PaperQuake: A Puzzle

Time Travel Mystery #4

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.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Kathryn Reiss was born in Massachusetts, grew up in Ohio, and received B.A. degrees in English and German from Duke University, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. After college, she lived in Bonn, Germany as a Fulbright Scholar, and during this time wrote the first draft of her first novel, Time Windows.

Ms. Reiss is an award -winning author of 20 novels for kids and teens. She has been a Writer in Residence for the Princeton Arts Council, a recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Grant for Writers, and has been a featured speaker with (among others) Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, The Northern California Library Association, The International Reading Association, Fresno County Office of Education, California Reading Association, The American Library Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English. She lives in Northern California with her husband and the last of her seven children still in the nest. She is a Full Professor of English at Mills College at Northeastern University, and also teaches in the low -residency MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Reviews

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is Kathryn Reiss's second best book (of those I've read), right after Dreadful Sorry. Still, I'm going to be donating it even though it was well done: the relationship of the family and the triplet sisters, the connections to the past, the casual descriptions of San Francisco and the earthquakes. I was mostly interested in the story of the past and wish the format had been a little different to bring that story more to the foreground.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good romantic mystery, with a historical time-travel aspect (just through letters, not actual time travel). Violet is one of triplet girls, but due to a heart ailment she's always been the weaker, timid sister, so much so that others think her sisters are twins and she's the odd one out. She gets caught up in a mystery left behind in letters and diary pages from a girl who lived in her family's old San Francisco house in 1906. She feels a kinship with "V", this long-ago girl who was sickly and in love with the same boy as her nursemaid, and Violet also gets visions that seem to be predicting the future. It's a really neat puzzle of a story that gets pretty suspenseful near the end.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in middle school and loved it. I was just getting into historical fiction books at the time and although "Paper Quake" isn't set in the past, it has plenty of letter snippets written at the time of the big San Francisco Earthquake.

I read it a long time ago so this review is a little dated, but this is what I remember. Although I liked hearing about the main character Violet (who feels very lonely despite being a triplet- her sisters are often thought to be twins, leaving her the odd one out), the best parts of the story revolve around the historical mystery Violet is trying to figure out by piecing together old letters and diary entries she finds. They feature a sickly girl named Verity (known simply as V), her lover, and her little siblings. And once she starts to piece together Verity's story, Violet realizes how similar she and this girl are and how she ought to start making some changes in her life if she doesn't want to be alone, awkward, and frightened forever. Sometimes the plot is a little too coincidental, but as a kid I didn't mind it much.

This was definitely one of my favorite books in 6th grade. The love letters between V and her beau made me sigh and the slow unveiling of their story definitely excited me. I was in love with the name Verity when it had finished and vowed to one day name my daughter Verity. I'm not sure if I ever will, but I do still think the name is very beautiful. And I'd definitely place this amongst my favorite middle school books.

Find more book reviews at A Quick Red Fox.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Violet is the youngest of triplets, nearly an hour younger than the oldest, as she’s reminded at one point. The other two are identical, Violet a fraternal who looks nothing like her sisters, Jasmine and Rose. Violet wants nothing more than to fit in with her sisters but she doesn’t. She was sickly at birth and has been babied all of her life.

Violet decides to make herself more like her sisters. Their parents, Lily and Greg, are florists who are opening a new shop. The triplets go to the new building to do some cleaning and Violet finds a letter addressed to “V” and it bears surprising resemblance to her own life. She gets caught up in solving the mystery of what happened to the mysterious “V” and, in the process, learns that she doesn’t need to be just like her sisters.

Paperquake is a children’s book and that is evident in the writing, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The plot wasn’t as predictable as most children’s books are and chances are good that I’ll read others of Ms. Reiss’ books.

[Dylan S]

12/6/12

I am currently reading Paperquake by Kathryn Reiss. This book is a mystery book, but it also sets back to the 1900's so I think it's also a little history. It's about three triplets Violet, Jasmine, and Rose who live in San Francisco, California. The three sisters live in an old Victorian house in modern day and where they live there are a lot of earthquakes, so when the walls start to crack open they discover letters from the 1900's. I can defiantly relate to Violet she is horribly terrified of earthquakes and so am I. So when she is walking home and is explains how she feeIscan just think how she might feel. I think the author uses such great detail in this book because it seems when I read it I can almost fell the earthquakes in San Francisco.

[Lauren LaDieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed PaperQuake by Kathryn Reiss because it was super intense in a lot of parts. Also because throughout the book the main character was trying to solve a major puzzle that could change the future of San Fransisco. The thing about the puzzle that I thought was really cool was that all of the clues Violet (main character) was getting the author would write the clue in the book and the characters opinion on it so, you can try to see if you can solve it along with Violet. I definitely recommend this book to reader's who love to solve mysteries and intense action parts.

[Natsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

sebenernya sih ceritanya bagus, tapi kelakuan tokoh utamanya yang super dramatic dan super lebay itu bikin cape hati pingin gampar wkwkwkwkwk..

walau agak2 mirip dengan cerita di buku 1, kapal maut clementine, tapi saya lebih suka cerita yg ini (dengan mengesampingkan kelakuan tokoh utama yg sumpe-bikin-kesel-banget)

sayang, serunya baru dimulai di perempat buku trakhir..

