Reviews, Interviews, News
Artic Tern. Photo by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region.
Interviews and Guest PostsInterview by Nicola Hassapis, guest blogger on Skyhorse's Carousel
Booktober Interview: Yvonne Ventresca Talks About Her Thrilling New Book, by Camille Espiritu at The Young Folks
Three Simple Ways to Build Suspense -- guest post on author Jody Casella's blog, On the Verge
New Books by Hoboken Authors
by Marilyn Baer of the Hudson Reporter Black Flowers, White Lies interview by Dianne Salerni
The Transformation of a Novel -- guest post on Paulette's Papers
Interview by Mama Reads Blog
A Novel by the Numbers -- guest post on the Sky Pony Express
Is Hoboken a Perfect Place for a Psychological Thriller Novel? This Author Thinks So --Hoboken Patch
Interview by Kathy Temean
Chatham author Ventresca pens second novel --Chatham Courier News
Behind the Scenes of Pandemic -- guest post on A New Look on Books
Spotlight on Author Yvonne Ventresca, interview by Christina Banach
Pandemic interview on Book Lover's Life
Free Book Friday interview Pandemic interview on Survival Weekly Disaster Preparedness: 5 Lessons Learned -- guest post on the Sky Pony Express
Yvonne shares her query letter for Pandemic on Sub It Club
Interview by Lee Wind on the official SCBWI blog (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.)
A Black Belt's Guide to Writing on Nerdy Chicks Rule
"Words with an Author" interview by Saloni Lad for My Fantabulous Bookshelf.
New Jersey Family Magazine/Raising Teens includes Pandemic in their fall issue.
From the East Brunswick Public Library author panel:
The Author's Journey: 9 Authors Share Behind-the-Scenes Publishing Experience: Yvonne is one of the authors featured in this free ebook.
Prep for Doom Anthology: "Escape to Orange Blossom" interview
Meet the Author Monday with Yvonne Ventresca by Kate L. Mary
The Essential Library by Bobbi Miller
Alissa Grosso Interviews Yvonne Ventresca with Bonus Pie Chart (YA Outside the Lines)
Fractured Keyboard Interview by Niki Masse Schoenfeldt
Band of Dystopian Authors and Fans Interview by Angie Taylor
7 Random Questions Interview by Stacy McAnulty
Interview on Bookin' It by Marcia Meara
Audio interview + fun hosts + extended time to chat = all things Pandemic. Listen to ComicPop Library to learn some behind-the-scenes info about working as a writer and creating a novel.
NJ SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Author Spotlight
Hofstra University Alumni of the Month: Interview
Interview on The Art of Not Getting Published Blog by Susan Brody
Yvonne at age 8
Authors and readers to meet at ballpark for club celebration by Paul Grzella
Writing exercises on Pencil Tips Writing Workshop Strategies
Historical facts learned while researching a modern pandemic: an interview by Darlene Beck-Jackson
Dream Big ... Read Often: In conversation with Yvonne Ventresca by Melissa Wray
Huffington Post Pandemic Q&A
by Mary Pauline Lowry 
Pandemic Online Book Tour with reviews, interviews, and a giveway
What Makes Me Tick and an "insanely incredible" review from Insane About Books
My Ten Favorite Survival Books hosted by Pieces of Whimsy Interview and Review by Once Upon a Twilight Dream Cast for Pandemic plus a review by Spiced Latte Reads My 7 Favorite Books in the Past Year plus a review by Storybook Kingdom Five Tips for Aspiring Writers plus a review by A Dream Within a Dream Interview and Review by Paula at Her Book Thoughts Pandemic Playlist hosted by iequalsAlissa Interview and review by Toni at My Book Addiction: 5 Random Things About Me Prepare for an Epidemic by Laurie J. Edwards
May 6, 2014, Tuesday, at 11:48 am
Radio interview on WTBQ, Shannon's Corner. You can listen to the recording (about six minutes) here: May 16, 2014, Friday at 8:10 am
Live radio interview with the WEOL morning show, near Cleveland, Ohio Literary Meanderings Book Spotlight: PANDEMIC by Yvonne Ventresca Interview by Kate Ormand: Yvonne Ventresca, Author of PANDEMIC Interview with Yvonne Ventresca by Dani Duck Cynsations New Voice: Yvonne Ventresca on Pandemic One Day at a Time Author Feature Lisa Maxwell's First Lines Friday: Pandemic YA Wednesday Welcomes Yvonne Ventresca by Uncommon YA The Art of Not Getting Published Interview by Susan Brody A peek into my writing process: Plot Revision Table (KidLit Summer School)
Being Productive During the Holidays
The Gift of Fear Not Really An Essay About My English Teacher Five Things I Learned While Researching Pandemic Pandemic Acrostic Poem Characters on the Autism Spectrum Five Novel Revision Tips In Honor of the Freedom to Read and Banned Books Week For Media Use
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Praise for Black Flowers, White Lies"Black Flowers, White Lies compellingly and convincingly questions the links between mental illness and reality, revealing how fragile our understanding of and grip upon reality actually is. Ventresca tears apart the wall many of us have built between ourselves and “crazy” and shows that none of us are exactly “normal”, none of us can claim we have all the answers, and our relationships with other people--the trust we’ve built over months or years of interaction--is the key to compassion, love, forgiveness and self-forgiveness." --J.L. Powers, The Pirate Tree
Thanks to Falling for YA for including Black Flowers, White Lies on her list of ten Best Books I've Read in 2016.
