A review by cclift1114
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow, what an absolute mess these characters and this plot is. And I mean that in the best possible way. Reese, Ames and Katrina make up such a disaster of a trio here, and I don’t think things could be described as anything but messy. And honestly, that’s so nice and refreshing, especially for queer stories. So often, in positive portrayals of the LGBTQ community, these characters have to be perfect, they can’t have faults, because that would just be more fuel to the fire of hatred against them. But Peters here lets her trans characters be like real people, with all the baggage that comes with that. Things are complicated and ugly and mean and crude, and there aren’t easy answers or solutions. Through all this, we get a glimpse into their lives and get to reflect on gender and society and all the difficulties that come with existing in this world, especially when you don’t easily fit into its conventions.