Blog Tour: Melt by Selene Castrovilla

Melt

By: Selene Castrovilla

Pub. Date: August 2014

Publisher: Self

Pages: 328

Source: Blog Tour

Melt is a brutal love story, set against the backdrop of The Wizard of Oz. Sixteen year old “good girl” Dorothy just blew into the small town of Highland Park – where the social headquarters is Munchkinland (Dunkin’ Donuts.) There, she meets Joey – a “bad boy” who tells no one about the catastrophic domestic violence he witnesses at home. Can these two lovers survive peer pressure, Joey’s reputation, and his alcoholism? And then there’s his family's secret – about to be unleashed.

Told in dual first person, Joey's words are scattered on the page - reflecting his broken state. Dorothy is the voice of reason - until something so shattering happens that she, too, may lose her grip. Can their love endure, or will it melt away?

Melt is based on true events. It is both a chilling tale of abuse, and a timeless romance. It will hit you like a punch in the face, and also seep through the cracks in your soul.

 I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

Selene Castrovilla is one of those authors that I will read whatever she writes. She has such an incredible talent for storytelling, and Melt was no exception. I fell in love with these characters from the very start. My heart broke several times while reading, especially for Joey and the pain that he had to endure. Joey definitely had his issues, including violence and drinking, but he was a sweet, caring person who wanted to love and protect Dorothy with everything that he had. I love how compassionate and patient Dorothy was with Joey, even before she knew what was going on in his home life. She didn't listen to what other people told her about him, and despite others warnings, she got to know him on her own.

Melt definitely had an insta-love connection, which I usually hate. Especially when it is done so unrealistically, but in Melt, it 100% worked. Even Joey and Dorothy said they couldn't understand it, but they felt instantly connected to each other. In real life, there are times when this happens between people, whether it's a romantic connection or friendship connection. So to see it play out so perfectly in this story was very enjoyable.

I loved the writing style of Melt. Dorothy's point of view is clear and pretty normal, but Joey's is scattered and choppy, just like he is. I thought that definitely brought something different to the story. My only real issue with Melt was the ending. I hate stories that just end. You become so invested in the characters, it's nice to know what ends up happening to them.

Melt is a beautifully written story which I highly recommend. I can't wait until this book is officially out so I can add it to my bookshelf!