Review: Paper Valentine

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
Publication date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill

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 had a little romance with Yovanoff's second novel THE SPACE BETWEEN and was so excited about reading PAPER VALENTINE. Now, I didn't connect with it the way I connected with Space Between, but I still enjoyed this uber creepy read.

I've decided that Yovanoff must be one of those rare authors that is still able to find ideas that no one has thought of before. Or else, she's just really good at masking overdone plots and making them her own. PAPER VALENTINE is a serial killer mystery that could have bordered on the cliche, but Yovanoff makes what I'm going to now coin a "Yovanoff."

A Yovanoff: when an author adds new elements to an old plot

She writes characters with heart and flaws, and the characters in this story are no exception. Hannah has a nice arc and her relationships with the other characters are complex and natural. I also liked that the romance took a background role and wasn't at the forefront, as it's not what the book is about. It was also super sweet!

Now on to the mystery, it isn't the most unpredictable mystery EVAR, but there are some nice twists in there to throw the reader off. You think you've got it all figured out and then something new is added to the mix. The whole thing had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning all the way through.

Once again, Brenna Yovanoff has yet to disappoint me! Though I do still need to read THE REPLACEMENT...

Review: The Space Between

Synopsis by Goodreads:

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

I loved this book. The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff stands out among its genre (the supernatural one).

The Space Between is a dark and heavy novel. It stomped on my heart many times, but there is enough humor to balance it all out. It would make me laugh or smile on one page, then on another it would make my heart hurt. What makes this novel different is it shows demons in a different light. A good light. Are there evil ones? Of course. In fact, the majority of the demons in Hell are not good peeps, but Daphne and her brother Obie are different from the others; they stand out among the bad. I never would have guessed I would ever read a book where I was rooting for the demons and not the angels.

Even with its supernatural elements, The Space Between feels realistic. I love that. It deals with depression and suicide in a very real way. I felt empathy for Truman. I felt for Daphne. I felt for Obie. The book is vivid in its descriptions and the writing is heartfelt. Another thing I loved, the romance between Daphne and Truman didn't feel rushed, and the whole story takes place within 3 days! Yovanoff slowly brings Daphne and Truman together in, again, 3 days (!!) when in other books, the romances can feel rushed and fake.

I'm surprised that the publisher recommends this book for ages as young as 12. Maybe it's changed since the release of the ARC, but I feel that this book is not for young teens. It deals with mature issues and there is a bit of hotness in a shower (and I'm not talking about the temperature of the water). I just wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this novel to a 7th grader.

Lastly, you know what else is nice? Reading a complete stand-alone novel. With all the trilogies being released, there isn't a feeling I find more satisfying than not having to read another book to continue the story. No cliffhanger. Let's all breath a sigh of relief.