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A review by briannasilveira
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.25
What defines a family? Ames, currently living as a man, gets his boss, Karina, a cis woman, pregnant. While a family is something he has always wanted, he doubts his ability to fulfill the masculine role of father as he still feels like a trans woman at heart. So, Ames reconnects with his former partner, Reese, a trans woman, to see if she would like to parent with them. Ames believes that Reese will be able to understand Ames and make this parenting arrangement less cisnormative. Eventually, Karina warms up to the parenting arrangement and develops a relationship with Reese. Over time, Karina develops a more nuanced understanding of gender and family structure.
This book was such an interesting read and unlike anything, I had ever read before. I loved the nuanced approach to family and was excited to see how the book played out. Peters examines the characters’ past and present to help us understand how it informs their current situation. There is also a nuanced understanding of gender, which made me realize why someone may detransition while not coming off as anti-trans. These characters are beautifully complicated, and I loved getting to know them. I also loved how it didn’t shy away from Karina’s grappling with the whole situation, and I think that was realistic to how a situation like this would play out in real life. I loved Reese and Karina getting to know each other; it was a bright spot in a heavy book.
Since I’m cisgender, I’m hesitant to list out weaknesses of this book related to the characters. Ultimately, it’s not my place to say whether or not this book was one accurate portrayal of trans people. I was disappointed in the ending because I wanted to see their decision and how their lives turned out. A time jump for the last chapter would’ve sufficed. Some metaphors and concepts were hard to follow, and I had to read them 25 times. I assume the author just got excited while writing and went hard. One thing I will say is I wondered how the trans community felt about the repeated use of the word “transexual” or Reese’s affinity for married men.
Overall, I found this book to be interesting and a great first read of 2023. I might be biased because I love character explorations and stories about families. I would recommend this book to most people, particularly those with a more advanced understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. I wouldn’t recommend this story to my mom because she may take away that trans people are unhappy once they transition and want to transition back. This book requires a nuanced understanding of gender to grasp fully.
This book was such an interesting read and unlike anything, I had ever read before. I loved the nuanced approach to family and was excited to see how the book played out. Peters examines the characters’ past and present to help us understand how it informs their current situation. There is also a nuanced understanding of gender, which made me realize why someone may detransition while not coming off as anti-trans. These characters are beautifully complicated, and I loved getting to know them. I also loved how it didn’t shy away from Karina’s grappling with the whole situation, and I think that was realistic to how a situation like this would play out in real life. I loved Reese and Karina getting to know each other; it was a bright spot in a heavy book.
Since I’m cisgender, I’m hesitant to list out weaknesses of this book related to the characters. Ultimately, it’s not my place to say whether or not this book was one accurate portrayal of trans people. I was disappointed in the ending because I wanted to see their decision and how their lives turned out. A time jump for the last chapter would’ve sufficed. Some metaphors and concepts were hard to follow, and I had to read them 25 times. I assume the author just got excited while writing and went hard. One thing I will say is I wondered how the trans community felt about the repeated use of the word “transexual” or Reese’s affinity for married men.
Overall, I found this book to be interesting and a great first read of 2023. I might be biased because I love character explorations and stories about families. I would recommend this book to most people, particularly those with a more advanced understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. I wouldn’t recommend this story to my mom because she may take away that trans people are unhappy once they transition and want to transition back. This book requires a nuanced understanding of gender to grasp fully.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Infidelity, Homophobia, and Hate crime
Moderate: Racism, Physical abuse, and Miscarriage
Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicide