Finished “Detransition, Baby” by Torrey Peters and wow, wow, wow! What an amazing novel. 

This book is about three people, entering into a triad relationship, with hopes of raising a child together in a queer family in New York City.

This book was excellent. At first it appears to be this bizarre proposition of an ex boyfriend asking his ex girlfriend to enter into a platonic relationship with him and his boss to raise a child - but it is so much more. 

Reese and Amy used to have a loving relationship, until Amy detransitioned following a brutal scene of trans violence. Now years later, Ames has entered into a complicated affair with their boss, and following a pregnancy announcement, invites Reese to join their relationship to fulfill Reese’s desires for motherhood.

This novel is a layered analysis of gender and especially feminine gender identity. It critiques and celebrates queerness and trans politics, it illustrates gender fluidity and the lived experience of trans women. 

As a gender studies major I loved the poignant critiques of how gender theory and transgender people have been theorized and discussed. I loved the queerness represented and explored by every character in the novel, and showed how unstable, fractured, and illusory heterosexuality and gender is. 

Content warning: this book has lots of transphobia, homophobia, serophobia, trans outing, suicide and assault