VOYA had this to say about Black Flowers, White Lies: ". . . readers will be guessing up to the very end of this riveting page-turner. . . Young adult readers will love this story, and librarians serving teens should have it in their collection." Their teen reviewer, Jessica Nelson, says, "Black Flowers, White Lies was hard to put down. Filled with suspense, surprises, and even shock, this page turner will be a favorite for anyone who likes mystery, excitement, and cats."
ALAN named Black Flowers, Whites Lies an October pick! "Ventresca has carefully plotted a variety of twists and turns in this engrossing mystery that doesn’t let up until the final pages. " --Jeffery Harr, Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE
"This suspenseful psychological thriller definitely won’t disappoint." --BuzzFeed, 23 YA Books That, Without A Doubt, You'll Want To Read This Fall
Ventresca "does an excellent job of capturing an independent bookstore and Hoboken. . . The tone remains true for young adults: it's neither the cutesy ghosts with eyelashes intended for younger readers nor terrifying succubae that will take root in adult nightmares." --Jacqueline Cutler, NJ Star Ledger
"Black Flowers, White Lies had a fast plot that was filled with twists and questions on every page. I was falling into the same traps with Ella. I desperately needed to know what was real and what was actually happening to Ella." --Escape Inside the Pages
One of the major themes in this book is trust, and Ventresca did a brilliant job in executing this theme. . . . Ventresca purposely lays conflicting clues and evidence for the reader, and includes so many twists and turns, that in the end I truly didn’t know what to believe. --Holly Ohs Book Reviews
"This was a dark, creepy psychological thriller that I really liked. It should appeal to fans of Emiko Jean. I'd pick up another book by this author. I think readers will enjoy it!” --Critical Blast
"I came into this story expecting suspense and got so much more. I can see why this author won the very coveted Crystal Kite Award for her previous book. She creates rich characters you grow to care about deeply, coupled with a story that will draw you in from the start. Don't miss this one!" --Stephanie Faris, Best Books of October
"I love this book! I read it within 48 hours of having it and I only put it down when the outside world made me. It is intense and shocking and moving... so many more 'ing' words I can't write them all!" --The YA's Nightstand
"Ella is a character you can’t help but root for." --Falling for YA.
"Yvonne Ventresca has a descriptive writing style that flows naturally. She effortlessly makes her scenes come to life. I loved how easily I could picture everything she writes about, it made the story extra creepy. " --With Love for Books
Justine Magazine said, "Prepare your fingernails, because tension mounts quickly as Ella’s reality is chipped away piece by piece . . . This one will keep you guessing."
"There's twists and turns throughout this novel that gives it a Hitchcock appeal." --Kim Baccellia, YA Books Central
"Mixing together the ideas of never truly knowing others, or ourselves, Ventresca weaves a completely believable tale of teenage longing: the longing to be connected to something bigger, something outside ourselves. " --Still Dreaming of Manderley
"The author has managed to create such an extrordinary tale full of mystery and suspense." - Wee Shubba's World
"Black Flowers, White Lies is a subtle psychological thriller that builds up to a startling twist." --Young Adult Book Madness
"This fresh tale is so well-developed, so creepy, so intelligent, and so off-the-charts that readers will be absolutely riveted to this plot until the very last spell-binding page." --Feathered Quill Book Reviews
"This is a great read for reluctant 8th grade girls, especially. Nice and creepy, but with some romantic elements. " --Ms. Yingling Reads
"In general, I love thrillers where reality is questioned: is something supernatural going on or is this character having a breakdown? Black Flowers, White Lies walked this line perfectly, but I don’t feel I can comment more without spoilers. Let’s leave it at, I spent a lot of time on my favorite reading game: guessing what happens next." --The Fake Steph
"I absolutely loved this book it was amazing read and I couldn’t put this book down. . . . It grabbed my attention from the beginning to end." --Books, Dreams, Life
"This book was an absolute delight and perfect for this time of year. (And if you’re not good with super scary things, you’ll be ok with this. It’s creepy enough to give you chills while reading it but not so much that you’ll have trouble sleeping. Win win!)" --KellyVision
"The plot of this was thrilling and gripping! I started this thinking I'd read a few chapters and then clean my kitchen, but that didn't happen!! . . . The secrets, lies and deception that were unfolding were captivating." --Natalie at Book Lover's Life
"Black Flowers, White Lies is an intriguing young adult novel with a clever plot that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from the very first page. " --Book Reviews and More by Kathy
"I raced through Black Flowers, White Lies in a single sitting. What a twisty thrill-ride!" --April Henry, New York Times-bestselling author
