Release Date: November 6, 2014
Book: Melt
Author: Selene Castrovilla
Pages:280
Source: Netgalley (I received this in exchange for an honest review)

The Basics: Based on true events, MELT is both a chilling tale of abuse, and a timeless romance. MELT will hit you like a punch in the face, and also seep through the cracks in your soul. MELT is a brutal love story set against the metaphorical backdrop of The Wizard of Oz (not a retelling). When sixteen year old Dorothy moves to the small town of Highland Park, she meets, and falls for 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? 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?

My Musings:

I had pretty high expectations from this book. Everything about the summary caught my eye and attention. It seemed to be profound and inspiring. So I wanted to read it. To be honest I was kind of let down.

The plot, I felt like was a little rushed at times, but it was original somewhat. The very first few pages of the books are crazy and get you sucked into the story. The fact that this is based on a true story makes it that much more crazy, heartbreaking, and captivating. I liked how the story unfolded, even if it was a little predictable. I liked the alternating perspectives. It's always fun to see a story from multiple points of view. If i'm being totally honest I kind of wish we could have seen Dorothy and Joey's relationship develop more. It kind of just happens. At one point they end up just being together, you don't really get to see them get to this point. It's a soft spot in the plot because it's hard to be sympathetic to their relationship when its underdeveloped and rushed. Especially since their relationship is the main point of the story.  However, I will say this, if you can get past the whole rushing of the relationship, the ending is pretty good.

 I have to admit I really disliked Dorothy's chapters. I'm not sure why, but her character just annoyed me. She seemed emotional, dependent, and pushy at times. I couldn't connect at all really with Dorothy's personality. She just irked me. I LOVED Joey so much. He's strong, sweet, and actually really sweet. He's a good person and a good boyfriend without being overly dependent on Dorothy. I loved reading his chapters because they were so simply written, but they explained such profound things. I looked forward to reading his chapters and seeing what went on in his head.

One thing I did like about the novel is that even though this book is about a relationship, it still develops both of them as separate people. You get to understand Dorothy because she's put into different situations with Joey. You get a real feel for the type of life they lead and the type of person they are. Personally, I think it strengthens their relationship, because if you can see where each of them come from and how the end up meeting in the middle, the story is just that much cuter.

I liked Dorothy and Joey together. Despite the fact I didn't really like Dorothy, I did like her with him. I wished their love was a little bit more developed in the beginning, but it makes up for it, kind of, towards the middle.

Overall, I was disappointed with the book. I liked aspects of it, but I can't help but feel that it was rushed. I think the readers needed to see more of the relationship, more of the characters, for the story to feel real.

Coffee For Melt: A Nice Hazelnut Latte. 

My Rating:

Book Talk Ghosting

Release Date: August 19, 2014
Book: Ghosting
Author: Edith Pattou
Number of Pages: 392
Source: Netgalley (Note I received this book in exchage for an honest review)

The Basics: On a hot summer night in a Midwestern town, a high school teenage prank goes horrifically awry. Alcohol, guns, and a dare. Within minutes, as events collide, innocents becomes victims—with tragic outcomes altering lives forever, a grisly and unfortunate scenario all too familiar from current real-life headlines. But victims can also become survivors, and as we come to know each character through his/her own distinctive voice and their interactions with one another, we see how, despite pain and guilt, they can reach out to one another, find a new equilibrium, and survive. Told through multiple points of view in naturalistic free verse and stream of consciousness, this is an unforgettable, haunting tale.

My Musings:

      Ghosting. The first few things that comes to mind is of course ghosts and ghost hunting. Maybe even Sam and Dean. But I guess ghost can mean different things, not just some remnant spirit, but a night stuck on replay, memories hanging around you 24/7. And I guess you can say there are a lot of different ghosts in this book.
     Now, I love Edith Pattou, I have ever since I read East, so I was super psyched to read this book. Also it's told in verse, which is pretty freakin' awesome. While the cover isn't anything special, it does tie in to the story, which I like.
     If you know me, or read any of my reviews you will know that characterization is a big deal for me. I think the author did great in this department. I loved how each and every character's story line entwined and meld in with each others. The fact that it was told in verse made me like it even more. Right from the get go I was hooked. That first page instantly made me want to keep reading and reading and reading until I finished the whole thing. As I learned more and more about each of the characters the more i cared for them and felt they were real I could relate to all of them on different levels, which I loved. Characterization, I feel was a strong point for this book because even though there were a lot less words on the page, each character felt as real to me as my friends and family. Sometimes, I think it's the way things are said and described that make it pop. Edith Pattou did a fabulous job of making the characters three dimensional. In real life there are no black and white. There's this fuzzy gray thing. And even the "bad"characters had these different sides and back stories that make the reader understand it all.
      Truth be told once I finally started reading this, I had completely forgotten what it was going to be about. Has that ever happened to you? So the plot line was a really nice surprise for me. And may I just say it was pretty awesome! It left me speechless and crying on several occasions. Like no joke I had to stop reading and just cry for a little then continue. Damn those fangirl emotions! Everything was nicely paced making the climax even more dramatic. What I liked a lot about this book was how the story line played out. A lot of it was character driven, which I liked and enjoyed. There were all these politics between this group of friends and everything they said and did all played a role. I liked watching how each character grieved and dealt with their problems and instabilities. Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was how realistic it was. There was no real "happy ending". Nothing was sugar coated or avoided. You saw the raw emotions and reckless actions that people sometimes do.
      Let me tell you now, romance definitely takes a backseat to all the drama and tears and trauma, but it is cute and I ship it so hard. It's nice to see it unfold. There aren't any passionate kisses or hot and steamy moments, but what makes this pairing special is that it's so innocent and nice and cute. Sometimes all it really takes is a smile and a story to like someone.
     If you can't tell by now that I LOVE this book, well then I'll tell you now I LOVE this book. It's a raw and gritty story about a traumatic event and the way it can linger and affect pretty much everything. I definitely recommend you read it!!!

Coffee for this book: This book is sad but hopeful so I think a nice Cuban coffee suits it. It's intense because of the espresso but it's also sweet because of the sugar in it. It's the best of both worlds I think. 

My Rating: