A really important story worth telling. Ok sure it may not be unique in the general sense but unique in the way that they carved their own journey. A little bit of humour and a massive sense of realism.

I got an ARC of this book.

I went into this book a bit hesitant as the idea of detransitioning has always been something that has been thrown in my face as an excuse why I should never be allowed to transition. I wanted to see what Belovitch had to say because I wanted to understand why someone would detransition out of morbid curiosity and as an attempt to understand someone in my own past better. I use the term detransition, though the author used the term retransition. I have never heard that term before, even among trans folks. Many of the terms used by the author are transphobic so I don't want to use his term in fear of it being a transphobic one. 

The author repeatedly referred to transwomen as queens, which is not the same thing and is just downright transphobic. When he referred to one of the most amazing trans women in history as a queen, I was livid. I was already over the book by that point, but let me be clear Marsha P Johnson is an amazing black queer trans women of history that has been white washed and changed into a drag queen repeatedly to make gay history more palatable. It should not happen within our own community. No. 

If you are into constant name dropping, even when those people aren't really involved in the story, then this is perfect for you. I couldn't care less how many people Belovitch did or did not see in the club scene or who he did or did not give oral sex to. I am just so annoyed at this point. 

I can't find a single redeeming point of this book. I hated it. I wanted to love it. I have never hated a memoir before. I have never rated one so low. I usually love learning someone's story, but this just felt like a masturbatory journey full of self hatred, femme hating, transphobic bullshit. 

I wish Belovitch the best in his life and hope the people he wants to help are helped as much as he can provide.

Wonderful first- hand account of the challenges and prejudices faced by the main character. Insightful and eye-opening.

Thank you NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for hooking me up with this early release copy.

Brian has the rare distinction of coming out three times: first as a queer teenager; second as a glamorous transgender woman named Tish, and later, Natalia Gervais; and finally as an HIV-positive gay man surviving the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

This was a very unique story I was super excited to read.
Given the era that the author went through all of this makes it even more impressive to be allowed to share in his experiences.

"Rebelling was the new normal."

Tish/Brian lead such an interesting and weird life. Some of the stuff was hard to wrap your head around since there was sooo much packed into this story. Both tragedy as well as glamour found a way to fall into Tish/Brian's life. Living as a trans woman in the 70's and 80's she had some strange memories and stories that punctuated her naivety with a side of trauma that caused her jaded feels.
There was a whirlwind of crap that got thrown at the author at a very young age.

"Although I'm deeply loved by some, I feel that has little validity."

I was fascinated by the way Brian delivered the majority of the memories with a deadpan matter of fact style. This did make it difficult to feel the memories shared since some were glossed over with no further explanation or fired off too rapidly to catch the emotion revealed.
Extremely interesting. Just less engaging than I had hoped for.

"It's also important to note that I now understood that gender was fluid and it flowed more easily when I allowed it to."

Tish/Brian certainly lived an extraordinary life and I was pleasantly surprised with how his life turned out earning many achievements and accomplishments after so many setbacks.
I always do like to see a happy ending. *swoon*

An absolutely raw honest memoir which is at times painful to read. A different take on other books out on the subject.

People who are interested in Biographies and Autobiographies will want to read this book! This book was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give this book 5 stars. Provided to me through NetGalley. Thank You!

TW/CW for rape/sexual assault, physical abuse, emotional abuse, transphobia, homophobia, body dysphoria, drug use...I'm probably overlooking some.

Trans Figured is Brian Belovitch''s true story of growing up and becoming an adult as a transgendered person during a time when being different was not only frowned upon, but dangerous at times.. It's a heavy read, one rife with difficult topics.

Brian's chronicle of his evolution from a cherub child to transgender woman to a gay man is at times both fabulous and heart-wrenching. His story is filled with abusive family members, celebrity cameos, nefarious friends and acquaintances, and unexpected fairy godmothers/fathers.

How one lived through everything he experienced and made it out in one piece is a mystery. Brian is very candid in relating all the good and bad events from his life. He doesn't sugarcoat any of the roadblocks and pit stops on his journey. No doubt he has lived an exciting and varied life.

Brian gives the reader a unique insight into his account of his inner turmoil of his outward appearance not matching his internal identity and his struggle to adapt to his changing circumstances. Lack of stability and ulterior motives of the people he wants to trust form and influence his bumpy journey. One can't help but think if one particular event didn't occur or if one particular person didn't cross his path or treat him a certain way, his life might have turned out quite differently.

But his story isn't all bad. He does form great, positive relationships that help him repair the damage, In the end, he flourishes. Sometimes you have to go through the bad to get o the good.

Two stars
Transfigured by Brian Belovitch is raw, graphic and a brutally honest tale of his life. Belovitch came out as gay in the 1970’s resulting in a painful rejection of from his family. She later transitioned to Natalia or “Tish” as she became known. Tish lived a difficult life and eventually transitioned back to Brian.
This memoir is very graphic! The explicit details of Tish/Brian’s sexual exploits and assaults were not necessary to tell the story of his life. I had a very hard time reading this book as it seemed each page was more explicit than the last; so much of it seemed to be for shock factor than a necessary means to share his story and his life.
I really dislike giving bad reviews but I just cannot recommend this book. I really wanted to like this book as I was genuinely curious as to why someone would transition to female, only to transition back years later.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

4* Not for the fainthearted, and not an easy or a nice book to read, but worth doing so.

I expected more of an education reading this book, as I had mistakenly thought it was from a different publisher, but what I read was a good, solid tale of one person's life, his endurance and his journey to finding himself.

It was unexpected, certainly, but it had me enthralled from the start. It's hard to review this without Spoilering it, but it's a journey full of hardship, pain, emotions, sadness and happiness, and ultimately ends with the lead in a good place, and happy. It's not a read that I've ever come close to encountering in all my years of reading MM fic, and non-fic to do with the LGBTQIA community, and it is eye-opening. It raised several emotions in me, namely sadness, some anger/irritation, a lot more sadness, some times where I was buoyed by the love and support Brian got from a couple of steadfast sources.

ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.