Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

118 reviews

schopenhauers_poodle's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

A book written about trans characters and by a trans author, (the previous review that says Torrey is a cis woman is mistaken), becoming a bestseller is a huge achievement on it's own. The writing itself, however, is uneven though entertaining and promising.

The book has great pacing and an interesting premise based on some taboo topics, (detransitioning, entering into a hetero-passing relationship, etc.). I found myself re-reading the chapters focused on Ames and Reese's reflections on past relationships and coming out. Peters' writing really shines in those parts with sincerity and a kind of painful, bittersweet memorializing of past selves. It touched me deeply.

Reese is my favorite and by far the most captivating of all the characters in the book. She's hurt, self-destructive, full of yearning, but also smart, thoughtful when she wants to be, observant, very funny, and full of emotional depth that the other two in the trio seem not able to access. Out of all the characters in the book she seems to me the most brave.

Conversely, the weakest part of the plot is Katrina. She is the least developed and convincing character. Frankly, she's annoying. Peters writes her trans characters so vividly, but I think having a straight, cis, and Asian character was perhaps too far from her own experience to write to the same level of depth. It was hard for me to understand why Ames was so attracted to her and why he was so committed to a relationship with her.

Spoiler

Maybe I'm not straight or naive enough, but I also could not understand why Reese having sex with someone undetectable and while on prophylaxis meds was the biggest issue and pushed her to abort! She seemed more upset over that than Reese sleeping with her friend's husband without his wife knowing. I don't know, do I not understand straight people?

In the reviews I've read, I've heard criticism of Peters' writing, specifically that the sentences are convoluted, awkward. I have a feeling she writes very close to her own speaking voice. If you share this criticism, the audiobook might be a better experience by restoring Peters' speaking cadence.

I think if you are a Tales of the City, Weetzie Bat, Tom Spanbauer, Gregg Araki fan you'd like this, too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, and Violence

courtneyfalling's review

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime and Transphobia

Moderate: Sexual violence

anthsoprano's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

honestly torrey peters' writing is so funny and captivating and brutally real. written by a trans woman for trans women, but also as someone under the trans umbrella, if i had tried to read this a year ago i'd throw it down the stairs with how real it hits.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage and Outing

mmikenaite's review

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Dysphoria, Outing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Abortion

Moderate: Body shaming, Miscarriage, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, and Transphobia

japamela's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Physical abuse and Hate crime

whatdanireads_'s review against another edition

emotional funny sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia, Violence, and Hate crime

Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt

effievee's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual assault

Moderate: Violence, Deadnaming, Miscarriage, Transphobia, Hate crime, Pregnancy, and Outing

Minor: Infertility, Suicide attempt, and Abortion

leahslitlibrary's review against another edition

Spoiler

Ames did not detransition because of violence, but because that violence lead him to believe he was only “dressing up” as a woman, and that felt very transphobic. This was really disappointing because I felt the book had so much going for it in the beginning.

Overall, I would give this book 2 stars, I enjoyed most of the book and it is very well written, but the ending was very ignorant and changed my opinion on this book as a whole.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Abortion, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Outing

maarigirl's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Minor: Suicide attempt, Racism, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Abortion, Pregnancy, Outing, Infidelity, and Hate crime

leadpal's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Sexual content, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Infertility, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Violence, Pregnancy, Stalking, Self harm, Hate crime, and Abortion

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Racism, Rape, Medical content, Homophobia, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder