The Papercutter

Split #1

by Cindy Rizzo

A deeply polarized and ungovernable United States of America has separated into two nations—the God Fearing States (GFS) and the United Progressive Regions (UPR).
Judith Braverman, a teenager living in an Orthodox Jewish community in the GFS, is not only a talented artist accomplished in the ancient craft of papercutting, she also has the gift of seeing into peoples’ souls—and can tell instantly if someone is good or evil.
Jeffrey Schwartz has no love for religion or conformity and yearns to escape to the freedom of the UPR. When he’s accepted into an experimental pen pal program and paired with Dani Fine, an openly queer girl in the UPR, he hopes that he can finally find a way out.
As danger mounts and their alarm grows, Judith embeds a secret code in her papercuts so that she and Jeffrey can tell Dani what’s happening to Jews in the GFS without raising suspicions from the government. When the three arrange a quick, clandestine meeting, Jeffrey is finally faced with the choice to flee or to stay and resist. And Judith is reeling from a pull toward Dani that is unlike anything she has ever felt before.

Genre: Young Adult
Editor: Katherine V. Forrest
Cover Designer: Kayla Mancuso

Genres: Jewish, Young Adult, LGBT, Dystopia, Fiction, Judaism, Lesbian

212 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2021

About the author

Cindy Rizzo lives in New York City with her wife, Jennifer, and the requisite two cats issued to every lesbian household (well, most). She has worked in philanthropy for many years and has a long history of involvement in the LGBT community, including membership on the founding board of Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the organization that first brought marriage equality to the US. In the 1970s and 1980s she wrote for Boston’s Gay Community News and has published essays in the anthologies, Lesbians Raising Sons and Homefronts: Controversies in Non-Traditional Parenting. She was the co-editor of a fiction anthology, All the Ways Home, published in 1995 (New Victoria) in which her story “Herring Cove” was included. She serves on the boards of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah in New York and Funders for LGBT Issues. She and her wife have two grown sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a baby granddaughter.

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.50 Stars. This was a solid start of a new series. While it was not quite what I was looking for, it was well written. This is YA, dystopian, and a little cli-fi mixed in. I’m a huge dystopian fan but I think part of the problem for me is this felt a little too possible. I like my dystopian to be a bit more ‘out there’ and less likely to happen so I think it affected my enjoyment since it felt all too realistic.

I was surprised to see that this was my first full-length story by Rizzo even though she has been an author for a while now. I thought the quality of the book felt very high. It was definitely a case of the quality being higher than my enjoyment. The book was easy to read and get into, but it left me with an anxiety feel for most of the book that I did not care for.

The premise of the book is what would happen if the USA was divided into two countries, basically red and blue states, and what it would be like for Jewish people who don’t feel truly welcomed in either area. As antisemitism continues to build, it is up to a group of people to make sure what happened in Germany, in the 1940’s, does not repeat here.

I feel like this is the kind of book that spoilers could be easily given away, so I just want to quickly comment on a few things. One, there was a very light paranormal touch that I did not expect in this type of book. I’m not sure if it will play a bigger role in the rest of the series but I really liked it. Secondly, I want to mention that there is no romance in this book. You have some secondary characters that like each other and a possible connection for some of the mains in a future book, but no romance in this YA story. And finally, this is a little nitpick but the cover is really bothering me. I get what the design was going for coloring the states half and half, but seeing California, the most progressive state in the country, in red is really bazaar.

In the end, I feel a bit mixed with this book. The quality was there and it was very readable, but it wasn’t really fitting in with what I want to read right now. After the past four hellish years, and seeing The Capitol stormed, I’m worn out and prefer my fiction to be a bit more of an escape. I think this book might be better appreciated with a different reader.

An ARC was given to me for a review.

[pipsqueakreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

USA in an alternate universe.

This was intriguing. I rarely go for speculative fiction and was half wondering why I requested for this ARC in the first place, but I'm actually glad I didn't miss out.

