Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by awaywithforestfae
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book brought up so many mixed feelings in me, and I feel like that's exactly what its aim was to do! It took me a long time to get into it, with my asexual self finding it hard to get through a lot of the sexual content, as well as the main characters being rather problematic. However, pushing through this uncomfortability really helped me to reflect on what about it made me uncomfortable, as well as reflecting on the decisions which the characters made and why they made them. Detransition, Baby gave me a lot of food for thought, about both trans women's lives, and women's lives in general. The intersection of the two.
Reese is a trans woman with an unfortunate obsession with married men and a deep desire to be a mother. Ames is amab and has detransitioned from living as a trans woman. Katrina is a divorced 30-something cis woman who is Ames's boss. When Ames gets Katrina pregnant and suggests they ask Reese to co-parent with them, the three reflect on their lives, experiences and perspectives.
The rawness and unrestrained authenticity of the voices in this book really took me back. Starting the book with the sex life experiences of trans women was a wild decision for Peters but it paid off! My asexuality made me eeek for a lot of the initial chapters, but I think the author gets you in this uncomfortable and vulnerable position early on, to contextualise the character's choices and get you in a deeply entrenched position, for the dialogues to come.
While I related to a lot of things in many of the characters later in the novel, this juxtaposition of my sexuality and Reese's made it hard for me to endear to her early on. This, coupled with all the awful decisions she tends to make haha. But by the end, I found myself feeling really deeply for her, as well as for Ames and Katrina.
Peters discusses at the end of the book, on her choice to include these parts of trans life and history that are often not discussed with cis people. To include dialogues from white trans women, but contrast this with the differences in trans women of colour. I feel like I learned a lot from reading this book, despite my tenuous relationship with it. I also really loved her choice to create a tri-perspective from three different types of people. Three different types of women...
Additionally, I liked the themes of motherhood and queer life/ social structures that were explored throughout the novel. The nature of morality and the links to circumstance were also very interesting. I actually related to some of Ames's experiences in the book, but not in the way one would link. The dissociation and depersonalisation of the body reminds me of mechanisms I used to use a lot (and still do to some extract) in regards to my asexuality. It was interesting to ponder upon this in both contexts.
All in all, this is a great literary read if you're in the mood to get uncomfy and do a lot of learning as well as queer introspection.
Reese is a trans woman with an unfortunate obsession with married men and a deep desire to be a mother. Ames is amab and has detransitioned from living as a trans woman. Katrina is a divorced 30-something cis woman who is Ames's boss. When Ames gets Katrina pregnant and suggests they ask Reese to co-parent with them, the three reflect on their lives, experiences and perspectives.
The rawness and unrestrained authenticity of the voices in this book really took me back. Starting the book with the sex life experiences of trans women was a wild decision for Peters but it paid off! My asexuality made me eeek for a lot of the initial chapters, but I think the author gets you in this uncomfortable and vulnerable position early on, to contextualise the character's choices and get you in a deeply entrenched position, for the dialogues to come.
While I related to a lot of things in many of the characters later in the novel, this juxtaposition of my sexuality and Reese's made it hard for me to endear to her early on. This, coupled with all the awful decisions she tends to make haha. But by the end, I found myself feeling really deeply for her, as well as for Ames and Katrina.
Peters discusses at the end of the book, on her choice to include these parts of trans life and history that are often not discussed with cis people. To include dialogues from white trans women, but contrast this with the differences in trans women of colour. I feel like I learned a lot from reading this book, despite my tenuous relationship with it. I also really loved her choice to create a tri-perspective from three different types of people. Three different types of women...
Additionally, I liked the themes of motherhood and queer life/ social structures that were explored throughout the novel. The nature of morality and the links to circumstance were also very interesting. I actually related to some of Ames's experiences in the book, but not in the way one would link. The dissociation and depersonalisation of the body reminds me of mechanisms I used to use a lot (and still do to some extract) in regards to my asexuality. It was interesting to ponder upon this in both contexts.
All in all, this is a great literary read if you're in the mood to get uncomfy and do a lot of learning as well as queer introspection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion
Minor: Pregnancy, Outing