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A review by purecomedy
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
challenging
emotional
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
4.75
Peters's style is honest, funny, touching without being sentimental, and at times quite cynical. Still, she describes her characters, even at their worse, with certain compassion.
This is a very character-driven book, which I'm usually not a big fan of, but I could barely put it down most of the time. To me, Detransition, Baby is a study in creating convincing characters and character dynamics that feel real and compelling to the reader. It was also great to see transgender women portrayed with depth, neither dehumanised by idealisation or demonisation.
As for the plot, the novel is a sort of meditation on motherhood, womanhood, and family. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I think it can inspire a lot of interesting questions and discussions, even just for the person reading it alone. I definitely needed time to process it on my own and it prompted me to think (even) more about my own attitudes and approaches not just to motherhood, but also gender.
In short: I'm so glad I saw everyone talk about this book on Twitter and decided to buy it.
This is a very character-driven book, which I'm usually not a big fan of, but I could barely put it down most of the time. To me, Detransition, Baby is a study in creating convincing characters and character dynamics that feel real and compelling to the reader. It was also great to see transgender women portrayed with depth, neither dehumanised by idealisation or demonisation.
As for the plot, the novel is a sort of meditation on motherhood, womanhood, and family. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I think it can inspire a lot of interesting questions and discussions, even just for the person reading it alone. I definitely needed time to process it on my own and it prompted me to think (even) more about my own attitudes and approaches not just to motherhood, but also gender.
In short: I'm so glad I saw everyone talk about this book on Twitter and decided to buy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Miscarriage, and Racism
Minor: Abortion