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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
1. it-a make-a me sad
2. it-a make-a me mad
3. wow: humanity
4.
2. it-a make-a me mad
3. wow: humanity
4.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A trans woman, detransitioned woman and mixed woman see if they can (plan to) raise a baby together. Detransition, Baby follows the messy - but still earnest - efforts of these characters to make it work.
The characters are unlikeable and so unapologetically flawed, but I think it's the charm of this book. In the Attitude Magazine interview with Torrey Peters featured in this book, she mentions wanting to write characters so specific that "they aren't aspirational and not representative". This allows her to express "shameful" thoughts she and many have experienced. I thought the character most captivating in this context is Reese. When she reflects on her abusive relationship with a man, she thinks:
Reese wanted to end their games, to get hit in a way that would affirm, once and for all, her womanhood: her delicacy, her helplessness, her infuriating attractiveness. After all, Every woman adores a fascist.
I've seen a surprising amount of views willfully misinterpreting this quote, accusing Peters of being misogynistic. It's quite frankly, the opposite - misogyny and transphobia have penetrated the minds of people so far, that any masculine assertions, especially by a trans woman, will be seen as perverse masculine traits. Reese's desperation for her identity as a woman to be validated has reached the point where victimhood and trauma are the only experiences of womanhood she can truly experience.
Peters frame this problem alongside the titular baby, where Reese would have the potential chance to become an (unconventional mother). She writes her chatacters with wit and depthness, examining our identities of the self and gender through emotions and thoughts we struggle to admit.
The characters are unlikeable and so unapologetically flawed, but I think it's the charm of this book. In the Attitude Magazine interview with Torrey Peters featured in this book, she mentions wanting to write characters so specific that "they aren't aspirational and not representative". This allows her to express "shameful" thoughts she and many have experienced. I thought the character most captivating in this context is Reese. When she reflects on her abusive relationship with a man, she thinks:
Reese wanted to end their games, to get hit in a way that would affirm, once and for all, her womanhood: her delicacy, her helplessness, her infuriating attractiveness. After all, Every woman adores a fascist.
I've seen a surprising amount of views willfully misinterpreting this quote, accusing Peters of being misogynistic. It's quite frankly, the opposite - misogyny and transphobia have penetrated the minds of people so far, that any masculine assertions, especially by a trans woman, will be seen as perverse masculine traits. Reese's desperation for her identity as a woman to be validated has reached the point where victimhood and trauma are the only experiences of womanhood she can truly experience.
Peters frame this problem alongside the titular baby, where Reese would have the potential chance to become an (unconventional mother). She writes her chatacters with wit and depthness, examining our identities of the self and gender through emotions and thoughts we struggle to admit.
challenging
emotional
sad
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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A trans woman, detransitioned man and a slightly homophobic mixed race woman decide to have a baby together. What could go wrong?
Despite the craziness of the story and the fact that it was a very character driven narrative, it doesn’t seem like the characters really improved or resolved their flaws. Reese is still a homewrecker and cheater, Ames is resolved to the fact he may transition once again, and Katrina decides to abort the baby after Ames can’t give her what she wants (I mean maybe, it was a cliffhanger)
Anyway, it was interesting enough but I don’t think I would reread it
Despite the craziness of the story and the fact that it was a very character driven narrative, it doesn’t seem like the characters really improved or resolved their flaws. Reese is still a homewrecker and cheater, Ames is resolved to the fact he may transition once again, and
Anyway, it was interesting enough but I don’t think I would reread it