diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book.html
index 47b994830..f0d488276 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book.html
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
             <div class="block">
                 <h3 class="field is-grouped">{% include 'snippets/stars.html' with rating=rating %} ({{ reviews|length }} review{{ reviews|length|pluralize }})</h3>
 
-                {% include 'snippets/book_description.html' %}
+                {% include 'snippets/trimmed_text.html' with full=book|book_description %}
 
                 {% if book.parent_work.edition_set.count > 1 %}
                 <p><a href="/book/{{ book.parent_work.id }}/editions">{{ book.parent_work.edition_set.count }} editions</a></p>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_description.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_description.html
deleted file mode 100644
index 1352f6f59..000000000
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_description.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-{% load fr_display %}
-{% with book.id|uuid as uuid %}
-{% with book|book_description as full %}
-{% if full %}
-    {% with full|text_overflow as trimmed %}
-    {% if trimmed != full %}
-    <div>
-        <input type="radio" name="show-hide-{{ book.id }}-{{ uuid }}" id="show-{{ book.id }}-{{ uuid }}" class="toggle-control" checked>
-        <blockquote class="content toggle-content hidden">{{ trimmed }}
-            <label class="button is-small" for="hide-{{ book.id }}-{{ uuid }}"><div role="button" tabindex="0">show more</div></label>
-        </blockquote>
-    </div>
-    <div>
-        <input type="radio" name="show-hide-{{ book.id }}-{{ uuid }}" id="hide-{{ book.id }}-{{ uuid }}" class="toggle-control">
-        <blockquote class="content toggle-content hidden">{{ full }}
-            <label class="button is-small" for="show-{{ book.id }}-{{ uuid }}"><div role="button" tabindex="0">show less</div></label>
-        </blockquote>
-    </div>
-    {% else %}
-    <blockquote class="content">{{ full }}
-    </blockquote>
-    {% endif %}
-    {% endwith %}
-{% endif %}
-{% endwith %}
-{% endwith %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_preview.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_preview.html
index ab41d41ea..c675c45f0 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_preview.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/book_preview.html
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{% load fr_display %}
 <div class="columns">
     <div class="column is-narrow">
         <div>
@@ -7,6 +8,6 @@
     </div>
     <div class="column">
         <h3 class="title is-6">{% include 'snippets/book_titleby.html' with book=book %}</h3>
-        {% include 'snippets/book_description.html' with book=book %}
+        {% include 'snippets/trimmed_text.html' with full=book|book_description %}
     </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_content.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_content.html
index 503290da0..d597c7072 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_content.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_content.html
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     {% endif %}
 
     {% if status.content and status.status_type != 'GeneratedNote' and status.status_type != 'Boost' %}
-        <blockquote>{{ status.content | safe }}</blockquote>
+    {% include 'snippets/trimmed_text.html' with full=status.content|safe %}
     {% endif %}
 </div>
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/trimmed_text.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/trimmed_text.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ed8fa87d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/trimmed_text.html
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{% load fr_display %}
+{% with 0|uuid as uuid %}
+{% if full %}
+
+{% with full|text_overflow as trimmed %}
+{% if trimmed != full %}
+<div>
+    <input type="radio" name="show-hide-{{ uuid }}" id="show-{{ uuid }}" class="toggle-control" checked>
+    <blockquote class="content toggle-content hidden">{{ trimmed }}
+        <label class="button is-small" for="hide-{{ uuid }}"><div role="button" tabindex="0">show more</div></label>
+    </blockquote>
+</div>
+<div>
+    <input type="radio" name="show-hide-{{ uuid }}" id="hide-{{ uuid }}" class="toggle-control">
+    <blockquote class="content toggle-content hidden">{{ full }}
+        <label class="button is-small" for="show-{{ uuid }}"><div role="button" tabindex="0">show less</div></label>
+    </blockquote>
+</div>
+{% else %}
+<blockquote class="content">{{ full }}</blockquote>
+{% endif %}
+{% endwith %}
+
+{% endif %}
+{% endwith %}
+
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views.py b/bookwyrm/views.py
index 771e6a85c..d3ed1bc39 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views.py
@@ -511,7 +511,11 @@ def book_page(request, book_id):
     except ValueError:
         page = 1
 
-    book = models.Book.objects.select_subclasses().get(id=book_id)
+    try:
+        book = models.Book.objects.select_subclasses().get(id=book_id)
+    except models.Book.DoesNotExist:
+        return HttpResponseNotFound()
+
     if is_api_request(request):
         return JsonResponse(book.to_activity(), encoder=ActivityEncoder)