Paper Valentine

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff. Razorbill, New York City, 2013. ISBN: 978-1595145994

Summary

Hannah is being haunted. Her best friend, Lillian, died six months ago, and her spirit is still in Hannah’s bedroom, talking and bothering her every day.  All Hannah wants to do is have a normal summer, take her younger sister to music camp, and help her cousin, Kelly, process photos in her photo shop.

But being haunted is the least of Hannah’s problems. It’s one of the hottest July’s her town has ever had, birds are dropping dead from a virus, and teen girls are being killed. While the people of Ludlow are terrified and Hannah’s mother wants to keep an eye on her daughters, Lillian is trying to convince Hannah to figure out what’s going on.  The crime scene photos are being processed at Kelly’s shop and Lillian thinks she can talk to the other spirits of the girls.

As Hannah tries to figure out what’s going on with Lillian and the other ghosts, she also finds herself falling for juvenile delinquent Finny Boone, who seems to know something about the murders.  But Hannah has to be careful:  her small town isn’t as safe as she thinks, and even Lilian’s ghost can't protect her from the Valentine Killer.

Critical Evaluation

The tone of Paper Valentine is both creepy and sweet. The murky descriptions of a seemingly  safe town and the bizarre crime scene photos contribute to the darkness of the murder mystery.  Lillian’s haunting and the paranormal activity that Hannah experiences adds a ‘ghost story’ feel to the plot, but never comes across as unbelievable. Despite the creepiness of the story, there are also a few sweet moments: Hannah’s relationship with her younger sister and her crush on Finny Boone is a nice break from the murder mystery plot.

The majority of the plot is trying to discover the identity of the Valentine killer, but Paper Valentine is much more than a murder mystery. It’s also a friendship story between Lillian and Hannah and how that relationship continues even after Lillian’s death. In flashbacks, Hannah tells the audience how her popularity and school life changed when she became friends with Lillian and her crew—and how the group all fell apart when Lillian died.   The importance of Lillian’s spirit moving on also speaks to the relationship between the girls: while they both need each other, their past is also holding them back from moving on with their lives.

While Paper Valentine may be a little too graphic for younger readers, this haunting tale of ghosts and friendship will satisfy young mystery fans.

Reader’s Annotation

With the help of her best friend’s ghost, Hannah must figure out who is killing teen girls in her town.

About the Author

“Hi, I’m Brenna Yovanoff. I write young adult and speculative fiction.

My young adult fantasy novels The Replacement, The Space Between,Paper Valentine, and Fiendish are available from Razorbill/Penguin Group.

Here are some things about me (not book-related):

I’m good at soccer, violent video games, and making very flaky pie pastry.

I’m bad at dancing, making decisions, and inspiring confidence as an authority figure. I suspect this is because I am short, and also terrible at sounding as though I have any idea what I’m talking about.”

 (Brenna Yovanoff.    Retrieved November  6^th, 2014 from http://brennayovanoff.com/)

Genres

Paranormal

Mysteries

Ghost Stories

Curriculum Ties

English—ghost stories.

Booktalking Ideas

1: How would the book have been different set in the winter?

2:  How does Lillian’s spirit help the plot move forward?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

Violence/Murder Scenes

Language

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included Paper Valentine because the plot was both creepy and sweet and for the ghost story/murder mystery elements.