BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES blog tour
I'm excited to be a part of the BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES blog tour!
Her father died before she was born, but Ella Benton knows they have a supernatural connection. Since her mother discourages these beliefs, Ella keeps her cemetery visits secret. But she may not be the only one with secrets. Ella’s mother might be lying about how Dad died sixteen years ago. Newfound evidence points to his death in a psychiatric hospital, not as a result of a tragic car accident as her mother always claimed. After a lifetime of just the two of them, Mom suddenly feels like a stranger.
When a handprint much like the one Ella left on her father’s tombstone mysteriously appears on the bathroom mirror, at first she wonders if Dad is warning her of danger as he did once before. If it’s not a warning, could her new too-good-to-be-true boyfriend be responsible for the strange occurrences? Or maybe it’s the grieving building superintendent whose dead daughter strongly resembles Ella? As the unexplained events become more frequent and more sinister, Ella becomes terrified about who—or what—might harm her.
Soon the evidence points to someone else entirely: Ella herself. What if, like her father, she’s suffering from a breakdown? In this second novel from award-winning author Yvonne Ventresca, Ella desperately needs to find answers, no matter how disturbing the truth might be.
BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES: Goodreads | Amazon | Ba
ABOUT YVONNE VENTRESCA:
Yvonne Ventresca’s latest young adult novel, BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES will be published by Sky Pony Press in October 2016.
Her debut YA novel, PANDEMIC, won a 2015 Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. In PANDEMIC, a teen struggles to survive not only a deadly outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons. Ventresca's other works include the short story “Escape to Orange Blossom,” which was selected for the dystopian anthology PREP FOR DOOM, along with two nonfiction books, PUBLISHING (Careers for the 21st Century) and AVRIL LAVIGNE (People in the News).
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter |
Here's my YA Books Central review:
ABOUT BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES
Publisher: Sky Pony Press | October 4, 2016
Her father died before she was born, but Ella Benton knows they have a supernatural connection. Since her mother discourages these beliefs, Ella keeps her cemetery visits secret. But she may not be the only one with secrets. Ella’s mother might be lying about how Dad died sixteen years ago. Newfound evidence points to his death in a psychiatric hospital, not as a result of a tragic car accident as her mother always claimed. After a lifetime of just the two of them, Mom suddenly feels like a stranger.
When a handprint much like the one Ella left on her father’s tombstone mysteriously appears on the bathroom mirror, at first she wonders if Dad is warning her of danger as he did once before. If it’s not a warning, could her new too-good-to-be-true boyfriend be responsible for the strange occurrences? Or maybe it’s the grieving building superintendent whose dead daughter strongly resembles Ella? As the unexplained events become more frequent and more sinister, Ella becomes terrified about who—or what—might harm her.
Soon the evidence points to someone else entirely: Ella herself. What if, like her father, she’s suffering from a breakdown? In this second novel from award-winning author Yvonne Ventresca, Ella desperately needs to find answers, no matter how disturbing the truth might be.
BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES: Goodreads | Amazon | Ba
ABOUT YVONNE VENTRESCA:
Yvonne Ventresca’s latest young adult novel, BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES will be published by Sky Pony Press in October 2016.
Her debut YA novel, PANDEMIC, won a 2015 Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. In PANDEMIC, a teen struggles to survive not only a deadly outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons. Ventresca's other works include the short story “Escape to Orange Blossom,” which was selected for the dystopian anthology PREP FOR DOOM, along with two nonfiction books, PUBLISHING (Careers for the 21st Century) and AVRIL LAVIGNE (People in the News).
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter |
Here's my YA Books Central review:
Ella still believes her dead father looks out for her. But her mother and BFF don't believe in the paranormal. Ella's mother quickly remarries and estranged son of her new stepfather shows up. Around this time strange things happen to Ella like a hand print on her mirror. Ella 'thinks' it's her father trying to communicate and warn her about something. Her new stepbrother Blake is handsome but also seems almost too quick to become close to her. After their parents go on a Parisian honeymoon, this is when the strange factor increases to the point that Ella worries if she's losing it.
What worked: The author does a great job showing the subtlety of a psychopath. Nothing over the top or graphic but enough to give a psychological creep factor to this novel. I like how Ella tries to figure out what is really going on to the point that she questions her own sanity. Readers don't know what to expect either. To be honest, I thought this would be a paranormal thriller but it's much more than that. Suspense, mystery, and even hints of a romance.
Blake is hard to figure out at first but there's little hints woven throughout to let readers know that something's not quite right. He's handsome, charismatic, and uses that charm with Ella and others around him.
There's twists and turns throughout this novel that gives it a Hitchcock appeal. Subtle psychological thriller with a surprising ending twist. Sure to appeal to those who love a good mystery and thriller without all the graphic elements.
What worked: The author does a great job showing the subtlety of a psychopath. Nothing over the top or graphic but enough to give a psychological creep factor to this novel. I like how Ella tries to figure out what is really going on to the point that she questions her own sanity. Readers don't know what to expect either. To be honest, I thought this would be a paranormal thriller but it's much more than that. Suspense, mystery, and even hints of a romance.
Blake is hard to figure out at first but there's little hints woven throughout to let readers know that something's not quite right. He's handsome, charismatic, and uses that charm with Ella and others around him.
There's twists and turns throughout this novel that gives it a Hitchcock appeal. Subtle psychological thriller with a surprising ending twist. Sure to appeal to those who love a good mystery and thriller without all the graphic elements.
Comments