“““I never feel like I need to hide any part of who I am.”””


This book had so much potential. I promise it did. It started off so great!!!!! But it sort of,,,,,folded in on itself. About 50% in. If the first half of this book only existed, then it would be a 5/5 star book. HOWEVER.

The plot just didn’t do it for me. Which is sad. life just wants to,,,,punch me in the gut here lately and it’s fine. So. Ouch but you know what, whatever. I’M VERY OKAY.

✨What is this book about?✨

Best friends, Josie and Delia, have their own campy horror feature show called Midnite Matinee, where they play as commentary vampires named Rayne and Delilah. And they hate when people call them out for calling the monster Frankenstein so they’d fucking hate my soul which...I’m still dealing with that emotionally.

And Arliss is the adult figure who helps them produce the show. Please go into this knowing that Arliss is the star of the show. His ideal Friday evening is spent eating dinner on his porch, thinking about all the ways he’s ever let down the people who love him. ARLISS, JESUS CHRIST, YOU SHOWED UP AT MY HOUSE AND CALLED ME OUT.

The other star of the show is Buford, Josie’s dog. He is woeful and he daily struggles to find the will to Deal With People. He’s the literary incarnation of all my childhood pets (((because for some reason animals tend to become miserable in my presence))). Josie also has a boyfriend, who she meets in the beginning of the book, and I was so pissed off that we had to introduce a romantic interest. I wanted ***one book*** that focused entirely on friendship. We’re talking, not a single love interest mentioned even once. BUT LOL NOPE. Lawson was really cute, and he cries on Josie’s shoulder & is a professional MMA fighter. But honestly I didn’t show up for romance and I didn’t get into it. They have adorable, funny banter! Someone out there is going to ship them some Lawson and Josie. But not Malanie “pls direct me to the plot about best friends, i’m so goddamn tired of romance” Beverly.

There’s also a subplot about Delia dealing with her father leaving her. When she was smol, her dad bailed and now she’s on a mission to track him down and demand answers. It helps build suspense in the plot and allows there to *BE* a plot. I called it a subplot but really it’s the main story we follow. However, it’s so anticlimactic I nearly burst into tears. Once again it took up space where I wanted more friendship development. Or scenes featuring Buford being Buford. Buford was a badass good boy.

✨Rep!!!✨
➡️Delia and her parents struggle with clinical depression, and this rep was handled SO WELL. I also have depression and based on my experience, the author gave such a realistic portrayal of what it’s like.

➡️Delia is very positive about antidepressants & helps normalize that option

✨Overall✨
This was a decent book with amazingly hilarious dialogue!!!!!!! The plot is boring and when things do happen they feel contrived. But if you love banter and a cheesy horror film convention aesthetic, this mightttttt be for you.

TW: parent abandoning child, depression (which causes parent-child neglect), mild violence

If you're looking for a book that keeps you laughing and reminiscing, Rayne and Delilah is for you. But, it will quickly kick you in the teeth and in the heart with it's deep moments of clarity.

While quirky, Midnite Matinee also touches on the hard life choices we face at the end if adolescence. As a girl abandoned by her father because life got to hard, I connected with Delia on a level that I haven't with any other character in my 3 decades of life. Thoughtful and hilarious in the same breath, I highly recommend Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee.

The writing is what made this story what it is. You feel every single emotions that they characters are going thru as if they are your own. A true masterpiece.

In the foreword, Jeff Zentner promised that this would be weighted more towards comedy than heavy topics; however, even with all that effort, it still is an emotional book that is about a friendship that has to bend to the passage of time, and how change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Josie and Delia run a TV horror show, which they both love and have made together and is a symbol of their friendship. However, with senior year ending, and Josie being asked by her parents to go for an internship in another city, both of them are worried about the future of their show, and themselves. They want to take their little show forward, but are also worried that it may not happen.

