Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Book Review

Well this is definitely one of the most unique books I’ve ever read…

Detransition, Baby was on the long list for the Women’s Prize for fiction this year - making Torrey Peters the first openly trans woman nominated for the award.

In her debut novel, Peters shines a light on the trans experience and the trans community. The story focuses on three main characters - Reese, a trans woman eager to become a mother, Amy/Ames - a former transgender woman (and Reese’s ex-partner) who made the difficult decision to detransition (back to his birth gender), and Katrina, a cisgender woman and Ames’ current lover. When Katrina finds out she’s pregnant with Ames’ child, Ames proposes a unique parenting arrangement - one he hopes will allow him, Katrina and Reese to form an unconventional family.

The book alternates between present-day and flashbacks that detail Amy and Reese’s life together. While I enjoyed the present-day storyline more, the flashbacks certainly add depth and help the reader understand the full spectrum of Amy/Ames and Reese’s lives. That said, some of the content felt a bit tough to read. Not because it wasn’t well executed (the whole book is exquisitely written), but because the subject material is gritty, at times kinky and erotic, but also, raw and deeply personal - almost like you’re intruding on the character’s deepest (and at times, darkest) thoughts, feelings and memories. As both Amy and Reese struggle to find their place in a world that largely considers anything outside of heteronormativity “perverted” or “unnatural,” the author expertly captures the nuance and complexity of her characters’ emotions, actions and relationships.

At its core, this is a story about deeply complex characters who are doing their best to pave a way towards living their most authentic lives, despite the fact that there exists no road map for where they’re headed.

Will this book make you uncomfortable? Most likely. Will you learn from it? 100%. If you’re a fan of literary fiction, I encourage you to give this one a go… assuming you can handle the trigger warnings.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

TW: transphobia, homophobia, infidelity, sexual/domestic abuse, miscarriage, abortion, death, grief, self-harm, mental illness and more.