Reviews with content warning for Infertility - Detransition, Baby

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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miaj_99's review

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emotional reflective 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

4.5

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leah_alexandra's review against another edition

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challenging funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was pretty phenomenal. I thought it was complex and engrossing--a really interesting read. There were a bits that felt just a little clunky: some awkward dialogue, some parts were a little didactic, etc. But I think that all is as expected for a first novel. I look forward to reading more of Peters's work!

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cheye13's review against another edition

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challenging emotional 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

4.0

This is one of those books that is technically great but didn't hit my buttons. Primarily, it's just so literary. One of those books that reminds you that you're Reading A Book. I appreciate craft, but the vocab, the time jumps, the absurdist metaphors jolt me out of the story. (Another way I explain this phenomenon is "It reads very NYC," which is always the author's intent but never my cup of tea.)

Conceptually, I loved this story. I loved the characters, well-built and multifaceted; human. I loved the plot, meticulous backstory behind every choice. I loved seeing trans women at the center of their own stories. I loved the nuance of motherhood. More than once, overwhelmed, I whispered a weepy "I love women" to myself. This is a beautifully crafted story.

I did feel a little misplaced by the story, as if it weren't meant for me. Which, since I'm cis, makes sense. But in a way it did seem like it was for straight cis women. If the primary intent was for trans women to see themselves in fiction, the secondary intent seemed to be to slap straight women into reconceptualizing gender/womanhood. As a queer cis woman, I sorta felt like a third party watching a volley back and forth.

Starting the story, I expected more exploration of the in-between, the shades of gray. A negotiation of an unconventional family, a blending of queer fantasy and practical reality. From the first page, I knew I was wrong. Being literary, the plot was predictable but in a good way; in this type of book, you read not for the story, but for the emotion the story delivers. This isn't what I expected or exactly what I wanted, but I'm so glad it exists and glad I got the chance to read it. I'd definitely recommend it, but I'd probably pitch it differently than the synopsis does.

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chloemarinar's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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