I must mention, in the start itself, that one failing of this book was the lack of distinct voices for Josie and Delia. Though they are quite close and often mistaken for sisters, they do have different personalities and I felt that didn’t come across so well in the writing. However, there was a point at the ending where it didn’t seem like such a drawback when there were two chapters that mirrored each other so well, paralleling in the emotions they evoked. Josie wants to be on TV, and her ambition cannot be fulfilled by the horror show and she wants to move ahead but also doesn’t want to leave Delia and the thing they built for an unknown future. Her character arc is about getting past that as well as letting go of things she felt sure about, and discovering what she wants to be dedicated to. Meanwhile, Delia has had a hard life, being a responsible adult like presence in her own house, taking care of her mother; while the both of them have depression (as well as her father who abandoned her), Delia is better than them at managing hers. However, her insecurity and fear of failure is rendered well in how she is written.

A major part of her arc is her getting closure from her father, for whom she had built the show. Lawson is a delightful addition, but the romance is obviously not an important part of the plot yet significant enough in Josie’s arc.

The highlight is, of course, Josie’s and Delia’s friendship: they are so in sync with each other and the other’s needs. They have a quirky humor they share that is infectious and hilarious to watch unfold, like when they address viewer letters (there will of course be letters on a show run by two teens, as in evident by the running joke) or when they are dissing misogynistic fools they meet in the wild. Josie is a bit more confrontational than Delia, though. Even when they have a disagreement, it is with a knowledge of what the other person wants and not out of a misunderstanding. And the possibility of them having to separate was heart-breaking because Zentner does a good job of endearing them in a reader’s heart.

So, basically, while it is not as much a tear-jerker as his earlier books, Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee will definitely make you feel things.

After spending some time only reading adult fiction and non fiction, I found myself craving some ya literature. I already read some fantasy this year, but what I really wanted in my life was good ya contemporary, since it was my favorite genre for the longest time.
This novel reminded me why I love this genre so much, and even though it wasn’t a 5 stars book for me, or a brilliant masterpiece, it still made me feel that familiar feeling you have when you return to something you love after a long time, and only from that point only, hours spent with Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee were worth it.

The story follows two best friends: Delia and Josie who work together on a TV show in which they talk about horror movies and they also show old cult horrors.
Josie wants to spend her life working on tv, so the show is her step to start her career, while Delia does the show in hope that one day her father will recognize her and make connection.
Delia doesn’t want for Josie to move on after the graduation, because she doesn’t want to be left alone.
On the other hand, Josie knows she has to move to another city to go to college, and she feels bad about leaving Delia behind.

I liked how the story shows the reality of life. It pictures perfect how hard it is to succeed, and how many people try to reach their dreams, but they don’t.
Sometimes people do their best, but there is a reason why they say that success is hard work + luck + good connections.

The story is written in two POVs, Delia’s and Josie’s, both written in first person.

I liked each point of view, but if I have to state one that I liked better it would be Josie’s.
Maybe it’s because of Lawson, who is her love interest, and is also an interesting character who contributed to the story with his amazing personality.

It is kind of sad for me to say that I liked the girls the best when they were separated.
I know, it sounds awful, especially because this novel is about friendship, but I have to be honest. Together, they sounded kind of rude, especially when they talked to strangers.

Also, one down side of this novel were dialogues. They mostly sounded too forced. They were too much, and unrealistic.
But then again, maybe teenagers do talk that way these days, I wouldn’t know for sure. All I know is that I didn’t click with the way characters talked in this story.

Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee talks about friendship, family and life.
It also covers serious topics like mental illness and poverty.

It is still pretty early and there are not many reviews for this book, but from what I see most people enjoyed this novel more then I did, so keep that in mind when reading my thoughts.

I would recommend this book to young adult contemporary lovers.

I just read this book and i loved it so so much. Honestly i didn't expect to love this book but i did. I was hearing so many good things about Jeff Zentner and his books but i was still sceptical going into it because i don't tend to like contemporary books but this one blew my mind.

I first want to speak about writing because it was amazing. I find that there were some boring parts but there weren't to many of them. Books haven't got me laughing in a while but i was laughing so hard at some parts of the book, but it doesn't mean i wasn't crying too because of the ending of the book.

I want to speak about the plot and the characters. In this novel we got to know every single character that was important to the story. As the plot goes like i said it was some boring parts but i get way they were there but because of them i gave it 4.5 stars and not the full 5. I honestly found the plot so interesting because i needed to know if they will succeed in their plans.

When i'm speaking about the romance it was so pure and grate and i loved them together, 'cause they for so cute together and i found their relationship so pure and nice.

