Review: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff 

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.
For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.
With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Review: 

This was my second book by Brenna Yovanoff: the first being her debut, The Replacement. I love how unique and original all of her books are and Paper Valentine definitely did not disappoint in that aspect. Paper Valentine did not completely live up to my expectations, but there were certain aspects that I really liked. One thing I can say is that Brenna's books are different from most everything else being released at the moment and it is refreshing to read something so completely off the beaten track.

Hannah Wagnor lives in the city of Ludlow which is being plagued by all kinds of oddities from extreme heat to a serial killer on the loose. In addition, Hannah is being haunted by the ghost of her best friend. Hannah was a very interesting character. At first, I found myself annoyed with her, but, as the story progressed, she began to stand on her own and was a very strong and independent character. Hannah's best friend, Lillian, at first kind of creeped me out, but she did play a unique role in the story. I especially liked how all of Hannah's family were involved. I often wonder where people's parents are when certain things are happening to them, but we frequently saw Hannah's mother and stepfather and they were a constant presence in her life. 

Then there was Finny Boone. He has to be one of the most fascinating characters I have ever read about. He was someone that you could not judge before getting to know them and watching Hannah dig into his layers was one of the best aspects of the book. 

While I did enjoy the characters, the plot was what fell a little short for me. The idea of the "Valentine Killer" was extremely creepy and I was often on the edge of my seat, but the way everything came together seemed kind of random and left me with more questions than answers. It was interesting to see how Hannah started to unravel clues and her connection to everything, plus the murders were extremely frightening and just plain weird. In the beginning things moved a little slow, but about half way through the book I was hooked. Still, I was hoping for a different ending. 

All in all, Paper Valentine was a creative third novel by Brenna Yovanoff, with strong, memorable characters, but the ending left me disappointed. I have heard all kinds of mixed reviews about this book, so I recommend checking it out for yourself, because there have been just as many five star ratings as three. I really do love Yovanoff's writing style and how unique all of her books are, so I plan on reading her sophomore novel (The Space Between) soon. 

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars

January 8, 2013/Razorbill/368 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Publisher (ARC)

Other books by this author: The Replacement, The Space Between

Links: Author's Website/Goodreads