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rjbedell's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Outing
Moderate: Deadnaming, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Stalking, and Abortion
schopenhauers_poodle's review against another edition
- 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
"Detransition" 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 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 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 the most brave.
Conversely, the weakest of the trio and plot is Katrina. She is the least developed and least convincing character. Frankly, she's annoying. Peters writes her trans characters so vividly, but I think having a straight, cis, and Asian character was 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.
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.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Transphobia, and Violence
na_no's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Transphobia
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death, Miscarriage, Grief, and Suicide attempt
cecereads__'s review against another edition
3.75
It’s a story that’s insightful and definitely worth telling (and absorbing) - as is anything outside the heteronormative btw. For ppl to learn and expand their horizons - including on the question on motherhood within and outside the lgbtq+ community.
I found the characters messy and flawed and unlikeable at time which worked really well to illustrate the (difficult) dynamic between the trio.
Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Outing, and Gaslighting
whatdanireads_'s review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Hate crime, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
a_mendoza's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Abortion
Moderate: Deadnaming, Miscarriage, Suicide, Violence, Pregnancy, and Outing
effievee's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Deadnaming, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Transphobia, Violence, Pregnancy, and Outing
Minor: Infertility, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
megelizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.5
However, I did struggle with this book because it's very much character-driven and I really didn't connect to or particularly like any of the main characters. I'm sure they're supposed to be viewed through a critical lens, but that knowledge didn't help me during the many insufferable parts, the plot and the themes not being enough to make me appreciate the characters also. I also can't not mention the fact that this book contains a graphic depiction of underage sex, which there's literally no reason or excuse for; the points being made about the character involved could easily have been done so without including this. To a lesser, but still frustrating, degree, there's also an odd comment about hysterectomies being 'widely available', which again was maybe supposed to be viewed critically, but surely didn't come off that way.
Graphic: Miscarriage, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Blood, and Abortion
Minor: Racism and Suicide
lily_peach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, and Outing
Minor: Body shaming
m1923's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide