Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Transition, Baby: A Novel by Torrey Peters

71 reviews

cecereads__'s review against another edition

3.75

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It’s been confirmed that long chapters work against my experience of a book… Unfortunately.  I found it hard at times to pick this book back up while also really wanting to love it. There are some cracking narrative parts in it for sure throughout. I did also find some parts of it a bit long. Maybe it was a case of “wrong time” for me with this one atm. I’m really glad I read it though.

It’s a story that’s insightful and definitely worth telling (and absorbing) - as is anything outside the heteronormative btw. For ppl to learn and expand their horizons - including on the question on motherhood within and outside the lgbtq+ community.
I found the characters messy and flawed and unlikeable at time which worked really well to illustrate the (difficult) dynamic between the trio.

It didn’t sit right with me that Iris kept using the she/her pronoun with Ames even though it might have been a subtle way for the author to say that misgendering doesn’t just happen outside the trans community, but if so I found it too subtle as it wasn’t pointed out and I just thought it was disrespectful and unnecessarily mean (even though Iris dislikes Ames).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Outing, Gaslighting

maarigirl's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia

Minor: Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing

readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was absolutely fantastic, a real tour-de-force and unapologetically full of trans joy and heartache. The characters felt so raw and real in a way that I haven't found in a book for a long time. I liked how messy and complex they were and how unconventional their decision to co-parent was. I know I'll be thinking about this one for a long time to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Outing, Dysphoria

Minor: Violence, Injury/Injury detail

leadpal's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria

Moderate: Hate crime, Self harm, Violence, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Medical content, Cultural appropriation

tome's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

lemusk7's review against another edition

3.5

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy

theotheleo's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional funny reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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made me reconsider my own future as a trans person 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Dysphoria

Moderate: Infidelity, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Murder

klimatyczny_bluszcz's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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It was an incredibly good read - perfectly balanced irony with seriousness. It deals with topics that nobody wants to talk about - detransition, queer and polymourous co-parenthood, the dark and tearing parts about being trans. It was honest and authentic in expressing some of trans experiences while acknowledging that there are as many perspectives as trans people. The author celebrated transness in its everydayness and special moments. The story was emotional, unique and unforgettable. Glad that I happened to read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Grief, Abortion, Dysphoria

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing

Minor: Miscarriage, Police brutality

lovegriefandgender's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-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

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It's tough being trans. As I was reading Detransition, Baby a 16-year old trans girl was murdered in London, and unable to articulate so much rush of feeling I turned hungrily, savagely back to the pages of the book. It seems to be a place, being trans, of endless longing and therefore endless loss, where we are summoned to question our own pain and circular motions and regret and suffering against any other group who had experienced any of those things. I don't think we're brave. Not really. I think we live in an interrogated space, a grey space, where no future can be known as fact.  Then we have to ask what we want: motherhood? Career? Love? Sex? Most of us would be happy just to have something meaningful to say. Yeah. This is where we live. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria

natalienicholas's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail