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zachnachazel's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this book has skyrocketed to the top of my list for 2023. I picked this up randomly at the library after reading the synopsis and I am so glad I did.
I so quickly was engulfed in Dawn’s character and their quest to try to answer difficult questions in an already messy world.
I don’t want to give away anything about this spectacular novel, but everyone should be reading this!
I so quickly was engulfed in Dawn’s character and their quest to try to answer difficult questions in an already messy world.
I don’t want to give away anything about this spectacular novel, but everyone should be reading this!
ryannreidreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Loved the main character’s relationship to Judaism in this book! This form of gender queerness is not normally represented either. Very much enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Homophobia
Moderate: Abandonment and Child abuse
saershie's review against another edition
1.0
took me three months to force myself through it. insufferable MC.
crweber25's review against another edition
I think I anticipated more about book binding and was really excited for that aspect 😂
sammies_shelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime
noomzoom's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
oceanelle's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Absolutely insufferable characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail
lisasilv's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It took a little bit for me to get into this one but once I did, I fell in love with the storyline.
literarycrushes's review against another edition
2.0
Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly is an intimate character study of Dawn, a genderqueer bookbinder living in Brooklyn in 2003. While searching for inspiration (she uses she/her pronouns), she discovers a sapphic love letter hidden in the back pages of a book she is working on. Feeling unstable in her own identity and relationship, she becomes somewhat obsessed with finding out what became of Gertrude (the author of the letter who hints at being genderqueer or trans themselves) and Marta (did she ever receive the letter? Did she love her back?).
I liked many things about this book, like the honest portrayal of having a complicated relationship with your identity and sexuality and how you present yourself to society. It’s a reminder of how much the world has changed in such a short period of time but also puts into perspective how much farther it needs to come and how much more work we have. I loved the nostalgic New York setting of the early 2000s, a time and place in fiction most often clouded by the shadow of 9/11. I liked reading about bookbinding, a slightly obscure topic I didn’t know much about. I was unsurprised to find that the author is also a professional bookbinder, given Dawn’s passion for the medium, which really shines through the pages.
That being said, I found this debut to be a little uneven as a whole. I kept waiting for the story to go deeper, to lean more into the vast topics it covers, yet I felt that in many places, it merely skimmed the surface of these ideas and moved on. But I still enjoyed it, and have a soft spot in my heart for Dawn!
I liked many things about this book, like the honest portrayal of having a complicated relationship with your identity and sexuality and how you present yourself to society. It’s a reminder of how much the world has changed in such a short period of time but also puts into perspective how much farther it needs to come and how much more work we have. I loved the nostalgic New York setting of the early 2000s, a time and place in fiction most often clouded by the shadow of 9/11. I liked reading about bookbinding, a slightly obscure topic I didn’t know much about. I was unsurprised to find that the author is also a professional bookbinder, given Dawn’s passion for the medium, which really shines through the pages.
That being said, I found this debut to be a little uneven as a whole. I kept waiting for the story to go deeper, to lean more into the vast topics it covers, yet I felt that in many places, it merely skimmed the surface of these ideas and moved on. But I still enjoyed it, and have a soft spot in my heart for Dawn!