The universe that this story is built on seems like it can be real but it obviously isn't. In an alternate universe, USA is split into two nations - the God Fearing States (GFS) and the United Progressive Regions (UPR) - in North / South Korea fashion. Their ideologies are extreme opposites, one is ultra-conservative and backward whereas the other is extremely advanced and liberal. And in this polarized universe, the Jewish community finds themselves unwelcomed. It took me a while to understand what kind of world this is, from GFS' strict laws to UPR's futuristic technology to some form of supernatural element but once I got the hang of it, it was easy to read and follow and I was fascinated.

We have three main characters - two of them, i.e. Jeffrey (GFS) and Dani (UPR) are on a pen-pal programme for selected Jewish students to interact through state-monitored emails. Judith is a tag-along, after making friends with Jeffrey. The characters exchange emails to learn about each other's cultures across the border and sometimes have to use codes to get sensitive messages across. And while there isn't room for a romance in this one but there is a hint of something that feels like it may develop in the coming book(s).

I received an ARC from Bella Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[MZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a good start to a new series, it’s a YA spec-fic novel and the politics and events that are described make this book more than a coming of age novel that I’m so used to of YA novels. The book has a “first book in a series“ feeling to it, meaning that it took me quite some time to get to know the characters and to get a grasp on the worldbuilding, but once this was out of the way I couldn’t stop reading and I hope I won’t have to wait long for the second book.

The USA is split into two nations, the God Fearing States (GFS) and the United Progressive Regions (UPR). The GFS are strictly controlled by their governing body, whereas anarchy thrives in the UPR (but they do have a government). Furthermore, the GFS population is mainly white, since POC have been driven out of the nation during the split, and one of the main pillars of the GFS is freedom of religion, but you quickly learn it is not at all that free. The main part of the story is set in a small community of Orthodox Jews in the GFS who chose to live there to practice their religion with more freedom than in the UPR, but the environment is changing and their freedom becomes more and more restricted. The main characters are several teenagers living in this community who come into contact with teenagers from the UPR through a pen-pal program and together they rise against the system.

The world that is created feels very realistic, with all that is going on nowadays, it is not that hard to imagine something like this happening. Perhaps not to the extremes described in this book, but the foundation of the story is believable, as are the events that are happening as the story progresses. The parallels between what is happening and what has happened in history are even highlighted and it is absolutely chilling to read.

This book was not the easiest to get into. There was a lot of info on the split and its two resulting nations and on Judaism and its cultural aspects. Furthermore, it took some time for all the characters to be introduced and to lay out their intricate connections and communication, which was really nicely done by the way. Finally, there is also a very light paranormal touch to the book, so you get it, there is a lot is going on. Considering all this information you’d think this is a very long book, but it is not, it was just under 200 pages on my e-reader, so by the time I was really invested in the story I was about halfway to two-thirds of the book. I flew through the last part of the book, whishing there was more. I hope this pace will continue throughout the rest of the series.

I liked the characters and look forward to reading more about them, their friendship is touching and there is even a start of a f/f romance. For the latter, I have to give a warning though, because this happened so fast I couldn’t even blink my eyes, but I feel there is much more to come. The book is written in first person and each chapter is from the POV of Dani, Jeffrey or Judith. While this division is very clear I did notice that their voices were often quite similar, so I sometimes forgot whose POV I was in and I hope this will be more distinctive in the following books.

The ending of the book has no cliffy, but it is an open ending prepping the story for the next book, so this book can’t be read as a standalone. I find the rating a bit tricky as for a large part I’m inclined to rate it down since it’s a bit slow with not too much happening and perhaps it is also a bit short as a whole, but the story buildup and its promise for books to come and the last part of the book make me rate it up. There are so many options to build onto, so many people and things I want to know more about, so I’m curious how it will continue!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession to make. I tend to avoid books with characters who are defined by their religion. It has a lot more to do with my own relationship with religion than with the books or the characters. So when this book came out, I didn’t really notice it. Then I read a few reviews, including my friend Jules’, and got curious enough that when I had the opportunity to review, I decided to give it a go. Good decision there, Jude.

