Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: Paper Valentine
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: 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.

Why?: This book has been on my TBR list for a while, and I finally got my hands on a copy. It sounds all sorts of fantastic - some horror and mystery and ghosts and maybe even a little romance? And plus, it's February. So what better time to read a Valentine book that isn't just a romance?

Expectations: I've heard really excellent things about this book, so even though I've never read anything by Brenna Yovanoff, I still have pretty high expectations. I'm also pretty excited that it's a standalone, so I'm really hoping everything is tied up well by the end of it.

Judging a book by its cover: I really love this cover! I love all of the detail in the girl and the heart, and how the red heart stands out from the rest of the dark, dreary cover. The artwork would be enough for me to pick it up off of a shelf somewhere, and it's what drew me to this book initially. 


--Ashley