Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

33 reviews

kyahs's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

3.5

Informative and unique, but the writing style was slightly too descriptive for me to get lost in the story. I enjoyed how the author managed time, flashing back and forward throughout. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Abortion, Sexual violence, and Rape

brnineworms's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

4.5

Messy bitches all round.
Exceptionally well-written, until the ending where it felt like the brakes were slammed; it faltered then just kind of stopped, and not in a satisfyingly unsatisfying way. Still, I liked it a lot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Outing, Dysphoria, Sexism, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Moderate: Abortion, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Blood, Chronic illness, Suicide, Violence, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Self harm, and Sexual assault

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Murder, Racism, Eating disorder, Trafficking, Car accident, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Colonisation

bethsreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Transphobia

Moderate: Racism, Abortion, and Miscarriage

thunderhead's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage

spongebobbiii's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Reading “Detransition, Baby” felt important to hear trans voices and experiences. There is so much I don’t know.  Many parts of the story were difficult to read. The abuse that Reese experiences yet also describes as increasing her sexual desire, we’re hard not to semi pathologize if I’m being honest. But this was exactly why I wanted to read it, to challenge my thought processes. Reading this I attempted to have an open mind with recognition I may have some unprocessed transphobia. I also do not know what it is like to be a transgender woman. My experience comes from a place of privilege as a white cis gendered woman. The commentary on gender from a transgender perspective was eye opening. There is so much I take for granted as a cisgendered woman, like what it means to be a woman, motherhood, etc.  I also recognize I am reading this as someone who identifies as asexual, who can vacillate between sex positive, sex neutral, and sex repulsed. The amount of sex in this book was very uncomfortable for me. There were several moments in which I wanted to stop reading because of the amount of sex. Both my partners heard me talking about how uncomfortable the sex scenes made me, but it felt important enough to keep going and I’m really glad I did. As the book went on there was less and less sex and more story. And with more story there came more Conversations about what it means to be a woman, motherhood, and queerness. While I’m not super happy with the ending of the book it also fits the story. I would’ve liked a little bit more wrapup, however, how it ended felt satisfactory.

I gave Detransition, Baby a 3 star rating mainly because of the amount of sex. Other people I know who have read this have rated it 5 stars and I do agree with their ratings. For me the sex really took away from some of the messaging I wanted to gain from the story. Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. Would I put trigger warnings for abuse and sexual content? Absolutely.

Favorite Parts:

• The developing relationship between Katrina and Reese is just so heartwarming! The scene at the baby regristy where Katrina goes along with the employee believing  Reese is the one pregnant just warms my heart.
• Explorations of womanhood, motherhood, and parenthood. 
• The flashbacks between the past and present.

Enjoyment: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5
Ease of Reading: 5/5
Ending: 4/.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Transphobia

typegrace's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Sexual violence and Transphobia

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion

sooficiente's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

What an amazing book. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Torrey Peters has a gift for making the hardest moments feel lighter and darkly funny. Her prose is beautiful, incisive and, at times, hilarious. I can only wish that one day I’ll be this good of a writer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault and Transphobia

Minor: Drug use and Suicide

carol_c26's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

my heart ached for Reese and Ames and Katrina. a painful and beautiful look at family and queerness and love and motherhood

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Deadnaming, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Transphobia

Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

jojopotato's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

Detransition Baby takes a deep (real deep) dive into gender from two perspectives - Amy and Reese. It pulls apart thread by thread the social/sexual/mental/emotional dynamics of being a (white) trans woman, and realities many women, both cis and trans, face to achieve gender affirmation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Sexual assault, Violence, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Rape, Physical abuse, Outing, Miscarriage, Homophobia, and Dysphoria

lydiaie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Outing, Transphobia, Violence, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Grief, Physical abuse, and Suicide