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lfancher's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
isabezza's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Endpapers is a great story for those interested in the concepts of identity and oppression in New York in the early 2000's. I enjoyed the mystery of a secret love letter, the historical references to 9/11 and Nazi Germany, and the discussions of gender and sexuality. If you want a more mature (and better written) version of Felix Ever After this is the book to read! It dragged out a little towards the end but the main story kept me engaged and I was empathetic with all the characters.
thatlizhunter's review against another edition
3.0
the writing is incredibly beautiful, i just never really connected to the overall story and narrative
booksaremypeople's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is about Dawn, a genderqueer bookbinder repairing old books at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dawn lives in Brooklyn with her partner, Lukas, who is eager to experiment with makeup within the safe confines of his home, but not in public. When Dawn finds a love letter in a book she’s repairing, she becomes fixated on learning about who authored it. Was the writer queer? Trans? Dawn’s relationship with Lukas is in flux: how do they want to define the parameters or their relationship if they are still figuring out who they are? And in six short weeks, Dawn will have her gallery debut. This story is told with the post 9/11 with the Iraq War looming in the background and explores issues of gender, identity, hate crimes, art and creativity. It’s a moving and timely story. And this is one of my favorite quotes from the book that sums up Dawn’s internal struggle, “I’ve been trying to find out what can happen, what I can make, if I forget everything the world wants to see when it looks at me.” Thank you to Algonquin for the advanced review copy.
donasbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to the author Jennifer Savran Kelly, publishers Algonquin Books and Workman Publishing Co., and as always NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of ENDPAPERS.
Dawn has commitment issues. She isn't sure how she feels about almost ever major factor in her life, and each of them, one by one, suddenly require her attention and focus. Dawn is genderqueer and, perhaps central to the rest of her commitment issues, she's struggling with the question of how to express her gender to herself, and consequently, the world. She doesn't know how she feels about her boyfriend, Lukas, but knows for them both something has to change. She doesn't know if she likes her work anymore, and agonizes about gender conforming when she's there. She doesn't know how to continue with her art, how to express herself there when she has closed down so many other channels inside her. She knows only that she loves her friends, Jae and Gertrude, and they center Dawn, and this book. Through the growth of those relationships, Dawn faces her inability to commit and all the pain it caused in her life.
As you might be able to tell from my description of this book above, the form of this novel is pretty brilliant. Like a hurricane of indecision with the three main relationships being the eye of calm through the middle. The pacing is fantastic. The tension builds steadily toward the major plot points. The ending feels predictable, but in a way that's intended. As if to say, after everything Dawn has been through, she's earned a little predictability.
This is my trigger warning for terrible violence against queer people, hospitalization for violence, post violence injuries, and ptsd descriptions.
Rating:
Dawn has commitment issues. She isn't sure how she feels about almost ever major factor in her life, and each of them, one by one, suddenly require her attention and focus. Dawn is genderqueer and, perhaps central to the rest of her commitment issues, she's struggling with the question of how to express her gender to herself, and consequently, the world. She doesn't know how she feels about her boyfriend, Lukas, but knows for them both something has to change. She doesn't know if she likes her work anymore, and agonizes about gender conforming when she's there. She doesn't know how to continue with her art, how to express herself there when she has closed down so many other channels inside her. She knows only that she loves her friends, Jae and Gertrude, and they center Dawn, and this book. Through the growth of those relationships, Dawn faces her inability to commit and all the pain it caused in her life.
As you might be able to tell from my description of this book above, the form of this novel is pretty brilliant. Like a hurricane of indecision with the three main relationships being the eye of calm through the middle. The pacing is fantastic. The tension builds steadily toward the major plot points. The ending feels predictable, but in a way that's intended. As if to say, after everything Dawn has been through, she's earned a little predictability.
This is my trigger warning for terrible violence against queer people, hospitalization for violence, post violence injuries, and ptsd descriptions.
Rating:
scottishwolf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kait_unicorn's review against another edition
3.0
This book is well written and an interesting story and a relatable one as a queer person… BUT the protagonist was so 22 and immature and self absorbed and ridiculously privileged that I often found myself frustrated. I wanted to shake sense into them and ultimately the character growth by the end was only kind of meh.
marneyjane's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
3.0
materialambition's review against another edition
3.0
lots of angst and confusion and lack of communication… some interesting ideas about the history about lgbtq+ in the usa. mostly meh
taryn_ph's review against another edition
3.0
While I loved the information about book bindery as a profession and the focus on queer legacies, stories, and bodies, I frankly hated Dawn and found it difficult to feel for her because of how much an energy vampire she was. I listened to this one on audiobook, and think that might have amplified the annoyance I felt at times about her neediness and demanding on the people around her, especially Jae.