Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

10 reviews

theotheleo's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective 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

4.75

made me reconsider my own future as a trans person 

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neverlandpages4's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I had been saving this one for pride month but then decided to read it for the #transrightsreadathon and unfortunately, I really didn’t like it. 

I get why most people like this book. It’s edgy, it’s quotable, and it discusses important topics. But other than that, it’s a whole mess. 

All the characters were unlikable, especially Reese. A lot of her beliefs about what it is to be a woman and a lot of the things that she makes excuses for, like domestic abuse, were just horrible to read about. I know it’s from a place of trauma and hurt but I really didn’t like her or her notions about womanhood and how fragile and submissive women should be.

At one point in the book, Katrina asks Reese “are we playing oppression Olympics?” And that’s exactly what they continued to do till the end of the book. Instead of validating each other’s struggles, they were constantly trying to take the upper hand of “I have it worse than you.” It was honestly disheartening and annoying at the same time. They both struggled so much, Katrina with her background and her being mixed race and Reese as a trans woman who clearly didn’t get the support she needed. But them constantly going back and forth on who has it worst and who wants to be a mother more made it such a distasteful book to read. 

I was fully expecting this to be a 5 star read because of how many good things I’ve heard about it, but it was just all over the place. The characters are extremely unlikable, it constantly goes on tangents about unimportant things like the projects they do at work, nothing is happening the majority of the time, and to quote the book itself “The book was deadly boring.” I also hated how it’s left open-ended. 

I liked a few things like the writing and how the book discusses tough topics like destransitioning, divorce, and miscarriages. And the cover is beautiful. But that’s pretty much it. 

It hurt me to rate this book this low. But I can’t lie to myself or others just because it’s a highly rated book.

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talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-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

4.0


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klimatyczny_bluszcz's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

It was an incredibly good read - perfectly balanced irony with seriousness. It deals with topics that nobody wants to talk about - detransition, queer and polymourous co-parenthood, the dark and tearing parts about being trans. It was honest and authentic in expressing some of trans experiences while acknowledging that there are as many perspectives as trans people. The author celebrated transness in its everydayness and special moments. The story was emotional, unique and unforgettable. Glad that I happened to read it.

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brnineworms's review against another edition

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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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toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is probably the most unique book I've read in awhile. It tells the story of Reese, Amy, and Katrina - Amy's new girlfriend. Reese and Amy are both transgender women and spent many years in a relationship, during which they lived together and planned to have a family. Things went astray when Amy made the decision to detransition and become Ames, living as a man instead. Things get even crazier when Ames gets his girlfriend pregnant unexpectedly and crazier still when he suggests Reese co-parent with him and Katrina. A lot of messiness ensues! 

I thought this book was overall, impressive. It is whip smart, funny, and often heartbreaking. It offers a window into a situation unlike anything I've ever read. The characters are complex and have diverse points of view and the dynamics between characters are incredibly interesting. The writing is beautiful and extremely smart - often a little too smart for me. 

The issues I have with it don't necessarily have to do with the quality of the book itself and more with me. I thought that the book was going to be faster paced, and that we were going to see more of the interesting throuple-but-not dynamic than we actually got to see. There is a lot of backstory, which was excellent and told me a lot about Reese and Amy/Ames as people, but not a lot of plot to work with in the present day, which became frustrating for me toward the end. Ultimately, I think that this book is great, and reads quickly despite the slower pacing. 

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted 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

4.0

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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taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75


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greydaze's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful fast-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

4.75

A really beautiful and moving book about queer potentialities and parenthood. The commentary on contemporary LGBTQ+ culture are handled carefully but with real humour. I loved it!

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donutlookaway's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced
  • 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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