In this first book in a new trilogy, the United States has split into two countries, polar opposites: the God Fearing States (GFS) in the South and the United Progressive Regions (UPR) in the North. Judith and Jeffrey are Orthodox Jews living in the GFS, both with secrets. Through a pen pal program, Jeffrey is matched with Dani, another teenager in the much freer and technology-advanced UPR. Judith, Jeffrey, and their friends worry about the rise of anti-Semitism and the unwillingness of their leaders to fight it, in a country that is supposedly all about religious freedom, but in which some religions are clearly valued over others. With Dani’s help, they start organizing.

The world Rizzo describes feels terrifyingly familiar for a dystopia, with references to the Nazis, allusions to Trump’s followers, and everything that proves how easy it is for the world, for democracies, to tip over the edge.

The world-building might feel overwhelming at first (the two nations, the importance of religion and cultural habits) but it’s very well-done and once I got the hang of it, the immersion was complete.

The characters are the best part. Most of them are teenagers and the author conveyed the uncertainty of that transitional age really well. Judith for example is gifted (she’s the papercutter of the title and the descriptions of her art made me want to see it for real because what I imagined is beautiful, and that’s only one of her gifts, the other one brings a slight paranormal twist) and gentle and very much still growing. Jeffrey is at once cynical and sweet, coming into his own as a gay teen in an oppressive environment. Dani is free and smart and proudly queer. Each and every character brings something to the story and even the smallest parts are fleshed out.

All in all, I enjoyed this story a lot more than I expected. It has undeniable first-book-in-a-series feels, and I’m left wanting more, which is a very good thing. I hope we won’t have too long to wait till the next book.

I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JulesGP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Papercutter offers us a possibility for what our near future in the USA might look like. The country has split into two nations, one being the God Fearing States (GFS), which is ultra conservative, technically backwards, and racist. Think red hats. The other states belong to the United Progressive Regions where advancements like brain interface tech and green initiatives are part of daily life. The UPR has a diverse population and embraces cultures, color, and lgbtq as integral to society so it’s what many of us hope our country will become.

When a Jewish penpal program is set up to bridge the two sides of Ohio, High Schoolers Dani Fine from the UPR and Jeffrey Schwartz from the GFS are paired up. It doesn’t take long for secrets to be shared, personal ones as well as revealing the dangerous changes emerging in the increasingly intolerant GFS.

There’s a bit of everything in this book. Jeffrey and his pal, Judith, are both Orthodox Jews and trying to determine where they fit within their community. Jeffrey knows that he’s gay but Judith only knows that she dreads what adulthood holds for her. That is until she lays eyes on Dani and the planet tips. They’re all heroes in the making. They just don’t know it yet but revolution begins in the heart. When the GFS hate is codified into laws restricting freedom and inciting violence against the Jewish residents, Jeffrey, Judith, and their mentors organize to fight back. When I read that part, all I could think of was SB202, the voter suppression bill in Georgia, and the anti-Trans bills springing up around the USA.

Dani and her friends don’t make as big an impact, probably because they act more as the oasis and don’t present the desperate circumstances that plague the people in South Ohio. I hope that in the next book, we get more Dani, to flush out who she is, rather than her just being a lifeline. Also, very excited about what will develop between Judith and Dani.

Of course there are echoes in this book of what history tells us happened in the years building towards the Holocaust but it’s also a what-if, American version. There’s so much more here, secret codes, clandestine agencies, dangerous meetups, and mysticism. But it’s the characters that make you care and maybe at the back of your mind, grow a seed of concern if you live here in the USA. The last third of the book absolutely flew and all I could think of was, when is book 2 coming out? For anyone wondering, although people are hurt badly in the GFS, the violence is not graphically described, probably because this is a YA book. It’s also lite on the future tech and focuses more on the people.

4.25 stars.

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for honest review.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Very creative story and entirely possible future for the US.
Especially the Ibrain. Where can I get one?

