Review: Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Detransition, Baby was one of those books that totally and completely intimidated me. Do you ever feel that way? I kept putting off reading it and now that I finally have, I can’t believe I waited so long. I listened to it on audio and have to say it was a spectacular production. I loved how raw it was and even when it was difficult to read, the writing kept me intrigued. It also helped me work through a lot of the things I didn’t understand about gender.
As a cis heterosexual woman, I’ve never felt out of place in my own body. I think reading about characters like Katrina, who have to learn on the go, are really helpful.
Synopsis:
“Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York City, a job she didn't hate. She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men.
Ames isn't happy either. He thought detransitioning to live as a man would make life easier, but that decision cost him his relationship with Reese--and losing her meant losing his only family. Even though their romance is over, he longs to find a way back to her. When Ames's boss and lover, Katrina, reveals that she's pregnant with his baby--and that she's not sure whether she wants to keep it--Ames wonders if this is the chance he's been waiting for. Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family--and raise the baby together?” —Bookshop.org
What I Liked:
The Multiple POVs—It’s truly the mark of a great author is writing in seamless multiple POV. Peters knocks it out of the park in this one.
The Honesty—I really appreciate when difficult conversations are brought to the forefront of stories. It’s so necessary and I loved how it challenged gender roles.
The Characters—The main characters were all so different and real. In my book, a truly good character is one who tests the reader. They may not be likable all the time but we, as humans, aren’t likable all the time either! Between Reese, Ames, and Katrina, you get all aspects of understanding gender identity.
What Didn’t Work:
TW/CW:
transphobia; toxic relationship; homophobia; physical and emotional abuse; misgendering; suicidal ideation; sexual assault; infidelity; loss of pregnancy; miscarriage