Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Transition, Baby: A Novel by Torrey Peters

43 reviews

emotional inspiring reflective slow-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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challenging emotional reflective sad 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-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

I didn’t expect to connect with this story as much as I did. The topic of detransitioning is one I have always strayed away from, just based on the assumptions and judgements I’ve experienced since beginning my transition. I didn’t expect to understand and relate to the story of someone who has detransitioned so much, but in fact my heart ached while reading every chapter because the words resonated so well with my own feelings, experiences, and insecurities as a trans person. I would recommend this book to anyone curious about understanding the decision to detransition and what it is like to be a trans person in the world navigating relationships, love, and family.

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emotional funny informative lighthearted sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Very good. I learned a ton about trans identities. We love an unlikable female character. Lots of sex terms I didn't know the meaning of and had to Google. I can't write book reviews when I'm depressed. 😂

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challenging funny reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Detransition Baby is a novel that equally feels made for me and not for me. It's a fantastic one, if you have any interest in exploration of gender or more specifically of femininity/womanhood; read it! It deserves to be thought about.

Please do not read the spoiler section until you have come to an understanding of what the book was talking about. In specific how it ended. This is not a "spoiler" of its content, its a mindset that could change how you experience the novel.

It was an enlightening journey that died for me with its concept. I was expecting the book to be more than it set out for, to go beyond what it was in text, however for me it was made impossible by its ending. Its not a "bad" ending, its just direct in telling you what it was about. That might work for you. For me it stopped my process of exploration of what it means to me. Because finding what I identified with was made so much harder by its purpous. I dont like when stories are literal. There is a genuine debate to be had of metaphorical effectiveness towards most people, but like I said before not for me. Maybe it is necessary and my experience is too novel. 


This book is perfect. I truly mean that. It's pacing is great so are its characters, dialogue, jokes, ideas, prose. I loved every page. Torrey Peters wrote one of the most compelling debut novels I have ever had the priviledge to read. (I also highly reccomend her novellas) 

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective tense slow-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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dark emotional funny informative medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional funny informative sad tense 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

This is a story mainly centred around Reese and Ames, however we also get the foundation stories of many peripheral characters. I enjoy a story that acknowledges the world doesn’t revolve around simple one or two characters, that everyone has a story.

The story of Reese and Ames is complicated, a duo who are sometimes friends, sometimes lovers, sometimes suspected adversaries. Like their relationship each person is deeply complex, and that’s depicted beautifully throughout Detransition, Baby. 

The story poses complex emotions towards gender stereotypes and it had me thinking long after I put the book down. To further complicate the storyline it has time jumps, but is so clearly written out and depicted you won’t have trouble keeping up. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging emotional reflective

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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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