amy decided to detransition and became Ames. Reese broke up with Ames/Amy and has been fighting feelings of depression ever since and seeks companionship in the arms of married men.
After the breakup, Ames is also not quite satisfied. He starts a corporate job where he begins a relationship with his boss, Katrina. Katrina is a recent divorcee who finds a connection with Ames. Ames enjoys Katrina's company but he still yearns to have Reese back in his life in some way. Then Katrina announces she is pregnant with Ames' baby and Ames sees this as a way to bring Reese into the picture.
Wow. This was quite a book. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it really hit the mark in my quest to read more diverse books. The story had numerous flashbacks so we could see how the characters got to where they are in present day. The threads were all expertly woven together to result in a stunning, moving and often raw story about 3 people brought together. The author did a great job establishing the back story of each character, that helped shed some light on how they think and interact as adults and why they sometimes make the bad decisions that they do. I will definitely be seeking out more books by Torrey Peters.
What to listen to while reading...
Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
A Better Son/Daughter by Rilo Kiley
Some Girls are Bigger than Others by The Smiths
Transgender by Crystal Castles
Girls & Boys by Blur
This book has made history as the first MtF transgender author being nominated for the Women's Fiction Prize. The story itself is also about transgender characters. Sit tight, this will take a little explaining as it is tad complicated, as life often is.
Reese thought her life was in a pretty good place. She had a decent job and lived in New York with her girlfriend Amy. Reese and Amy were both MtF transgenders who "came of age" in the modern age where they could benefit from many of the advancements made by their transgender predecessors. They had their circle of transgender friends. Reese longs to be a mother to make life with Ames truly feel like a family. Then Amy decided to detransition and became Ames. Reese broke up with Ames/Amy and has been fighting feelings of depression ever since and seeks companionship in the arms of married men.
After the breakup, Ames is also not quite satisfied. He starts a corporate job where he begins a relationship with his boss, Katrina. Katrina is a recent divorcee who finds a connection with Ames. Ames enjoys Katrina's company but he still yearns to have Reese back in his life in some way. Then Katrina announces she is pregnant with Ames' baby and Ames sees this as a way to bring Reese into the picture.
Wow. This was quite a book. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it really hit the mark in my quest to read more diverse books. The story had numerous flashbacks so we could see how the characters got to where they are in present day. The threads were all expertly woven together to result in a stunning, moving and often raw story about 3 people brought together. The author did a great job establishing the back story of each character, that helped shed some light on how they think and interact as adults and why they sometimes make the bad decisions that they do. I will definitely be seeking out more books by Torrey Peters.
What to listen to while reading...
Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
A Better Son/Daughter by Rilo Kiley
Some Girls are Bigger than Others by The Smiths
Transgender by Crystal Castles
Girls & Boys by Blur
tildahlia's review against another edition
4.0
There was a lot of hype about this book, and it lived up to it. Such an interesting exploration of queerness, identity, gender, family, sex and love. There were moments I found some of the writing and dialogue a touch clunky and implausible, but the depth and complexity of the characters absolutely shone in this book. Very readable and gives plenty to think about.
rkeighley's review
5.0
This book is a powerhouse of emotions. Discussing gender and gender roles, womanhood, femininity, queerness and motherhood Detransition Baby grapples with many hard hitting social and emotional topics. The book reflects on what doing gender means to different people, who has the right to be a mother and what motherhood means and how queer folk can pursue their family has left me reflecting more on the ways society is built around the cis/hetero nuclear family.
I find it very interesting that the author is cisgender when the whole book is rooted so deeply in the lives of trans women. Nevertheless I could not recommend this book more!
I find it very interesting that the author is cisgender when the whole book is rooted so deeply in the lives of trans women. Nevertheless I could not recommend this book more!
beansandrice's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I'm glad this book exists, but it definitely isn't for everyone. The overlapping realities of trans lives and reproductive rights are incredibly complicated, and Detransition, Baby doesn't shy away from this complexity. This book isn't at all about providing answers, but I'll be thinking back to it a lot with these topics nevertheless. In the end, Detransition, Baby is about capturing a certain kind of trans experience, and Torrey Peters undeniably succeeds at this.
It does still have a few rough edges, especially how it left me wanting in its various conversations around ethnicity and race. Admittedly, I almost DNF'd it because the many explicit sex scenes were almost too much for me. I don't regret finishing it though. I saw myself so much in these characters, despite the fact that they're very different kinds of trans people compared to myself.
Don't expect perfection, expect a journey.
It does still have a few rough edges, especially how it left me wanting in its various conversations around ethnicity and race. Admittedly, I almost DNF'd it because the many explicit sex scenes were almost too much for me. I don't regret finishing it though. I saw myself so much in these characters, despite the fact that they're very different kinds of trans people compared to myself.
Don't expect perfection, expect a journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Transphobia, Infidelity, and Hate crime
Moderate: Outing, Abortion, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Deadnaming, and Physical abuse
katbotelho's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I dunno this just wasn't really my thing I wasn’t expecting as much sexual content as there was so i wasn’t prepared for that. Also just made me feel really sad hearing abt Ames and Reese’s experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Miscarriage, and Transphobia
Moderate: Suicide attempt
carsonh11's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
prderocher's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review
3.0
2 and a half stars. So many strong positives and strong negatives at the same time. Review to come.