Paperquake: A Puzzle

By Kathryn Reiss

Violet's paralyzing fear of the San Francisco earthquakes changes when her family renovates an old building. An aftershock dislodges a letter addressed in 1906 to Baby V--and Violet is certain the disturbing letter is intended for her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 1, 2002
• ISBN: 9780547543352

Kathryn Reiss

Kathryn Reiss lives in a rambling nineteenth-century house in Northern California, where she is always hoping to discover a secret room or time portal to the past. She is the author of many award-winning novels of suspense for children and teens, among them Time Windows, Dreadful Sorry, Paint by Magic, PaperQuake, and Sweet Miss Honeywell’s Revenge. When not working on a new book, she teaches English and creative writing at Mills College and enjoys spending time with her husband, seven children, and many cats and dogs.

Reviews for Paperquake

[tiamatq_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Violet, the youngest of the triplets, wants nothing more than to be just like her sisters. But to the rest of her family, she will always be Baby, the one who needs looking after because of her weak heart. And, now that a series of earthquakes is hitting the Bay Area, she’s the one that’s terrified of quakes. However, when each quake hit, Violet receives a mysterious message written during the months surrounding the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Each letter takes Violet a step closer to solving the mystery of “V” and Hal’s romance. As Violet gathers more clues, she becomes more confident and self-reliant. In the end, Violet must prevent a tragedy from happening and face her fears.PaperQuake is a slow-paced mystery that takes some time to really capture the reader’s attention. Violet is somewhat flat at the start of the book, focusing only on her sisters and how she compares to them. However, as the plot develops, we begin to see more of Violet’s relationships with other characters – her parents, her best friend, and her new neighbor, Sam – and as a result, Violet grows as a person. Readers may have trouble with the dialogue, if only because it seems somewhat forced at times. The mystery, which has supernatural elements, is intriguing and will keep readers guessing. The ending is also somewhat open, leaving readers to decide for themselves about Laela’s actions in the past. Though it has its weak spots, PaperQuake is a fun read and an involving mystery.