Pandemic by Yvonne Ventresca ~ JeanBookNerd

Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 6 - 9
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Sky Pony Press; Reprint edition (July 5, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 151070390X
ISBN-13: 978-1510703902

Praise for PANDEMIC

Winner of the 2015 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Atlantic region
Shortlisted for the West Australian Young Readers Book Award

“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 stuggling 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

“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

“A suspenseful, authentic, and emotional narrative makes Pandemic a gripping and powerful story. . . . 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 Alpha Goddess and Aquarathi series and the Riven Chronicles

“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 people, but certainly not perfect.” ―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

“Ventresca just manages to take it to new and interesting places by making her main character one who is forced to deal with the emotional struggles of abuse in the midst of the end of the world.” ―School Library Journal/Teen Librarian Toolbox

“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

Even under the most normal circumstances, high school can be a painful and confusing time. Unfortunately, Lilianna's circumstances are anything but normal. Only a few people know what caused her sudden change from model student to the withdrawn pessimist she has become, but her situation isn't about to get any better. When people begin coming down with a quick-spreading illness that doctors are unable to treat, Lil's worst fears are realized. With her parents called away on business before the contagious outbreak-her father in Delaware covering the early stages of the disease and her mother in Hong Kong and unable to get a flight back to New Jersey-Lil's town is hit by what soon becomes a widespread illness and fatal disaster. Now, she's more alone than she's been since the "incident" at her school months ago.

With friends and neighbors dying all around her, Lil does everything she can just to survive. But as the disease rages on, so does an unexpected tension as Lil is torn between an old ex and a new romantic interest. Just when it all seems too much, the cause of her original trauma shows up at her door. In this thrilling debut from author Yvonne Ventresca, Lil must find a way to survive not only the outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons.

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Photo Content from Yvonne Ventresca

Yvonne Ventresca writes suspenseful novels for teens that explore themes like trust, deception, and betrayal. She is the author of Black Flowers, White Lies (Sky Pony Press, 2016), and Pandemic (Sky Pony Press, 2014), as well as two nonfiction books: Avril Lavigne (Lucent Books, 2007) and Publishing (Lucent Books, 2005). She's also had several short stories selected for anthologies: "Justice for Jaynie" in Sisters in Crime's 30 Shades of Dead (2017), "The Art of Remaining Bitter" in Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life (2017), "Escape to Orange Blossom" in Prep for Doom (2015).

Yvonne grew up in the suburbs of Long Island, New York. She majored in English and Computer Science -- an unusual combination, but when she was stuck on a literature assignment she could debug her programs, and when that got boring she could write an essay. That strategy worked well and she graduated with honors from Hofstra University, followed by her MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business.

During her writing career, Yvonne has written instructional video scripts about technology, numerous articles for children and adults, a nonfiction book for teens about careers in publishing, and a biography for teens about the singer Avril Lavigne. But her real love is fiction, and her debut novel, Pandemic (Sky Pony Press, 2014), is about a contemporary bird flu outbreak. In 2015, Pandemic won a Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
In 2016, Sky Pony Press published Yvonne's second YA novel, Black Flowers, White Lies. Buzzfeed listed this psychological thriller first in their list of "must read" novels for that fall, and the book received an IPPY Gold Medal for YA Fiction in 2017. 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." Visit the Media page for more reviews and the Books page for more information about these stories.