Detransition, Baby

I loved reading this contemporary novel which is hilarious, astute, smart (you can see why it was nominated for so many book Prizes!) Written by a trans author, with central trans characters, it skips over any “explaining” about trans lives and eschews the sterotypes, making for complex and nuanced protagonists who feel 100% real. It’s a book about queer family making, and what that can look like. It feels right up to the minute in terms of the new formulations of family that are existing today. 

You won’t get the Good Tran Narrative here—Torrey Peters’ bestseller teases out a gloriously complex and problematic relationship between a fatalistic trans woman, her detransitioned ex-girlfriend, and the woman he just got pregnant. Full of drama, wisdom, taboo, and truth, I adore Detransition, Baby for its spotlight on unadulterated queer and/or trans characters full of gallows humor and heart.