The Paper Museum by Kate S. Simpson - ADVISABLE

The Paper Museum by Kate S. Simpson, 242 pages. Union Square Kids, 2022. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Living in a futuristic time period in which technology has made paper completely obsolete, 12yo Lydia loves the Paper Museum, which her family has curated for generations. She has lived with her Uncle Lem ever since her parents disappeared three months earlier and she’s convinced that she can solve the mystery of their disappearance if she can just locate the last book she saw her mother looking at, which is somewhere amidst the thousands of books in the museum. The situation worsens when Uncle Lem leaves on a work trip, her irascible Uncle Renald comes to watch over the museum, three interns (instead of the expected two) show up for their internships, the mayor wants the land the museum is on for a new park initiative, and Lydia submits a missing persons report without realizing that doing so will begin a countdown on losing her home and the museum if her parents don’t return in time. Museum items begin to disappear, Uncle Renald bans them from using their aer readers (which is like a futuristic cell phone), and the technology everyone in the society relies on starts breaking down without explanation. Lydia’s determination will be the key to stopping the plot against the museum, figuring out the reason technology is failing, and finding the truth behind her parents’ disappearance.

This book was a treat to read! I was curious and engaged throughout the reading experience due to suspenseful moments and foreshadowing, and it was genuinely fun to see the unexpected way that all the pieces tied together at the end and the magic contained in the library. The book isn’t really dystopian, but it does have a dystopian feel as it highlighted the problems with an overreliance on technology in a futuristic society. The characterization at times felt a little flat and some of the characters made illogical or abrupt decisions; however, Lydia’s choices were age appropriate and her tenacity and the way she grappled realistically with her feelings and confusion added to the book for me. The main challenge I had was that the plot felt a little rushed at the end, which is where I wanted to spend a little more time because there were such interesting things happening. In spite of that element, I enjoyed the overall reading experience and loved the creative premise. 

Reviewer: Marinda