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The United States of America has been divided in two - the God Fearing States (GFS) and United Progressive Regions (UPR). Judith and her good friend Jeffery are both Orthodox Jews who live in the GFS, but when Jeffery realizes his sexuality, his only hope is to leave the GFS. He becomes pen pals with Dani in the UPR, who is also queer, which becomes a beacon of hope as it becomes dangerous to be Jewish in the GFS, even more so if you're queer. Judith uses her talents papercutting in order to pass secret messages and although there is pressure mounting against their safety, still finds herself inexplicably drawn to Dani.

I'm glad it's taken me so long to read this because now I won't have to wait as long for the next one (Hopefully)! I loved this beginning of this new series, it was very unique, although a touch too realistic in this political climate. The world created here was just enough of a mix of reality and futuristic dystopia with solid and endearing characters tying it all together. I think the world building took a little long but its understandable for setting up the series, but the second half of the book really picked up and gosh I'm invested in the characters and I'm looking forward to the continuation. This book will appeal to all ages, sucking you in with beautiful writing and fascinating characters.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Papercutter in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an interesting concept and while I'm always a sucker for queer kids becoming penpals only to find out both them and their penpal are secretly queer, I think a lot of the pacing here was really off. A lot of key moments and scenes in the Papercutter are both not shown to us and not mentioned within any of our 3 perspectives' heads until someone else abruptly brings it up in conversation and it made it feel like I was consistently forgetting seemingly important plot threads. I'm not Jewish though and a lot of this book revolves around Jewish characters and their relationship with Judaism so you should probably also try and get an opinion from a Jewish reviewer if you're reading this right now to try and decide whether to purchase the book.

[Maggie Anton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Papercutter by Cindy Rizzo is a fascinating, well-written novel on a very timely subject: what happens a generation after the extremely polarized USA splits into the red God-Fearing-States (GFS) and the blue United Progressive States (UPR). Not surprising, neither country turns out to be good for the Jews. The Orthodox Jews in the GPS still suffer antisemitic attacks, both verbal and physical, from the racist evangelicals; think 1930s Germany. Yet the liberal Jews in the UPR must deal with being tied to Israel, a pariah because Palestinians still won’t accept a Jewish state; no, BDS hasn’t gone away.

I quickly became invested in the three teenage protagonists' stories, despite—or maybe because of—the fear and loathing the plot entailed. I appreciated all the Jewish content and was pleasantly surprised by the mystical/fantasy aspect, but was it necessary to make almost all the “good guy” teenage characters LGBT while all the adults are straight? Still, the basic situation was uncomfortably and frighteningly close to home. Even so, when I turned the final page, I couldn’t wait to read the trilogy’s second installment.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd probably give this 2.5 stars (why oh why aren't half stars available, GoodReads!?) but this was a book that began with much more promise than where it ended with me. The gist is that the US splits itself into two countries-- "god fearing" and ultra liberal--following a violent election (hmmm...) and the realization that the two sides will never agree. The story seems to take place somewhere between 15 and 20 years after this split and focuses on a small group of teenagers from each "country" linked by a penpal program. One group is Orthodox Jewish and has remained in the god fearing country in order to be allowed to practice their religion, despite living in a primarily (white) Christian-focused country. The other group is queer, trans, nonbinary, ethno-diverse and more or less agnostic. The story pulls heavy inspiration from the Holocaust, the Trump years including the January 6th insurrection, and the Handmaid's Tale. Too much of this cut close to home. However, while the subject matter was heavy and upsetting, the execution of the story including the rounding out of the main characters was spotty. My biggest gripe was that major portions including turning points of the story occurred between chapters and was not covered in any of the book's three perspectives. And while I definitely feel that there need to be many more YA books featuring queer characters and stories, the queer perspective here just feels tacked on and not fully fleshed out. There is male on male sexual violence that seemed excessive and not at all necessary to the story; and romance that is quite literally just thrown together from no where. So much time was spent building the world of this dystopia that the human side of the story was sort of left by the wayside. For instance, super powers are apparently a thing here; they're not given much of an explanation but if you eliminate them, the story would still be exactly the same. Maybe the point of these will be better made in future books, but here it just feels like yet another thing that's tacked on/crammed into the story.