[Trina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept but the execution was very heavy-handed. The first half goes on and on and on about how out of place the character feels. The whole unraveling of the mystery is based on coincidences which are entirely too coincidental.

[Random Scholar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really nice time travel mystery about a girl who finds old letters that parallel her current life. Even though this is a work of fiction, it is realistic fiction because the only supernatural thing is Violet's visions (which as we know still happens to some people today). Violet is able to use the letters and her visions to avoid a future disaster. Parts of the past keep leaking to the present with her constant discoveries of letters written by people who used to live in a building her family is renovating. I think this book would be ideal for students in middle school and high school.

[Danielle Routh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I've read this, and I was able to read it while in California (after experiencing an aftershock!), which was really fun and added greatly to the story's atmosphere. I originally didn't think I'd end up keeping this one, but the mixture of historical mystery and modern drama is intriguing, even though the characters err on the annoying/one-dimensional side. Suspension of disbelief plays heavily into Reiss' stories, so be prepared for that if you read them, but the concepts are fun and exciting.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Violet and her family renovate an old house for a florist shop and letters are uncovered from around the time of the San Francisco earthquake. I liked the plot of this story and for the most part I liked the book, but I sometimes found Violet's character irritating. However, probably because I'm not a kid! I think when dangerous things are happening in a child's life, they shouldn't keep it from the adults who love them and this happened frequently in this book. But I like the author and this is part of a "time travel mystery" series, so I might try another.

[Monica M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ada yang mengganggu saya dalam membaca buku ini, huruf di bagian surat-surat dari masa lalu itu aduhh terlalu berukir dan kecil bangett. Beneran membuat bolor saking kecil dan rumitnya haha.

Potongan teka-tekinya menarik, sayang ceritanya berakhir dengan antiklimaks menurut saya. Misteri yang dibangun ditutup dengan alur yang menurut saya kok melenceng ya dari kemisteriannya.

Tapi keseluruhan ceritanya oke *walau tetap merasa, sial bener nasibnya V.*

[Roo Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book... in 2002? 2003? I remember it fondly.

I was a girl living in a Wyoming town and was so jealous that the protag got to live in a big city and have this adventure. I may or may not have hidden letters around a lot of houses (both abandoned and not) in an attempt to give some girl like me in the future a chance at living this story for real (because at 10/11 years old obviously you just need old letters to inspire time travel physics).

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) This was a cute read. The characters were pretty annoying at the beginning, and even throughout a lot of the book, but since it is about teenagers, I was able to overlook that a little. I wasn't thinking about the book when I wasn't reading it, so it didn't enthrall me but it was good enough to finish.

[Irdiena Ell Milla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book Soo many years ago, but There is one statement that still unable to leave my mind, it said something about how earth is old and broken, yet earth can heal themselves, but earth is so big that it can't be bothered by giving attention to human living on it so humans need to help themselves

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really time travel, but a good mystery. A young girl coming into her own, finding her strengths and her confidence. Must be hard being a triplet when the world repeats three's a crowd. Especially being the odd one out. Heart warming to see Violet become whole. Good author. I'm glad to see I have Paint By Magic on my shelves. I'll pick it up soon.

[Destiny Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in elementary school 05-06. In now 28 and have thought about it ever since I read it. The first real chapter book that got me so hooked on reading. I’m late reviewing this, but the nostalgia this book gives me is everything. I loved it and I think it is a great kid/young adult story.

[Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always up for a book set in my home. I found the subject interesting since earthquakes are a very real threat in California. I fell in love with another of her books, Time Windows, and I was hoping this one would grab me just like that one did.

[William Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like time travel stories because I know I've time traveled in my life.
People may not believe me, but I've been to a place for the 1st time (supposedly) and it's so very familiar.
I've been there, done that even before I was born.

[Julia Sudlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first favorite book as a kid! Such a great story.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting (if not fully explained) concept of history morphing with current events. Could relate to the "third triplet" feeling left out by her identical sisters.

[Tayler Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd time reading it. The first time I was in 4th grade. Loved it then and loved it now.

[sayitwithasmile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood fave that I was just reminded of. My 10 year old self would have 100% rated this 5 stars though I'm sure my 27 year old self would reasses

[Linda Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earthquake fears!

Great book! Loved the history about San Francisco woven in and the bits of teen romance. I enjoyed the read!

[Matthew Cuevas · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a good book i loved the misturies adventures she gose on with the paper and i loved the idea of earth quakes

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was just the wrong audience for this book, Thought it was about time travel, and for adults. It was written appropriately for middle school.

[Lu · Rating 2 out of 5]

not that good, there are some interesting parts, but the end is disappointing.

[Thad Olson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book i read is Paper Quake its a fiction book. The main carecter is Violet Jackstone. The author is Kathryn Reiss.
The plot of the book is in San Francisco where earthquakes are common. she finds a note for her that was sent in 1906 read to find out more. i would recommend this book to anyone who likes the authors other books Time Windows and Pale Phoenix. i liked the description and what i dislike about it was it was kinda hard to follow the story.

[Cassi (books.and.shh) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has lived in my head for more than 18 years! I read it while in high school, and never forgot my reading experience (but I did forget the name of the book). Today, I finally stumbled across this novel after doing yet another google search, and I can’t wait to reread it!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book put the concept of SF in my mind as a child and it was fun to reread!