Review: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: Paper Valentine

Author: Brenna Yovanoff

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication date: January 8th, 2013

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 368

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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.

I haven't read that many ghost books, so starting Paper Valentine was a new adventure for me. Hannah, is being haunted by her best friend Lillian who dies six months ago. When I say haunted, it's not in a bad way, it's just that Lillian's ghost is always there with her. They have conversations, and nothing bad really happens. This summer, there has been a string of murders in the city of Ludlow. Lillian, being the crazy person, or shall I say ghost, she is, convinced Hannah to investigate the murders. Hannah does start getting obsessed with trying to find out who the murderer is. Also, she can't seem to stay away from the so called bad boy, Finny Boone. 

I can understand why I read so many mixed reviews for Paper Valentine. It might be a bit different than your typical young adult books, but I found myself enjoying it. I'm a big fan of mystery books, and as long as they aren't predictable, I'll enjoy them. Hannah is a bit of a weird character. She dresses up in there weird bright dresses that have flowers and chains and other stuff stitched to them. I don't think I can say much about the characters in this book, because I really couldn't connect to them. The characters felt vague, and they were just introduced as they were at the moment. I didn't know much about Finny Boone, and the romance between him and Hannah wasn't that clear either. I assume that's what most people didn't like in the book, but for me, I wasn't bothered by it.

For me, Paper Valentine felt like a fast, light read. I liked that it had a "normal, everyday" feel to it. I never suspected the murder, and all my guess turned out to be wrong, so I was happy about that. Despite not feeling connected to the characters, I really liked how Lillian and Hannah's relationship developed.  The ending was good, and all I can say is that I enjoyed reading this book. If you're a fan of mysteries, give this one a try!