“A chilling tale of faith and deception. The supernatural scares kept me hooked, and the ending absolutely blew me away!” --Joshua David Bellin, author of Survival Colony 9 and Scavenger of Souls “Black Flowers, White Lies lures you in with charming characters and situations that seem innocuous until they become sinister. A great read from cover to cover.” --Dr. George Simon, bestselling author of In Sheep’s Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People “With a compelling cast of characters and a mystery that'll have you turning pages, Black Flowers, White Lies is a book you don't want to miss!” --Tiffany Schmidt, author of the Once Upon a Crime Family series “A captivating story of a girl facing unexplained events that shake her to her core, open up old wounds, and make her wonder what's real. Is it madness or haunting? You'll be turning pages until the end to find out. Highly recommended!” --Maria E. Andreu, award-winning author of The Secret Side of Empty “Black Flowers, White Lies is not your typical YA thriller. It's beautifully written and tightly plotted, telling a story that manages to keep a tight, intimate hold on the reader by digging into some universal fears that aren't often explored in novels. An unnerving reminder that darkness--and even evil--often hides in plain sight.” --Jessica Warman, author of Between Praise for Pandemic"One of the things that makes this book so readable, is the perfect balance of detail. Many books dealing with pandemics (whether real or fiction) get so bogged down in the details of the illness itself that the reader loses the plot line. Not here. Ventresca provides just enough detail so that you are aware of the illness, but never lose sight of the storyline which is in the characters, not the illness itself." --Compass Book Ratings
PANDEMIC wins the 2015 Atlantic region Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators! Here's Yvonne (left) and Leeza Hernandez, the NJ SCBWI Regional Advisor, after presenting Yvonne with the award at the NJ Regional Conference.
"PANDEMIC had my full attention right at the beginning. I love how the author spins her own unique twist into what might have been yet another deadly-disease-plague-that-kills-everyone story." --Kim Baccellia, YA Books Central
An excerpt from School Library Journal by Karen Jensen: "Pandemic is an interesting book because it is about a pandemic, but it also turns out to be a book about the effects of sexual violence on its main character, something I was not expecting at all. I thought that it handled several of the issues really well and was quite pleased with the way that Ventresca is able to show the long term effects of sexual violence on our main character in a unique situation."
Thank you to Winged Creature Reads for including me on her list of "Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2014" and for naming Pandemic as the "Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book Of 2014." I'm honored that the National Sexual Violence Resource Center has added Pandemic to their library. "More proof that a book can be written by a woman, with a female protagonist, and still have great appeal for both genders! . . . . The brilliance of this book lies in its simplicity, its crispness, its economy of detail, its characterization, and especially in its mastery of psychological horror. This book scares so well because it lets your brain wander, like Lily's does, to places that it doesn't want to go." --Jim Nicosia, Boy Book of the Month ComicPop recorded a multi-person review of Pandemic -- the characters, the plot, the cover, even the interior book design. You can listen to Richard, April, Garrett, and Logan discuss Pandemic on the Comic Pop website, including which character April wants to smack, which scene made Garrett cry, and why Richard thinks libraries should acquire the novel. "In all, Pandemic is a fast and gripping story. . . .The plot never failed to impress me; there was always a surprise around the corner. I loved how I could just jump right into the story due to the fact that it felt so real! . . . I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would not hesitate to recommend it to those who have read Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer or other apocalyptic stories. I would also give it a rating of 5/5 stars!" --Sophie C., Teen Ink "Ventresca gives Lilianna a compulsive need to prep for disaster (a coping skill after her assault) and a father who works for a journal called Infectious Diseases. This ups the believability factor and helps the reader focus on the action and characters. As is to be expected in an apocalyptic novel, there is no shortage of tension or death and a few gruesomely dead bodies, but teen disaster fans will likely appreciate that the high schoolers are portrayed as good, helpful, yet imperfect people. This fast read will appeal to fans of Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life As We Knew It (2006), even though the type of apocalypse is different." --Booklist "This is an engrossing apocalyptic story, told through Lil’s eyes and newsfeeds as her neighborhood, then the East Coast, and finally the entire U.S. buckles to its knees as the pandemic spreads. . . . Themes of friendship and coming together in a crisis carry the novel." --School Library Journal “In her first novel, Ventresca pulls together three unrelated themes to create a medical thriller/romance. . . . this realistic