Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

218 reviews

redrosemoth's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This book is complex with interesting and imperfect characters. My only critique is the plot overall didn’t go very far and I wish it had. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

booksjessreads's review against another edition

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

When I read this book, I definitely became utterly obsessed, to the point where I sticky-tabbed it, which is a rarity. I think there are some things in this book that are incredibly symbolic and have such great synthesis for the development of a complex, tangled and ultimately amazing plotline.

I think perhaps my favourite thing, is that it is packed full of complex characters and themes of motherhood, queerness, gender identity and race. It is thought-provoking, messy and heavy. I found Peters has fully fleshed out these characters and really gets into the psyche of them. I have not read a book that delves so deep into that psyche for a long time, and it really made me feel like I was the one making the decisions, and experiencing the emotions of the characters alongside them. The emotional depth of these characters is astonishing.

This book is also full of unreliable characters, which are like us. They are human. They are navigating their individual identities, out there trying to live life to their own potential, whilst also making it messy and complicated. I think Peters also makes a great point that not every trans person lives their life in the way the trans characters in the books do, and she really emphasises that everyone is different. There is the banality of every day life juxtaposed with a very unique, yet realistic, story-line and I really liked this also. 

This book answered a lot of questions you might subconsciously, or even consciously, have about the trans community, and even answers ones you never even knew could exist. It is unapologetically queer and completely wonderful and I would highly recommend this to anyone!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Outing

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Abortion

nohousekey's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

jessthanthree's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Pregnancy, and Outing

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, Grief, Abortion, and Dysphoria

Minor: Deadnaming, Mental illness, and Car accident

rachaelmaris's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

Incredible. It was such a satisfying and captivating read, I loved it. The writing was sharp and funny, the scenes were raunchy, poignant, evocative (and not just because it takes place in New York and I am always a little bit homesick). The characters! It feels trite to say they were multi-dimensional blah blah but these characters really felt like they were fully breathing individuals. Reading about them felt like I was reading their actual literal blog or twitter feed or whatever, as if they might post later this week and I'd be excited to see what they are up to next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, and Outing

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Pregnancy

Minor: Blood

catherinemcfall's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad 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

Gave me a lot to think about...it presents messy people who are flawed and not necessarily likeable but we're open to all their hurt and vulnerablity and shame which makes them so human and therefore loveable? Found some of it made me uncomfortable in a challenging good way, I think. Interesting insight into trans women's culture and taboo sex acts that don't get talked about in non fiction books about the trans community. I think I'll be thinking about this book for a while, trying to understand it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Grief, and Abortion

Minor: Mental illness and Suicide

indiatorrez's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

overall, this book is a necessary piece in the larger literary world. it gives a voice to an underrepresented community and is a gift to be given an invitation into this world. as a multi-racial non-binary queer i definitely experienced a myriad of reactions and emotions to characters and happenings.

it definitely took me awhile to really settle into the story and it wasn't until the last 75ish pages that i realized how invested i was.

beautiful and heartbreaking, provocative and well-written.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Self harm, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, and Suicide attempt

kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, Xenophobia, Stalking, and Dysphoria

Minor: Eating disorder, Genocide, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

karol99's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Grief, Pregnancy, Outing, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Alcohol

Minor: Transphobia