Decent start to a new series, but I can't say yet whether I'd be up for more of this story or this writing style.

[Alison Solomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and would strongly recommend it. I think Jewish and queer readers will particularly enjoy it, but it also ought to reach a wider audience. Rizzo's vision of a future America divided into two separate countries--one progressive/diverse, the other conservative/white is fascinating and feels all too real in today's political climate. Being an older reader, I can't tell how a YA audience will react to this book but it's one of those that can definitely be read by those not in the YA community. I don't generally read speculative fiction but was drawn in by the premise and the fact that this was about two communities I care about (Jewish and queer.) I enjoyed small touches that Rizzo created (such as the i-brain) as well as her use of real Jewish/queer heroes as motivation to her characters. Rizzo addresses an important issue (anti-Semitism) in an open and engaging manner.

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


I really enjoy this story and normally I don’t like religious in book because the author preach it so much that it’s takes me out of the story but this book didn’t it was written very well while getting it’s message across.

I love the three characters Judith Dani and Jeffery and how they were there for each other and how they help see who they were meant to be and it’s ok to be yourself.

[Lisa Bernstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines a lot--traditional Judaism, mysticism, queer romance, as well as a vision of a futuristic America where the USA is divided into two nations. Anti-Semitism, racism, anti-LGBTQ, climate change denial, fake news, censorship, and more are challenges facing the Jewish community in the God Fearing States. And, we get hints that maybe things aren't so perfect in the United Progressive Regions, either. It's a gripping story told from multiple perspectives that makes me anxiously await the next installment of the trilogy. My only critique would be the author's use of the word "minyan" toward the end, in a way that an Orthodox community wouldn't use it. Yes, it's fiction, but even so, it felt ingenuine. Everything else felt absolutely on-target. Wow.

[PJ Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating Story Much History

This I hope is the beginning of a series. Saw a Bella gathering where Cindy read part of this book. Another author who is a librarian stated this being a very important young persons book. I fully agree but also want to stated how fascinated I was at Cindy's blending of fact and fiction. Wonderful read.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Papercutter is a unique and exciting first installment of The Split series written by Cindy Rizzo. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I first started this book but I was excited about the LGBTQIA+ representation. As well as the opportunity to read from the perspective of a Jewish narrator given that both are lacking for representation in the fiction sphere.

There are three main protagonists within the book, Judith, Jeffrey, and Dani, each offers a different type of view on the world around them. A world that feels scarily close to a potential future for ours. A world split in two by extreme ideologies on the political scale. To the South, the God Fearing States closely resembles Conservatism and to the North the United Progressive Regions that are closely in line with today’s Liberal views.

The author, Cindy Rizzo, does a good job of describing the nuances of life in each region. Judith and Jeffrey’s families chose to reside in the GFS due to the religious freedom it provides their Orthodox practices despite the open hostility from other residents.

The topics that the author tackles are incredibly varied and those that are handled well are handled very, very well. Though I did at times think that perhaps there was too much of a range to properly discuss each event.


--Insert Trigger Warning regarding mention of sexual assault--

This was particularly an issue in the mention of one of the main character’s abusers. It felt very bluntly handled. Within the context of the first book it didn’t seem to be influential to his character and didn’t need to be there.

--End of Trigger Warning--

There was a vast character roster and despite my issues with remembering names I didn’t have a terrible time distinguishing them. Cindy did a great job of setting them apart and making each voice individual and believable. The only time I really felt a disconnect in the characterization was the introduction of a romantic pair between two of the main characters. It was very late in the book which was a little shocking on its own. But it also seemed out of character considering the modest and orthodox upbringing that we’d come to know.