page-turner will keep most readers enthralled.” --Kirkus Reviews "...The writing of Pandemic was phenomenal. As someone who suffers from frequent anxiety attacks, I thought the author' portrayal of anxiety was extremely accurate.... I greatly enjoyed Pandemic. It wasn't just the typical apocalypse story. The book had a few things that made it unique. I recommend Pandemic to young adults thirteen and older. I give Pandemic: 4/5." --Kayla's Reads and Reviews "You can tell that Yvonne did her research on pandemics, medicine, medical protocol because she is dead-on about how quickly society could spin out of control if a contagion hits us and sweeps the globe." --Kathy Temean, Writing and Illustrating "I can honestly say this is one of my favorite reads thus far this year and easily ranks in my top 25 favorite disaster novels. Yeah, it is that good. . . . Rather like many real world examples of flu pandemics, the very young and the very old are largely unaffected, while those in the prime of their lives are among the highest concentrations of victims. This is just one of many examples throughout Pandemic where it is obvious the author has done her homework." -- Jim Cobb of Survival Weekly "This book really surprised me. I came into it expecting a thrilling tale of survival, which it definitely was, but it also ended up being way more than that. . . . I also found myself very quickly addicted to Ventresca’s writing." --Bibliophilia: A Love Story "...It’s one of those books I won’t forget anytime soon." --Winged Creature Reads "An intriguing story about emotional trauma, fear, danger, and the will to survive you won't want to put down." -- Kids Bookshelf "The best novels are multi-layered, presenting the reader with new questions at every turn of the page. Pandemic is truly exceptional in that regard--its teen protagonist, Lily, is struggling with a dark secret from her past, her first tentative romances, and a horrifying pandemic that throws her town into utter chaos. Ventresca's debut novel will appeal to those who love realistic coming of age stories, romances, or disaster fiction. Bravo!" --Mike Mullin, award-winning author of the Ashfall Trilogy "A suspenseful, authentic and emotional narrative makes PANDEMIC a gripping and powerful story. Lil is a wonderful and believable protagonist, dealing with both inner and outer demons, who rises to the challenge of survival despite everything and everyone she has lost. Riveting and terrifyingly real with moments of hope that shine through when you least expect it, PANDEMIC is one that will stay with you long after you read the last page." --Amalie Howard, author of the Aquarathi series, The Almost Girl series, and Alpha Goddess “Yvonne Ventresca’s debut novel hits the ground running and never stops until the last page. This fast paced story about a teen who struggles to regain her sense of safety after an assault will have you reading well into the night. You’ll have to find out how Lil survives. . .alone. . .surrounded by death. . .and fearful her attacker will return at any moment. Pandemic is an exciting new addition to Young Adult books.” --C. Lee McKenzie, author of Sliding on the Edge and The Princess of Las Pulgas “Any fan of Warm Bodies will enjoy Pandemic by Yvonne Ventresca. You’ll be rooting for Lil and Jay!” --Debbie Dadey, author and co-author of 158 books, including The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series and Mermaid Tales “With her pitch-perfect depiction of Lil, and her two-steps-forward-one-step-back reactions to the global disaster, Ventresca recognizes the fact that sometimes such disasters create opportunities for ordinary people to rise above their own painful circumstances, and rejoin their communities. Sometimes, disasters can even open the door for such people to become emotionally unstuck, and dare to find love. But the first step Lilianna must take is to ask herself the question spelled out on the book's cover: 'Who Can You Trust?'" --Susan Brody, The Art of Not Getting Published "I loved that the author put so much detail into the flu. It was realistic and down right scary . . . its a story of the struggle and heartache of a Pandemic." --Natalie, Book Lover's Life "This was an excellent book for all ages from teens through adults. I would very highly recommend it for everyone. I gave this book 5 stars! It goes on my favourites list!" --Shelf Full of Books If I had to write a very short review of this book it would be "wow". I absolutely loved this book. . . . Pandemic is THE perfect read for anyone who is looking for that creepy yet hopeful plot line where you know that everything written on the page is VERY plausible, while, at the same time, hoping (praying) that it never actually happens to you and just basically stays on the written page. --Bookshipper "Pandemic is a win. I never put it down, and never wanted to. It terrified me, excited me, and moved me. It even threw in some swooniness and charm just for giggles." --Alice Atorly, The YA Buzz "The outbreak scare was done brilliantly, building tension and keeping it up throughout the story. " --Kate Ormand, author of Dark Days "Lil must come to terms with that most basic of questions: when my safety and survival are at stake, do I work to help others or do I help myself only?" -- J.L. Powers of the Pirate Tree: Social Justice and Children's Literature | ||||||||