A review by probablyjenna
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

challenging emotional fast-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

5.0

Detransition, Baby is a gritty book. It does absolutely nothing to sugarcoat the messiness of the human experience, and shines a light on those messy experiences can become even messier when you don’t fit into the societal standards of heterosexuality. 

There are reviews out there that claim this book is misogynistic; I rarely tell people they’re reading something wrong, but damn, if that’s what you took from this work I humbly suggest you maybe didn’t get it. There are some deeply disturbing moments, and our main character - Reese - does not attempt to filter her more uncomfortable thoughts about the world. But that’s just it: this book isn’t a filter. It’s not meant to suggest a clean, easy go at life. Reese is a messy, chaotic person. She’s often unlikable (but also often extremely likable and sympathetic, IMO.) I love that Torrey Peters wasn’t afraid to show her characters in their absolute fullness.

I also loved the conversations this book brought out about motherhood. As a cis woman who does not want children, it’s honestly kind of rare to see relatable content in the realm of child rearing & motherhood. Once again, Peters lets her characters be their full messy selves as they navigate a relatively odd situation. I think some folks may be turned off by the characters simply because the decisions they make are not the typical thing we see; I found it refreshing, and I think Peters’ choice to frame this novel as a sort of character study helped me understand the WHY behind some of the choices I didn’t entirely get at first. 

In short: a unique book that I legit wouldn’t change anything about.