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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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
3.0
2 and a half stars. So many strong positives and strong negatives at the same time. Review to come.
kdahlo's review against another edition
4.0
This book really grabbed me with it's characters and the premise. The writing is also great, really great sense of humor, punchy. By the end I found the plot twists a little ham-fisted, and I thought it was a little strange how the book has 3 focal characters, two of whom are POV characters, and one of those two POV characters comes off as a clear favorite. It made me feel like I could see the seams of edits that happened during the creation of the novel. I also felt like the dialogue could be a little "samey" in places - the characters didn't always have distinct voices but just sounded like the author rehashing summaries of arguments that I've heard in social justice circles. Despite these problems I found the book very compelling. The favored POV character, Reese, is great and the writing is just so good it got me through some patches where I was rolling my eyes a bit. I'm late to this one, but I can see why it made a splash at publication.
rabe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
imhidinginabook's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0