A review by fionag
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

3.75

Very complex book surrounding the layers of femininity, parenthood, past and present relationships, queerness and identity, and found family. Peters explores these with three very real and still flawed characters with dark humour spread throughout. This book is unspeakably queer and proud to be so, and I learned a lot about queerness and the fluidity of identity. Detransition Baby can be sad but that is not the main focus of the book, and indeed the ending really feels like a beginning for these characters. The slow paced nature of the book took me about 80ish pages to get into but I enjoyed it, probably the flashbacks more so. I found it really helpful to discuss this book with a book club and we have such an interesting time pulling out the themes. This is definitely a great debut full length novel and I wonder what Peters will do next. 
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