Annotation:
Haunted
by the ghost of her best friend who died six months earlier, sixteen-year-old
Hannah Wagner begins investigating the murder of young girls in a park near her
house. When each body is discovered with a paper valentine attached, Hannah
realizes that a serial killer is terrorizing her hometown, and that the key to
catching him might lie with the ghosts of the girls he’s killed.
Personal
thoughts: This is the second novel of Brenna Yovanoff’s that I’ve read, and
I can safely say after thoroughly enjoying both that I am a fan. One of my
favorite things about this author, apart from her dark, well-written stories,
is that her novels are stand-alone. This means that the story is given a
beginning, middle and end, leaving the reader feeling satisfied instead of
longing for a sequel. I think it’s a huge accomplishment that the author can
create something intriguing and with a great deal of depth without having to
publish oodles of sequels. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with
next!
Plot
summary: Six months ago, sixteen-year-old Hannah Wagner’s life changed
forever when her best friend, Lillian, died. Now Hannah is being haunted by
Lillian’s ghost, who is just as controlling as she was when she was alive. Hannah
always followed Lillian’s lead with their other friends, but now that she’s on
her own she isn’t sure if she fits in with the popular crowd anymore. To make
matters worse, Hannah can’t stop thinking about Finny Boone, a delinquent and
social outcast who has always been strangely kind to her. Living with the ghost
of Lillian quickly becomes the least of Hannah’s problems, however, when a
string of grisly murders begins happening in a park near her house. It seems
that a serial killer is targeting young girls, leaving the bodies riddled with
toys and a single paper valentine. Lillian urges Hannah to begin investigating
the murders, but the more she learns, the more it seems like her life might be
in danger next.
Review: Brenna
Yovanoff is well-known in the young adult arena for her dark, quirky and
well-written novels, and her latest, Paper
Valentine, is no exception. Part murder-mystery, part ghost story, Paper Valentine weaves a complex and
thoroughly enjoyable tale with interesting, well-developed characters. The relationship
between Hannah and the ghost of her best friend Lillian is perhaps the most
important part of the story. In life, popular girl Lillian was in charge.
Hannah followed her charismatic friend’s lead, even as Lillian began to
self-destruct thanks to a lifelong struggle with anorexia. Now that Lillian’s
dead, Hannah feels more than a little lost, even with her friend’s ghost
constantly hovering nearby. Readers who have ever had a relationship like that
between Lillian and Hannah will identify with what Hannah feels, especially
when she begins to make her own social decisions following Lillian’s death. For
those readers who aren’t as interested in the friendship aspect of the novel,
the mysterious murders committed by the Valentine Killer will provide more than
a little entertainment. Hannah and Lillian are determined to find out the
identity of the killer before more girls are murdered, but the more they
uncover, the more they realize that there is nothing simple about the person
who is targeting young girls, leaving their bodies littered with toys and a single
paper valentine. Overall, Brenna Yovanoff’s latest novel is at times both
exceptionally heartwarming and creepy. It will hold a lot of appeal to a
variety of readers, both teen and adult.
Genre: Fantasy/Mystery
Reading
level: Grade 8+
Similar
titles: Anna
Dressed in Blood and Girl
of Nightmares by Kendare Blake, Croak
by Gina Damico, Empty Coffin series
by Gregg Olsen, Haunting Violet by
Alyxandra Harvey, Hereafter series by
Tara Hudson, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, The
Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson.
Themes: Friendship, murder, anorexia, relationships,
mystery.
Awards/Reviews:
Starred review from Publishers Weekly.
Series
Information: N/A
Discussion
questions:
- Have you ever had a friend like Lillian? Do
you think she is a good friend to Hannah?
- Why do you think Hannah is so reluctant to
admit her feelings for Finny?
- Why do you think Lillian is haunting Hannah?
- What is the significance of the toys surrounding
the bodies of the murdered girls?
- Were you surprised to learn the identity of
the Valentine Killer? Why or why not?
- How would you explain the ending of the novel?
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