Overall the book was so so great and i loved most of the book. I was thinking to give it a lower rating because i didn't like where it was going but it didn't go there and i loved that i wasn't disappointed. I recommend this book to literally to everyone because like i said it was amazing.

*This book was given to me by netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own*

Before I even get started about the content of the book, I have to say that this is my favorite book cover in a while. It just screamed out to me. I am not sure if it's the beautiful colors or the two besties sitting on the stairs together or all of the above, but I super seriously love this cover! The book started out a little slow for me and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but about 1/4th of the way through things picked up and I was hooked. I don't say this often, but Rayne and Delilah read like a movie to movie. Like I want someone to buy the rights and make this into a movie because it was so vivid in my mind. Zentner did a great job at giving a perfect picture of each of these characters. I enjoyed Josey and Delia's friendship because I have two best friends that I feel the exact same way about. I can relate to Delia on a deep level because I had the same feelings about my absentee father around the same age but didn't have the personality to seek out answers at that time and I don't think I could have handled it if I did, so even though sometimes she is portrayed as kind of a weak character I see her as stoic and strong. Many of the feelings of abandonment that abide in her mind are feelings I am super familiar with. Beyond the seriousness of Delia's home life, the two friends are very funny and play off of each other well. Sometimes their interactions with other people can be completely over the top but for the most part I enjoyed their banter. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good YA book or rom-com because there is a nice little love story nestled in here as well.

Thank you Crown/PRH for the opportunity to read and review Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee. This book meant everything to me. From Josie's apprehension of finding new love and losing Deliah's friendship, to Deliah's home life and parental issues. I adored this story with my whole heart.

Posted to Goodreads:
Best friends Delia and Josie are high schools seniors and hosts of "Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee". Every week their tv show features a really bad horror movie and skits feature the two stars. However, as senior year draws to a close Delia and Josie must deal with their change lives and what the future holds even if that means a new romance and going away to college for Josie and staying in their hometown for Delia.

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed. The idea of two high school girls creating their own television program felt unique and I enjoyed reading about their low budget antics. Also, several times through out the story I found myself laughing aloud. Plus, I liked Zentner's slow progression of Josie and Lawson's relationship. However, as the story progressed I began to lose interest to the point that I almost wanted to stop reading when Josie had an ill fated meeting with a producer. This story is very different from Zentner's other books and I will keep reading his books but this one is not one of my favorites.

I was promised a book that wouldn't kill me with emotions. While I did tear up a few times reading this, majority of the tears were formed from laughing so freaking hard at the constant back and forth jokes between our two main characters, Josie and Delia. Best friends who host their own horror show on a local TV channel. Seriously, these two could be successful by doing their own comedy show. (pssst, Jeff..sequel idea?) They're so quick-witted and sarcastic that it reminded me of the dialogue between Rory and Lorelai from the show Gilmore Girls.

We follow Josie, whose dream is to be on TV and is being offered an internship to possibly do that. She's just not sure if she wants to leave her best friend behind. Delia didn't have the greatest childhood. Her father ran off when she was young and her mom has bad days with mental health, which makes Delia feel a bit alone. One thing I really appreciated about Delia's story was her relationship with her mom. I'm really glad that Zentner showed that even though you may struggle with depression, it doesn't mean that you always have "bad days." I really enjoyed the scenes with Delia and her mom just goofing off and having fun like normal people. Just because you may have depression, anxiety, etc. doesn't mean that you are having a bad day all day EVERY day.

While there was an insanely adorable romance in this book, it was a side plot. Zentner let Josie and Delia's friendship be the star of the show. They quickly became in the top of my favorite friendships in books category. It made me wish that I had a friend like that while I was in high school. But about that romance...Lawson Vargas, everyone's favorite board breaker! He is a pancaking loving, fantasy reading, karate chopping cutie! I loved his presence in the story. He kept up with Delia & Josie's sarcastic commentary perfectly. He's got some pretty dang good jokes, too.

If you love beagles that turn into bassett hounds, horrible movies that you can make fun of with your best friends, amazing parent relationships and even better friendship -- I highly recommend that you check out this book. Zentner became a favorite author of mine after he murdered me with The Serpent King and he continues to slay me to this day. I don't think I'll ever read a bad book from him in my lifetime.

TW: violence in the form of fighting, abandoning parents, depression

"Sometimes small and unspectacular things can be a universe."

Josie and Delia are best friends. They're practically inseparable, prone to conversations like, "Have you noticed that if you switch the first letters of every country singer's first and last name, you end up with an amazing Star Wars name?"

Every Friday night, Josie and Delia become Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, the hosts of a campy, tongue-in-cheek horror show on public access television called Midnite Matinee. They show bad horror movies, make lots of corny jokes, and quite often have to keep themselves from bursting into laughter while filming, but they try to keep improving and create something they can be (reasonably) proud of.

Their program is filmed in Jackson, Tennessee, but airs on a few markets throughout the south, enough that there are viewers who write them letters to comment on errors, offer criticism and suggestions, and share pervy thoughts that men shouldn't have about two high school seniors. Josie has dreamed of being on television for as long as she can remember, while Delia get involved mostly as a tribute to her father, who shared his love of campy horror movies with her, and then left when she was younger.

As their senior year draws to a close, so much hangs in the balance. While they both plan to go to the same college so they can continue filming the show on weekends, Josie's parents want her to pursue a television career legitimately. Josie doesn't want to let Delia down, but she doesn't know if the show is even what she still wants. And when a guest on the show catches Josie's attention in an unexpected way, it adds even more pressure to the decisions she has to make.

Everything hinges on a meeting Delia has set up with a producer who made a star out of a horror hostess back in the day. They plan to meet him at ShiverCon, a horror convention. They both dream that this meeting will take their show to the next level, which is what Delia wants more than anything, and it would solve all of Josie's problems. And maybe, while they're in Florida for the convention, Delia might track down her father...

"You don't always know at the time when you're experiencing one of those random memories you'll carry all your life. When nothing momentous happened other than driving a little too fast in the direction of Florida, at dusk, with your best friend at your side and, at your back, a guy who's really good at kissing you. Still, you remember it until the day you die."

Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee is a warm, funny, poignant story of friendship, love, following your dreams, and worrying you'll always be the one left behind. At times the book gets a little too goofy, but it has such heart, and Jeff Zentner has created such terrific characters that charm you and make you care about them.

Zentner's first two books, The Serpent King and Goodbye Days, tore me apart emotionally, but he takes a lighter path with this book, although there still are emotional moments. He is truly a talented writer, relying on so much more than teenage characters who speak as if they've been honing their sarcasm and caustic wit since birth. He really has a knack for capturing the right amount of teenage angst and emotion.

I believe Zentner is one of the best YA writers out there these days. If you prefer an utter emotional upheaval, read either of his first two books, but if you just want a fun, slightly zany, and poignant look at friendship, definitely pick up Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee.

NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Crown Books for Young Readers provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

This book will be published February 26, 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to read this title before its February 26th release date.

As a big fan of Jeff Zentner as a person and his other two works, which fall more into the break-your-heart-and-stomp-on-it genre, I was VERY exciting Rayne & Delilah. A comedy from JZ around two teens as amateur horror hosts?? Sign me up! I'm a huge fan of horror and find public access horror hosts to be absolutely fascinating but unfortunately, this didn't live up to my expectations. I didn't hate this book by any means and in fact, there were quite a few things that I loved. But overall, it just didn't strike me as something that I would revisit.

Things I liked:
- The friendship between Josie and Delia. Their love for one another was everpresent and I'm always here for a positive and healthy female friendship in YA.
-All the aspects dealing with the actual horror show; the movies, the props, the goofy banter.
-Arliss, the producer at the TV station who helps the girls make their show.
-Delia's relationship with her mother. And her father, separately. I especially appreciated the resolution to the storyline regarding her dad.

Things I didn't like:
-While there were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments for me, I found the quippy dialogue to be grating as the story went on. Everyone seemed to have the same level of wit and cynicsm as the girls which I feel like reflects more on Jeff Zenter being a witty person than the actual characters themselves.
-The whole thing with Jack Devine. All of it. It was weird and off-putting and I thought the ending to that storyline was just ridiculous.
-Josie & Lawrence, to a degree. I really liked them at the beginning but I think it could've been a bit of a slower burn and been a little more effective. I didn't dislike them overall, though.

