I can see why. This book is as touching and moving as John Green's The Fault In Our Stars.
Synopsis
Book buy links
To purchase The Girl Next Door on Kindle or in
paperback:
To purchase as a Nook book:
Kobo:
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Must Read Reviews
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) Magazine wrote in their review:
“Death is never an easy subject to relate to teenagers who believe that
they are invincible. It is extremely difficult for an adult to channel the
inner feelings of teenagers in this case, but Castrovilla captures the mind and
soul of a teenage girl dealing with the loss of the greatest friend she has ever
had and the love of her young life.
Love, sex, and raw emotion come into play as Castrovilla sets the stage
for a heartbreaking love story.”
Booklist Online review:
Just a few months ago Jesse was junior class president, a star baseball
player, the newspaper editor, and the crush of every girl at Midland Prep in
Manhattan. Now he is fighting a rare cancer with only a 4 percent survival
rate. When Samantha, his best friend and next-door neighbor for the last 15
years, turns her compassion for Jesse into a sexual relationship, the teens
fight the unknown with their growing love. Sam’s wavering voice, at times
mature beyond her years and other times still needing her mother’s comfort,
gives readers insight into both Jesse’s burden of dying and her own story of
being the one left behind. With occasional subtle humor, Castrovilla avoids
melodrama as Jesse and Sam both deal with their anger, fear, jealousy, and
insecurities; learn to take care of themselves while taking care of each other;
and explore and find faith and peace in an uncontrollable world. Reminiscent of
Lurlene McDaniel’s novels, this look at first love is at once heartrending and
healing.
Some more reviews from bloggers (links to all the posts are here: http://publicity.bookandlatte.com/2013/09/blog-tour-girl-next-door-selene-castrovilla/):
“This turned out to be a love story that will transcend time.”
“Seriously, this book surprised me so much, and I absolutely loved it.
It was deep, emotional, and dealt with issues in a way that didn't feel too
heavy, but at the same time, really hits you hard. Absolutely stunning.”
“Beautifully written while handling a very heavy topic, Castrovilla
addresses the universal question: In a world where the worst can strike at any
time, how can we ever feel safe?”
“Just when I
thought I'd survive this without the waterworks, the dam broke. The book was
beautiful in its entirety, but the ending particularly even more so. Until now,
almost a day after finishing it, I'm still telling myself that my tears were
happy ones. MY FAVORITE PART was ‘I want you to hold
me just like this—I want you to hold me when I die.’ *SOBS*”
“There are a ton of internal conflicts going on but the spice adds
texture to the story and breathes even more life into it. It made me cry. More
than once too. These characters get under your skin. This is a beautiful book
and a heart wrenching story.”
“The Girl Next
Door...gives back to the marriage the sacredness and the significance that seems
to be lost in time, and will provide you the opportunity to re-evaluate your
own life and make you not only live, enjoy every moment, but to cherish one and
all.”
There are many more, which appear on my
website, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads. But an e-mail I received from
a teen reader in Montana a few weeks ago hit me the most:
“Miss Castrovilla -
Oh my gosh! I cry every single time I read your book The Girl Next Door. I really
wanted to firstly thank you for such a masterpiece! I've checked it out from my
library so many times, once in a while just to skim it and feel the raw emotion
of Jesse and Sam's love. It's...gorgeous. When I finish high school, I'm going
to pursue a degree and career in journalism, and write at home - like you.
Thank you also for helping to shape my writing. –Samantha H.”
