A playful and experimental collection that has a lot of great commentary, but struggled to keep my interest at times. I think part of this is just the format. Going from short stories into a novella and then back to a short story makes the novella feel glaringly long. I liked the short stories for what they were, and I didn’t hate the titular novella, but it felt needlessly long. The stories also feel like they’re lacking a sense of cohesion - I get that Peters wanted to republish some of her earlier stories, but I wish there was more of a thread between entries (beyond commentary on gender).

Peters has a lot of insightful things to say about gender and gender roles across the four entries. It’s hard to encapsulate them all, but I’d say it really interrogates the idea of gender as a performance. There are instances of gender euphoria, questioning, and transitioning that all feel fresh and innovative.

Stag Dance takes every opportunity to explore the confines of gender and then push them further. It’s a unique collection and I still wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to certain readers. The individual entries are stronger than the sum of their parts, and at another time I think I would have enjoyed this more. No real standouts, but also no real boogers either!

Story One: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story Two: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story Three: ⭐️
Story Four: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall, really liked the boarding school story and thought it was the most compelling by far. Thought it would make a nice little novella. The characters of that particular story were very well developed to me and lingered with me in a way that the other stories didn’t have longevity. I did enjoy the primary story, I thought it was clever to mirror the dystopian future ‘walking dead’ like tropes with transphobia. And I did also like that we’re was romance woven into that as well. I really did not like the titular story, which was a bummer as it was the longest by far.

I really enjoyed this collection. It was unique and was an interesting exploration into gender and sexuality.

torrey peters self published novellas plus a couple new ones!! per usual, she threads queer romance and relationships into a vivid queer world

"Stag Dance" by Torrey Peters is a beautifully raw and poignant exploration of identity, desire, and transformation. Peters crafts characters that feel deeply human, flawed, and achingly real, pulling you into their lives and struggles. The narrative is intimate and reflective, blending emotional depth with sharp, insightful prose. It’s a story that tackles complex themes with grace, leaving you thinking about it long after you’ve turned the last page. The writing is both poetic and grounded, making it easy to connect with the emotions at its core. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read that delves into the complexities of self and relationships, "Stag Dance" is an excellent choice.

I loved this collection. The way that Torrey Peters reflects upon transness is captivating and hit me in the heart a handful of times. My only "complaint" is that I wish some of the stories were full length novels because I wanted more. Very unique and will definitely be recommending this to folks.

I read “Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones” as a novella in a seminar I took last semester and immediately requested this book from NetGalley after. I was almost certain that it would be the standout story for me within this collection, but now I’m having a hard time choosing my favorite. Each story’s addition to Peter’s exploration of gender identity felt necessary and staggering. I love the range she displayed here, and I love the peculiarity of each story.

I have not gotten to Detransition, Baby yet, even though it’s been sitting on my shelf for the past two years, but I will read it ASAP and re-read this upon release. Easy 5/5 for me.

I loved this and the way the novella and short stories interconnected. It is such wonderful writing and is a cross-genre exploration of gender, with roots in speculative fiction, horror, and western

I eagerly requested an ARC of Stag Dance because of how much I loved Detransition, Baby. As I usually do with books I intend to review, I purposefully avoided reading anything about it. In this case, knowing nothing forced me to think very critically, because from the very beginning it was clear that this was not what I had expected, and that what I was reading was a showcase of skilled and powerful writing. At first, the four stories/novellas in Stag Dance may not seem to have much in common as they are each a completely different genre: dystopian speculative fiction, romance(?), horror, and western. From a writing standpoint, I was impressed by how Peters was able to own each genre and give a distinct voice to each narrator while grappling with complex conflicts and themes.

What connects these seemingly disparate stories is an exploration of identity and what happens when people, for various reasons, are unable to fully express who they are meant to be. Not to mention how damaging it is when one cannot find love and acceptance. There’s also an underlying question of what it would look like to reimagine society so that people could live without hiding who they are and how liberating that would be for everyone. This is an extremely important question to consider as the trans community is increasingly under attack. What is the cost if we allow this? What will happen if we don’t stand in solidarity with the trans community and refuse to allow them to be dehumanized and denied human rights? How can so many people forget or ignore that dehumanization and silence and inaction have never ended up being on the right side of history?

Peters notes in the acknowledgements that these “were the stories I wrote to puzzle out, through genre, the inconvenient aspects of my neverending transition–otherwise known as ongoing trans life–aspects that didn’t seem to accord with slogans, ‘good’ politics, or the currently available language.” This makes me think of how real people are messy and no one fits perfectly into the socially constructed labels we’re expected to apply to ourselves. Yes, Stag Dance is excellent from a literary standpoint, but it also pushes readers to consider trans identity and how there’s no single way to define it (or any aspect of identity for that matter). There’s no universal experience, and I value Peters’s writing because, as many studies have shown, reading builds empathy. Stories like these may speak to those trying to understand trans identity and encourage more people to share their own truths.

