Still seeking the perfect holiday gift for that YA fiction-lover in your life? Author Yvonne Ventresca‘s sophomore novel Black Flowers, White Lies may just fit the bill.

Black Flowers, White Lies follows cat-loving, superstitious protagonist Ella, a teenager whose strong connection to her father endures despite the fact that he died before her birth. When strange things start happening in Ella’s life, you can’t help but wonder: Is her father sending warnings from the afterlife? Are her family’s hereditary psychiatric problems slowly claiming their latest victim? Or is there an earthlier explanation?

I chatted with Yvonne Ventresca about the common themes in Black Flowers, White Lies and her debut novel Pandemic, what appeals to her about writing YA fiction, and more. Check out an excerpt below:

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