Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Series: Standalone /Not a series

Genera: Horror/Paranormal Thriller/Mystery

Subjects: Ghosts, supernatural, serial killers, murder, death, summer

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 304 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin: Razorbill

Summary/ product description: “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.
Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.”

My Rating: êêê

My Review: If you’re looking for a wintery read about Valentine’s Day, then don’t read this book. If you’re looking for a paranormal horror story or murder mystery, then that’s what you’ll get. Its set in summertime, in a town called Ludlow (I looked it up, there’s only a Ludlow in Massachusetts, but the setting seems more Southern, possible Virginia or Texas). This book is a bit slow moving. It’s not that creepy. It’s light horror with some romance and a ghost of a best friend.

I liked that this book was written in first person, present tense. I liked that Hannah and her friends had this hobby of customizing their outfits, and creating unique accessories. I liked some of the other characters. Her sister Ariel and her friend Pinky. The author has a way of creating unique, relatable character. There were some definitely good things in this book.

The main issue was the plot. It wasn’t super clichés, but it was slow. It felt more contemporary than paranormal. It wasn’t as creepy as the last two books. The idea of a killer leaving Valentines and toys around his victims was interesting, but at some point I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was.

This book was very impression-less to me. It’s stand-alone, so at least there’s no sequel. I was hoping that there’d be more paranormal stuff. I love ghost stories and murder mysteries, but this one was not thrilling enough for me. It was just okay. Give it a try if the summary interests you. 

Cover Art Review: The cut paper design is really interesting. It’s vector art, done in Illustrator. The gray clouds and grass seem a bit misleading since this book is actually set in summertime, not winter.

 

~Haley G