Paper Valentine (review)

In the six months since her best friend Lillian died, sixteen-year-old Hannah hasn't really missed her: she hasn't had to, since Lillian's ghost haunts Hannah's every move, whispering snarky comments and making Hannah question her sanity on a daily basis. When a serial killer starts preying on girls from Hannah's small town, Lillian insists that Hannah investigate. Since Lillian died from her anorexia, Hannah doesn't understand what her friend's connection to the murders might be, but she wonders if Lillian suspects Finny Boone, the juvenile thug to whom Hannah finds herself strangely drawn. Yovanoff (author of The Replacement, BCCB 9/10, The Space Between BCCB 12/11) subtly raises the tension of this evocative thriller with small details: dead birds litter the streets during an oppressively hot summer, and the killer leaves behind little toys and trinkets at his crime scenes. The portrayal of Lillian and Hannah's toxic relationship is perhaps the most compelling element, and their occasional but emotionally loaded dialogue reveals a bond that is as twisted as it is strong. The underlying theme of the loss of childhood innocence is delicately conveyed, while Hannah's ultimate response to her friend's death, to the murders, and to her own confusion is an unexpectedly fresh rallying cry for all those girls who have been sold the message that power lies only in beauty. The slow-burn mystery and simmering romance will keep readers turning the pages, but it's the painfully authentic depiction of the complexities of friendship that will leave them haunted.