Black Flowers, White Lies

By Yvonne Ventresca

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 whoor whatmight 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.

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readerspicture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sky Pony Press
• Release date: Oct 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781510709973

Yvonne Ventresca

Yvonne Ventresca is the award-winning author of Black Flowers, White Lies (IPPY Gold Medal for National YA fiction) and Pandemic (SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award). In addition to her novels, Yvonne’s other work includes two nonfiction books and several short stories selected for anthologies, including the previous IWSG anthology, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. You can learn more at YvonneVentresca.com, where she features resources for writers.

Reviews for Black Flowers, White Lies

[readerscandyb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was the perfect October read. It had a creep factor, tons of mystery, and a thrilling plot that held my attention through the final page. It had plenty of twists and turns and a jaw dropping reveal at the end. I found it to be a fast paced and filled with lust, charm, gore, and thrills.

Ella's mom is about to get remarried and along with a stepdad comes a gorgeous stepbrother. He is almost too perfect. Good looks, great ideas, overly friendly... It's easy to get wrapped up in the charm. Especially when he is helping her figure out the mystery behind all of the crazy in her life. Shortly before the marriage... dark, twisted things begin to happen. Black flowers show up at the cemetery, muddy prints find their way to mirrors, bloody hand prints drip from the walls, and sick twisted secrets begin to surface... It all builds up and eventually brings Ella crumbling down with it. It pushes her to believe lies and it forces her to think the worst of herself. While there are a few suspects only one stood out to me. Unfortunately, I was wrong and left dumbfounded. I sort of expected it, but I definitely didn't want to believe it...

Looking back at the book as a whole... I am pleasantly surprised by the strong character development and rich content. The Author really packed a lot in 272 pages and for that I am thankful. I thought the story was unique and brought a lot to the table. It was diverse in that it had a little bit for each reader. Whether you like paranormal, romance, horror, thrillers, or ya contemporary you will find a piece to love in this story. I highly recommend it. Especially during the Halloween time!

[aalyssa0714 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like this book. It was so obvious what was happening--and what was going to happen still-- from the start. The details and other plot points were so tacky and felt so forced to get the story moving in the direction the author wanted them to. The dialogues and conversations were stilted and unnatural. Every character was as flat as a character and felt very much like they were molded to serve a specific purpose.**SPOILER**Blake--Ariella or Ella's stepbrother--his character felt like it was created after ticking the box off of every "signs and symptoms he's a sociopath" in a "Sociopaths for Dummies" reference book.Every detail was trying to be clever but it failed miserably at it, tbfh.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Black Flowers, White Lies by Yvonne Ventresca, Ariella "Ella" Benton is convinced supernatural forces are responsible for a series of strange occurrences that begin happening after her mother and new stepfather leave for their honeymoon. Turning to her new stepbrother, Blake, for help, she is soon uncertain whom to trust as they try to uncover the truth.

Despite never knowing her father, Ella feels a strong connection with him. She has a strong belief in the supernatural and she is convinced he is looking out for her. With both his birthday and the anniversary of his death coming up, Ella turns to tarot cards and séances to contact him in addition to her frequent trips to visit his grave. When Blake provides her with new information about her dad's long ago death right before their parents' wedding, she decides to hold off on confronting her mom with the inconsistencies until after she returns from her honeymoon. So when inexplicable things begin occurring almost as soon as her mom departs, Ella is certain that an otherworldly presence is responsible. However is there, in fact, a much more down to earth reason for the increasingly disturbing events that she is experiencing?

Ella is a likable, albeit somewhat naive and trusting, fifteen year old. She is not looking forward to gaining a stepfather but she is resigned to accepting him into her life. With everything just a little off kilter between her and her mom, Ella is clinging a little more tightly to her father's memory than usual and she is angry when she finds out her mom has probably been lying to her about his death. However, not wanting to ruin her mom's happiness or cause her to worry once she is on her honeymoon, Ella keeps quiet about this new information and the strange things that are going on in her absence. Instead Ella confides in her good friend Grace, but when her friend is not exactly supportive, she turns to Blake for help.

Blake's relationship with his father has been troubled for years but with the upcoming wedding, he has decided to let go of his anger. Once he arrives in town for the wedding, he is nothing but kindhearted and considerate to everyone as they transition into a family. Once the wedding is over, Blake stays at Ella's apartment while he waits to begin college. Although there are a few awkward moments between them, Ella and Blake seem to moving into an amenable step sibling relationship.

Ella's situation quickly turns suspenseful as she begins experiencing frightening phenomena and hearing things no one else seems to hear. Initially, she is convinced these things are the result of a ghostly presence, but Blake and Grace's reactions cause her to doubt herself. After Blake's revelations about her father, Ella grows concerned she might be suffering from an undiagnosed mental disorder and after a horrifying and completely out of character incident, she is certain something is wrong with her. However, unexpected information comes to light that points in a completely different direction, but can Ella trust her instincts?

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. Yvonne Ventresca's skillful misdirects and red herrings make it impossible to figure out what (or who) is responsible for the eerie events that Ella is experiencing. While the novel is well-written and quite riveting, the conclusion is rather rushed and the lack of a clear resolution is a little frustrating. Despite a few lingering questions, this young adult mystery is an engaging read that fans of the genre will enjoy.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book had the potential to be an exciting, psychological thriller but, in my opinion, it never delivered. I found most of the plot slow and very tame, and the end left me disappointed. Many of my questions were unanswered and, as a reader, I never understood why the 'villain' tormented Ella the way he did. It didn't make sense! The characters were bland and the only one I had any connection with was Oscar, Ella's cat. Basically, "Black Flowers, White Lies" was a ho hum read.