What an incredible collection. The titular novella was my favorite part of this book, but “The Chaser” was a close second. I loved the way Torrey Peters deftly sorted through the struggle and euphoria of finding the right sexual and gender identity. I appreciated the range of stories she told, from speculative fiction to coming of age to historical to fetish-based.

I love books that refuse to take an easy stance or come to overly-pat answers for the messiness of human existence. the people in Stag Dance are difficult, as mean (or more) as they are tender, so conflicted that they'll stab themselves and others with whatever weapons' close to hand. I can't say I enjoyed all the stories here, but part of that is taste (I just really bounce off distopias no matter how well done) and everything stuck in all the right upsetting ways.

Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars

What an incredibly, weirdly beautiful book. I love strange stories. Stories that make me pause for a moment and blink at a sentence thinking "did I really just read that?" And all the better when it's queer.

The gender exploration in this book was wonderful, and for me personally, needed. I really needed this. It was such an incredible feeling to see these thoughts and views and feelings displayed on the page.

“The Chaser” is the story that readers will likely find most relatable. Especially if the person falls under the LGBTQ+ rubric, they have probably been either the unnamed narrator and/or Robbie.

“Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones” feels incomplete. The story bounces around, and references events that are not well explained. It feels like the author took excerpts from a rough draft and threw them together with just enough of a connection to tie the chapters together and called it a story.

“Stag Dance” is unusual in that it uses a lot of slang terminology related to logging that many readers (me included) will likely not be familiar with. However, it is also the most powerful story, especially for a transgender reader, as the main character, Bunyan, wants to be seen as a woman, and as a desirable woman, at that but with his size and his ugly mug, that is not realistic.

"The Masker" explores the CD/TG communities through fetishes and disagreements about what it means to be a woman, what it means to be feminine, who "counts" as a woman, and trying to navigate these issues to find oneself and one's place in the community.

I liked Torrey’s first novel, but Stag Dance wasn’t for me. I’m not a fan of anything close to horror or absurdism which made this hard to get through. Torrey has a strong voice and uses “shock” to the advantage of the stories.

Stag Dance is a delightful collection of queer storytelling that explores how people make sense of and express gender. The characters are lost in their own identities and the identities of others, forming relationships that somehow make complete sense yet fail to make any sense at all.

torrey peters did a wonderful job with this short story collection. every character we follow has such depth, with themes that are creatively presented and masterfully written. a beautiful follow up to detransition, baby.

In these three novellas and novel Peters explores both an imagined future where everyone must use hormones to 'choose' a gender as well as an imagined historical setting where isolated lumberjacks don a crude burlap triangle to signify their willingness to be courted as a woman. For readers who want to peek into the intimate thoughts and lives of others Peter's writing almost makes one feel like a voyeur. The details are so vivid and real to life, even in two such removed settings, that at times I wanted to look away, to spare the characters from my intrusion into their minds and situations.

For readers who don't mind being uncomfortable, angry, sad and completely invested for the time it takes to read each story. Readers who think a lot about gender, identity, bodies, and how society makes those things dangerous to express. Fans of Gretchen Felker-Martin would especially like the novella "Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones," which was my favorite among these stories. The titular novel, Stag Dance, had quite a few horror elements that I found creepy in a good way as well, and perfect within the setting, like a tall tale told around a fire with horses softly exhaling just visible in the dancing fire light, and other noises raising the hair on your neck just outside the circle in the all encompassing darkness of the winter night.

Beautiful cover for a weirdly beautiful book. Comprised of 3 novellas and one longer novel, each showcases Peters wonderful writing of one of the most unique authors out there. I unfortunately didn’t like it as much as Detransition, Baby but still incredible.

This is a stellar piece of work. Peters is a beautiful writer. This is a novel with 3 other novellas jam-packed in. I don't know much about the trans world and their culture. What an interesting look at these themes through such unique lenses. I couldn't put this one down. It honestly read like an HBO mini-series, which is the most entertaining and rewarding reads imo. Will definitely be adding "Detransition, Baby" and all future Peters works to my TBR!

Thank you to Torrey Peters, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this highly anticipated book! All opinions are my own!

This is a delightful collection of three short stories and a novella. While there are thematic elements tying these stories together, the collection is very diverse with each story exploring a different genre, time period, and setting with contrasting characters. I loved Detransition, Baby, but I think this collection really display Peters' talent and range as an author.

The titular story took me by surprise and it took me a few chapters to get fully immersed in the parlance, although I did end up thoroughly enjoying the folk storytelling style. I loved the speculative fiction short story, "Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones" and I am ready for the 1,500+ page version.

Everyone, read this when it comes out in March!!! Thank you Penguin Random House for the ARC.