Teen Review: Melt With You

Melt With You, written by Jennifer Dugan, is a queer novel that tells the story of two teenage girls rekindling their feelings for each other over the summer while working at the same ice cream truck. The main character, Fallon, refuses to accept her feelings for the antagonist, Chloe, after feeling betrayed by her the summer prior. This results in multiple tense and enraging moments for the reader.  

 I would classify it as a slow-burn romance, and while that style occasionally entertains me, this book felt too slow to be engaging. I say this because many of the smaller moments felt unnecessary and overstretched beyond what they could have been. I was especially unhappy with the majority of Fallon’s decisions, as her mindset is entirely too self-absorbed. These features created a less enjoyable reading experience, but for some, it may be enticing to read about a character they disagree with.  

What I liked most about this novel was how the flirtatious moments were written and what those scenes said about each character. The tense scenario of being stuck in a small ice cream truck, with someone you have unspoken romantic tension with, provided us readers with quite a few irresistible moments.  

I think this book is a good form of representation for queer women, but it could always be better, as I found that the two main characters’ personalities didn’t match at all, and it felt a little  like a case of “settling” because there isn’t “many options.”  

My criticisms aside, I did enjoy most of this book, and therefore rate it 3 out of 5 stars. I think it would be better suited for slow-burn enjoyers specifically, but also any audiences ages 15-18, queer or identity-questioning women, and readers who like more realistic fiction.