Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

215 reviews

gdulecki's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Well, shit. This book left me feeling complicated. I can see why many people love it, it was very well written, it was raw and messy and I think it did a really good job of imagining queer possibilities. I also loved the surprise Rogers Park mention!! I think there’s some feelings coming up around immersing myself in a trans femme experience as a trans man, about my own relationship with womanhood and the ways it has evolved before and through my transition. There’s something to be said here about how I think this is the first book I’ve read with a trans woman mc and how that is a big gap in my reading. I’m glad we read this for book club because I don’t know if I would have read this myself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

d00rframe's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.25

I loved this book. the characters aren't perfect, and I love that. pregnancy is a topic I'm not usually a fan of, but I thought I would try something new and I'm glad I did. it's definitely a harder book to read due to all the sensitive topics, as well as just generally feeling like a like book to read, but it is so worth it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Deadnaming, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Toxic friendship

stormeno's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Death, Drug use, Abortion, and Abandonment

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

lucyhicks's review against another edition

It’s a heavy read, really well written but I might try again when I’m not in the trenches

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Pregnancy

kaytheghost's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

This is a beautifully written book, and one of the hardest ones I think I have ever read. There are a lot of people who criticise this book for wrong and ultimately transphobic reasons: I think it is confronting for some people to see trans people in books as, well…people? It’s a fun house mirror  that makes every aspect of darkness you encounter as a trans person, distorting it into larger than life, nightmarish versions of itself - it’s unrealistic for a reason, because how it feels is just as important as how it is.   Is it a hard read sometimes? Yes? Is it because it’s misogynistic? No - that’s just blatant transphobia trying to disguise itself by wearing a feminism t-shirt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

beesbutreal's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

sha's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Outing

beansandrice's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.25

I'm glad this book exists, but it definitely isn't for everyone. The overlapping realities of trans lives and reproductive rights are incredibly complicated, and Detransition, Baby doesn't shy away from this complexity. This book isn't at all about providing answers, but I'll be thinking back to it a lot with these topics nevertheless. In the end, Detransition, Baby is about capturing a certain kind of trans experience, and Torrey Peters undeniably succeeds at this. 

It does still have a few rough edges, especially how it left me wanting in its various conversations around ethnicity and race. Admittedly, I almost DNF'd it because the many explicit sex scenes were almost too much for me. I don't regret finishing it though. I saw myself so much in these characters, despite the fact that they're very different kinds of trans people compared to myself.

Don't expect perfection, expect a journey. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Infidelity, Transphobia, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Deadnaming, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Outing

hazelbynature's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Dysphoria