Description

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Set against the backdrop of The Wizard of Oz, this tale is both a chilling story of abuse and a timeless romance. 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 secret which is about to be unleashed. 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? Drawing from true events, this brutal love story will hit like a punch in the face and is sure to reach into the soul of every reader.

About the Author

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Selene Castrovilla is a mother and a cat lover. She is the author of By the Sword, The Girl Next Door, Revolutionary Friends, Saved by the Music, and Upon Secrecy. She lives in Island Park, New York.

Praise For…

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“A fresh, emotionally complex bildungsroman of young American love that looks long and hard at violence, and at what can overcome it.”  —Kirkus Reviews

“A fresh, emotionally complex bildungsroman of young American love that looks long and hard at violence, and at what can overcome it.”  —Kirkus Reviews

"[Selene Castrovilla] is a writer to watch."  —Jacqueline Woodson, author, Brown Girl Dreaming

“Raw, lyrical, and darkly humorous—and uncompromisingly honest—Selene Castrovilla’s work is poetry and prose combined to the utmost. This is a writer to watch out for.”  —Daniel Ehrenhaft, author, The Last Dog on Earth

“Melt is evocative, emotional, vivid, and powerful. Beautiful, painful, and ultimately healing, Melt is a gripping read that will make you feel and care about the characters.”  —Cheryl Rainfield, author, Scars