PaperQuake: A Puzzle [Hardcover]

Kathryn Reiss (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Time Travel Mysteries

While helping her sisters clean up a building that their parents are renovating, an aftershock of a recent earthquake dislodges a decades-old letter written to Baby V--and Violet is certain that somehow it has been written to her. As more and more mysterious writings from the past tumble into Violet’s hands, she and her sisters begin to delve into historical documents and newspaper articles from the 1900s--including the accounts of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake--in an attempt to unravel the mystery. But as the present earthquakes increase in frequency, the girls realize that their time is running out. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8AEighth-grader Violet, a triplet, is fragile and plain compared to her two popular sisters. Suddenly, she begins discovering mysterious messages from the time of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Old letters and diary entries refer to a girl named "V," who strangely resembles Violet herself in the 1990s, and there are hints that something terrible happened to "V" nearly 100 years ago. As the clues build up, Violet gradually figures out that she is being sent a warning from the past and fears for her life. The messages make Violet stand out from her sisters, and she discovers strength and resourcefulness she never knew she had. The story begins slowly as the various plot elements are laid out. As the clues start to come together, Violet's experiences become more absorbing. The repeated discoveries she makes seem too unlikely and coincidental at first, but when she learns that a force from the past has planted them in her way, it all makes sense. There is true excitement by the climax, as Violet discovers that the Golden Gate Bridge may collapse in a quake, and only she can prevent a tragedy. The resolution is particularly satisfying, as Violet not only saves the day, but resists the temptation to brag about her secret heroism. Although the protagonist is not a fully drawn character, this title should have strong appeal for fans of fantasy, ghosts, and time travel. Readers who persist through the slow beginning will be rewarded with an absorbing and suspenseful adventure.ASteven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6. Violet has always felt like the odd man out. One of triplets, she is the nonidentical sister, the frail and sickly one, and now, as an eighth-grade student in Berkeley, California, she's the one who's deathly afraid of earthquakes. Then fate singles Violet out in a new way: she's the one who starts dreaming of saving children in an earthquake and who keeps stumbling upon letters, diary pages, and newspaper articles concerning three young people in 1906, the time of the last big quake. Although the present-day characters keep remarking on the many coincidences that bring the documents into Violet's hands, their comments do little to lessen the plot's dependence on coincidence to drive the narrative. Readers willing to overlook that weakness will find plenty to keep them involved in the novel: Violet's well-drawn relationships with her sister, best friend, and first boyfriend; her insecurities that give way to emerging confidence; and a story that dramatizes the past a bit melodramatically but ties it to a more intriguing present. Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152011838
• ISBN-13: 978-0152011833
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,898,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspenceful!!!!, June 11, 1999

By 

RachelF2 (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PaperQuake: A Puzzle (Hardcover)

WOW! If you want suspence, this is the book for you to read. I had a hard time putting it down. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating puzzle!, April 21, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: PaperQuake: A Puzzle (Hardcover)

You'll never guess the mystery!! It's a great book!!! I'm very picky with books, but I happened to like this one. The reason why I only gave it 4 stars was because the character was a little...I don't know...I didn't like her as much as I should have...but she was ok. Violet was one of triplets. She was the odd one though. She didn't look like her sisters. Her sisters looked identical, but she didn't. She also had open-heart surgery. Now she wants fit in with her sisters, so they go to San Francisco to fix up a building for their parents. As they work there, an earthquake hits. A few moments later, Violet finds a note addresssed to Baby V. Her parents and sisters call her that. In the beginning, she's positive that the notes are for her. With each earthquake, a note is found, meaning another clue has dropped in her lap. Slowly she and her sisters unravel a mystery. Violet's life is just about to change. Was she Baby V? Who was the person writing to her? And how could someone from nearly a century ago write to her? As she reads each note, coincedences pop up and she fears that their time for solving the mystery could be running out.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PaperQuake, By Kathryn Reiss, May 27, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: PaperQuake: A Puzzle (Paperback)

PaperQuake is a fascinating book about a teenage girl named Violet. Violet lives in California and is constanly nervous about earthquakes taking place. She is the daughter of florists, hence her name. She is also a triplet. Her sisters, Rose and Jasmine, are identical, and she is constantly feeling like the third wheel. In the past she hd heart problems, so she missed tons of school. She was forced to repeat a grade over again, so she is now stuck in a grade lower than her sisters. It bothers her that she is the outcast and that her family subconsiously treats her like a child, even though she is the same age as her sisters. One day Violet and her sisters take a bus to San Fransisco to clean their parent's new flower shop. While cleaning, Violet comes across an old letter written in the early 1900's. The odd thing is that it seems to be written to her. It even includes things that have taken place in Violet's life. Violet is dumbfounded, because there isn't any way that a letter from so long ago could be written to her-or could it? Violet sets out on a journey to find out more about who wrote these letters, and along the way she finally bonds with her sisters and finds herself. This story will have you puzzled from cover to cover. You will keep thinking you know what's going to happen, and then it's exactly the opposite. That's the great thing about this book. The book is a little slow at first, but once you get past the first few chapters you will find your eyes glued to the pages. This is one of the most amazing and imaginative books I have ever read, and I highly encourage you to check it out.