Taking Time to Reread: MELT and SIGNS OF LIFE by Selene Castrovilla

 Melt by Selene Castrovilla 

Published by Last Syllable Books

November 6, 2014

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.

 (from Goodreads)

 Signs of Life by Selene Castrovilla 

Published by Last Syllable Books

June 21, 2016

The tables are turned with a vengeance in this tour de force love story. Nearly a year has gone by and now it’s Dorothy who is fragmented and lost, while Joey keeps the promise he had made her to better himself —even though she’s gone. Joey talks about what is happening in the present while Dorothy describes what happened before— in the moments and hours after the Glock dropped. This time the stakes are even higher, as Joey forces himself to move forward while Dorothy is frozen in place. But when he learns of a devastating decision, Joey races to find her before it is too late. Truth, consequence, repercussion and modern medicine collide as pieces converge in this psychological, thrilling story which begs the question: Can love really conquer all?

 (from Goodreads)

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There are a couple of reasons I decided to reread MELT and SIGNS OF LIFE. Selene Castrovilla announced the final book of the series, UNPUNISHED, will be published this fall. I wanted to have the story fresh in my mind for when it is released. She hasn't teased her readers with the cove just yet, but I'm anxious to see what it will look like. MELT and SOL both had beautiful covers that lend well to the stories, so I'm sure the cover of UNPUNISHED will be just as gorgeous.

The other reason I wanted to reread MELT and SOL is I'm going to meet Selene this weekend at the Roanoke Author Invasion book event. I am so excited!! We've corresponded over the past few years. I've reviewed her books on my blog. I've hosted Selene for guests posts and gave away I don't know how many copies of her books to readers just because I wanted them to read them, and now I'll FINALLY get to meet her. 

From my reviews:

MELT

"MELT is a moving book that I couldn't stop reading until the very end. And when I did finish those last pages, all I could think was - Wow, that happened. And it was powerful."

SIGNS OF LIFE

 "SIGNS OF LIFE is a book that has to be absorbed."

Some Favorite Quotes:

"I couldn't help him. I could hold him, hold space for him -- but I couldn't save him. He had to find his own way through." - Dorothy, MELT

"Everything we say to people we love should make them feel good. Because it might be the last thing we get to say to them." - Joey, SIGNS OF LIFE

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Do you reread books? Or do your ever growing TBR piles keep you from picking up some of your favorite books? I'd love to know your thoughts. Leave me a comment and we can chat it up.