Overall, the story within The Papercutter is powerful and compelling and I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to read from a point of view that is often tragically underrepresented.

[Karen Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love good YA, and I'm delighted to find new authors. Cindy Rizzo's "The Papercutter" takes place in a world where the US is now two countries: the God Fearing States and the United Progressive Republic. Our protagonists are the first generation born into this new division. We learn about these worlds through the eyes of three 17 year olds, two who live in the GFS and one in the UPR. All three are Jewish.

I loved this decision for POV, because Jewish identity is complex. The two teens in the GFS, for example, are both in Orthodox families, but only one of them really feels a connection to God, while the other has no love for religion at all. I also appreciated that the backdrop of the story also reflects the challenge of Jewish identity: no matter which side of the divide our protagonists are on, their identities are also called into question by the countries in which they live.

Our secular teen, Dani, is queer-identified and has friends who are black, brown, immigrant, non-binary, and Muslim. She joins a pen pal program for Jewish teens and is connected to Jeffrey, a GFS teen with an interest in technology and struggling to keep his gay identity a secret. Jeffrey's best friend, Judith, is the Papercutter of the title.

The sharing of common teen experiences is wonderfully sprinkled with the confusions ("is queer the same as gay?" Jeffrey wonders, while Dani isn't sure why Jeffrey doesn't spell out "God" in his emails).

I also loved the variety of queer identity in the novel, as well as the different coming-out experiences that reflect the environments each of the main characters and their friends live in.

Judith is gifted in several ways, and she and Jeffrey begin to send coded messages to Dani using papercuttings to embed the code. This code becomes tremendously important to the adults in their lives as politics shift and the safety of the Jews in the GFS gets called into question. I was very glad to see the adults in this story take the youth seriously, and even help lift up their experiences in meaningful ways.

This is a great read, and I plan to buy copies for a lot of my friends and their kids!

[Hope Freed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in a deal having already purchased (but not yet read) the second book. I didn’t realise that this is in fact intended to be a trilogy with book 3 not yet available. As I can’t get book 3 yet, even though this was good (and book 2 probably is too) I think I’ll hold off on continuing on until I can get book 3 to complete things.
So, this introduces a future world where the US has divided into two distinct factions and nations, the God Fearing States (GFS) and the United Progressive Regions (UPR). Life in the GFS is distinctly more restricted and becoming darker for those who live there and aren’t Christians.
Judith is Jewish and she becomes friends with a Jewish boy, Jeffrey. Jeffrey becomes involved in a penpals scheme (closely watched by the GFS) with a girl in the UPR, Dani. Both Dani and Jeffrey know they’re gay and Judith has no idea what she is, but the GFS is not a safe place to be gay. Through Judith’s art work, intricate papercutting, the three start speaking to each other in code as they work on bringing Jeffrey to safety. The book ends soon after the three have briefly met, Dani and Judith have kissed and the code begins to spread to some trusted adults in the GFS, including Dani’s brother, Orthodox Jew Binyamin. Clearly there’s plenty more danger and drama to come but for reasons I’ve already stated, I’m going to stop there for now…

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alternate reality, fantasy or a combination of both? Wikipedia defines fantasy as “a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore,” and alternate history as “a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life.” The three young adult novels in this review don’t fall neatly into either of these genres. Real history is combined with a fantasy element in one, the next contains religious ideas that could be defined in a variety of ways and, while the third might be easily considered alternate history, it also has a mystical/religious aspect. That’s what made reading these works so interesting: the different elements add depth to the stories.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/past...

[Margaret Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing dystopic, YA fiction in near future America

I am so happy to have found this amazing and complex book. I love a book that sends me searching topics on the internet and keeps me thinking. Cindy Rizzo has written a page turner of a novel that will keep me waiting impatiently for volume 2 in the series.

Set in near future America in a divided Ohio, where the nation has had a bloodless split into the "God Fearing Nation" and the "United Progressive States."

We get to follow a group of Jewish teens as they negotiate the new ground rules from opposite sides of a relatively closed border and glimpse the consequences of such a divide.

