Review by nibs - Detransition, Baby

nibs 's review for:

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

4.5

emotional 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

This was the latest pick for a book club I am in. I was very excited to read it because it is on the Women's Prize long list.

My thoughts after reading:
This book is so queer. There are so many parts of queerness I relate to, but then there are all these bits that are new to me, getting an insight into the specific experiences of these trans women. Women whose queer community is centred in real life, rather than the online queer experiences that centre a lot of my generation. At the end of the day, these deeply flawed and human characters are trying to make their way in a deeply messed up world. They are trying to find meaning, connection and ways to live with themselves and their reality.

I also really appreciated the amount of commentary and discussion of issues within the queer community, like classism and racism.

Also there were so many jokes and nuances that were really specific to the queer community. A favourite quote of mine was from p16, which made me laugh out loud:

When Ames first went in for an estrogen prescription, he saw a gentle, elderly endocrinologist, who had taken on trans patients not because of any special interest in gender, but because, in his words, "so happy to come see me for treatment." The bulk of the doctor's other patients suffered from hormonal disorders that made them emotionally volatile. After this endo discovered trans gratitude, he filled his appointments with as many transsexuals as he could find.

Content Warnings