Detransition, Baby
What a debut! Detransition, Baby is an immersive novel about three characters brought together in a new way after an unexpected pregnancy. The conception is the main event for the possibility a baby introduces into each of their lives; the novel is structured around it, alternating between time before conception and time after. This allows Peters to cover a lot of important backstory, while continuing to propel the narrative forward. When Katrina tells her employee/lover Ames, who used to live as Amy and has now detransitioned, that she’s pregnant with his baby everything changes. Ames feels trapped by the idea of fatherhood, but sees the opportunity to give his ex-girlfriend Reese the experience of motherhood she’s always wanted. Can the three of them build a family together, one that gives Katrina stability, Reese motherhood, and Ames parenthood without the pressure of stereotypical fatherhood? Peters explores all the corners of this question, navigating her characters’ vulnerability, their messy feelings, and attempts at self-discovery.
I really really liked this book! It gets at so many questions of womanhood and community and relationships while illuminating many of the quotidian experiences of gender dysphoria. The dialogue is consistently stellar! The characters’ conversations felt so vivid and realistic to me and they had the space to be vulnerable and imperfect in their relationships. The prose, however, felt pretty sticky in a lot of spots; it was jarring to transition between it and dialogue at many points. They just didn’t match up super well. There were also times when the novel veered into manifesto territory and I didn’t find those moments quite as successful.
Overall DETRANSITION, BABY is super readable and very nuanced. I loved it for its compelling, fully realized characters and the way it made me think about identity, gender roles, trans rights, and the work of building community.