Rizzo has provided a rich cast of characters and believable world building. The politics of each region seems real.

Topics covered run the gamut from mystical Judaism to climate science. There is just enough teen angst, and lots of cool gadgets.

I cannot wait to talk to others about this book and to get my hands on book 2.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place after "The Split". When tensions between the "two" sides of the United States become too much, the country decides to peacefully split into two different countries. The "God Fearing States" and the "United Progressive Regions" . The story follows the journey of two groups of teens on opposite sides of the divide.

I think this idea had a lot of potential, but somehow managed to be too realistic to the point where it went to far and became no longer realistic. You gotta pick a struggle when it comes to YA dystopia.

Do I think based on our countries current political climate that some of the events in this book could actually happen? Yes. Do the names of the two new countries make me laugh? Also yes.

I liked the characters, they were diverse with a range of personalities.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

[Carol Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm dazzled by Cindy Rizzo's The Papercutter. It's a story in which the Red and Blue states have split into separate countries. Ohio is split into North Ohio and South Ohio. The protagonists are Jewish, mostly in their late teens. The Blue State -- United Progressive Region -- teens are pretty much like many contemporary teens. But the Red State teens are different, more religious.

Many Orthodox and Hasidic Jews decided to live in the Red area -- the God Fearing States -- because they believe they would have more freedom of religion. But anti-Semitism permeates the area.

A penpal exchange between a lesbian teen in North Ohio and a gay teen in South Ohio develops into a major development.

Although the protagonists are teens, this is not a YA book, at least I don't think it is. I think it's absolutely compelling.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have many thoughts about this book and insufficient energy to write them. But I want to honor the author by saying I really needed this book right now (December 2023, Day 69); a story that was deeply and centrally Jewish about an imagined dystopic, but oh so tangible, future. Thank you, Cindy Rizzo.

My only feedback for the audiobook is that if there were three main characters' voices, there should have been three performers; not two based on gender with one person reading for two characters. That was too hard for tired and worn down brains (mine, at least) to fully follow.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an easy read. The Othering and oppression themes carried throughout the novel, whilst thought provoking, can be troubling for readers who are mentally fragile.

The story is told from multiple POVs - namely three of a group of teenagers, each gifted in different ways. The sci-fi/mysticism elements is interesting, and the novel ends on a cliffhanger - we'll have to wait to see how, and if, the children and their allies will make it through the challenges portended.

[Amy Lavine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful novel about Jewish history & the future

This novel is great as a YA story that should provoke young people, Jewish & not, to learn about important and often overlooked historical Jews. They are featured in a fantasy story about a potential future that is fraught with division, violence as well as tremendous resilience & artistic prowess.

[Adrian Shanker · Rating 5 out of 5]

YA novels aren’t my usual go-to genre but when I heard Cindy Rizzo read from this book shortly after it’s release I knew it was a must-read, and it is.

The Papercutter is a distopian look at the world as it might be if, as the author describes, the US were to become ungovernable. This riveting, queer, Jewish novel is a quick read, and a book that is easy to get into.

[Helaine Weidner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It Could Happen

A good reminder that this can happen again. A bit too much LGB for me. Here in Orlando and at Disney World, there are so many from this community. Many friends fit into this category that I don’t even notice it anymore. But for those not used to it, this book does show its importance.

[TBHONEST · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Papercutter is an interesting dystopian novel. You can imagine it happening. Although some of the world-building feels a little flat at times and could do with more description. Has a great mix of characters which really help make the plot more believable.

[Yazmina Hirsh · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author was promoting Zionism and genocide denial in the Facebook group Sapphic Book Lovers after a Jewish woman asked for recommendations for non-Zionist Jewish authors who write Jewish characters. Not very cool of Cindy do that.

[Ellen Wolintz-Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent ! Cannot wait to read the next book in this trilogy

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopian YA with queer, Jewish representation. Really interesting and looking forward to reading more in this series.