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A review by sanjami
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
challenging
reflective
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
2.75
Three stars feels high for this book. But parts of it were compelling, especially the flashbacks to Amy's journey towards transitioning. Those chapters felt more like a character study and were probably the only reason I finished reading.
I wish Ames was the only main character and the baby arc didn't exist. One of my friends described the plot as "very Bushwick" and I have to agree. The premise was just ridiculously unrealistic. And I hated Reese so much. Her only personality trait is wallowing in her own misery, surrounding herself with equally pathetic downwardly mobile friends. I don't care if you WANT to be a mother when your understanding of family is so poor that your only hobby is homewrecking. Idk. The entirety of Reese's character felt weird and lowkey self-inserty, in the sense that it was a way for the author to shoehorn her trans Hot Takes into the narrative.
And holy shit, was the writing pretentious. Just Iowa writer's workshop MFA word vomit about the plight of the white girl. Ugh.
I wish Ames was the only main character and the baby arc didn't exist. One of my friends described the plot as "very Bushwick" and I have to agree. The premise was just ridiculously unrealistic. And I hated Reese so much. Her only personality trait is wallowing in her own misery, surrounding herself with equally pathetic downwardly mobile friends. I don't care if you WANT to be a mother when your understanding of family is so poor that your only hobby is homewrecking. Idk. The entirety of Reese's character felt weird and lowkey self-inserty, in the sense that it was a way for the author to shoehorn her trans Hot Takes into the narrative.
And holy shit, was the writing pretentious. Just Iowa writer's workshop MFA word vomit about the plight of the white girl. Ugh.