I'll always be a Jeff Zentner fan and can't wait to see what he puts out next, but this one was sadly not my favorite of his.

Growing up, there were three jobs I wanted: 1. Marine biologist 2. Music journalist and 3. Horror hostess. Of the three, the one I'm most disappointed about not coming true was the last. I absolutely idolized Elvira, Mistress of the Dark when I was younger (still do). I envisioned myself lounging on a red velvet chaise making puns and corny jokes as a terrible horror or sci-fi movie plays on. Granted, I was always a bit more fully clothed in these dreams. I wanted to be a mix of Elvira and Mystery Science Theater 3000. While I may not have been able to make that dream come true, I was able to live vicariously through Josie and Delia in Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner.

Every Friday night, best friends Josie and Delia host a campy creature feature show, called Midnite Matinee, as Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood on their local public cable station. As the end of their senior year comes creeping in, the girls must face tough choices for their future. Josie wants to pursue a legitimate career in TV, while Delia wants nothing more than to keep doing this small show with her best friend.

The girls decide to take a trip down to ShiverCon, a popular horror convention in Florida, to meet with a well known horror host producer to see if he can help them take their show to the next level. Josie made a promise to her parents that if this doesn't pan out, she would take an internship with a popular TV network. Delia, on the other hand, has more than just the show on the line with this trip. Horror movies and hosting are the last scrap of her father, who abandoned her and her mother when she was young, Delia has. Her greatest hope is that one day her father will stumble upon Midnite Matinee and see her on the screen, and maybe he'd want to be part of her life again. As the girls struggle with growing up, and trying not to grow apart in the process, they realize their bond of friendship is more than uncertain futures and monster movies.

I really enjoyed this story. Obviously, I adored the horror hosting aspect, but I loved the characters more. Delia and Josie have such a pure, real friendship and they way they interact with each other really reminded me of how my best friends and I act together. This really is way bigger than just a book about two girls who host a cheesy horror show. It's about friendship and family and love, all wrapped together with a killer sense of humor. This was the first book I've read by Zentner but I was definitely impressed, and will be checking out more from him. If you're looking for a fast fun friendship filled book, definitely pick this one up!

I know there is some hype around this book but there needs to b more. It is so good and had me feeling every single emotion possible. Jeff is such an amazing writer and is always delivering these stories with such powerful messages. I couldn't put this book down!

4.5 stars.
Rayne & Delilahs Midnight Matinee was a wonderful story about two unlikely friends who found each other. They host a campy horror show on a local public access channel. The banter between these two was just ridiculously fun and hilarious. I loved all the horror references in the book. The writing is witty, fast paced and tons of fun. However there is an emotional element to the story, which brings so much heart into this whacky story. I really loved how this story focuses on Rayne and Delilah's friendship.

I have come to expect a few things out of a book by Jeff Zentner. One that I will probably cry at some point. Two that I probably won't sleep or eat until I finish. Three, that I will continue to follow this man's career to the end of my days.

What is it about, you ask?

This story follows Josie and Delia, hosts of a public access monster movie show. Both are uniquely different but fit together like PB and j. Delia comes from a broken home (her father abandoned her and her mother) whereas Josie comes from one a tad more put together. Delia's story takes a turn into heartbreak city because she yearns to find him. She even hires a private detective despite her mother's financial burdens. Josie struggles with leaving Delia and her sense of responsibility for her friend. Josie also wants to be on television and Delia wants to track down her dad and have closure. Their rival dilemmas may or may not split them apart.

The core of this story centers around their show which, for the first time, was something incredibly new in a YA novel for me. I've read your podcast novels, your theater novels, your Youtube channel novels, but this one was a shiny territory and entertaining AF. More so to the scene-stealing Lawson, an MMA fighter and reader. What a combination. Drools in book nerd.

The split POV's with both girls were fantastic. I think I loved Delia's more since Josie's focused a tab too much on her romance with Lawson for my tastes. Her character did not have emotions as Delia's did. At least for me. But this wasn't a problem because I loved Lawson too much.

This book touches upon mental illness as well as the effects of being abandoned by a parent. I believe a lot of people can relate to this and may even find solidarity in Delia's story. But through all of that, there is humor. I am not the type to laugh at loud at books or even movies. I have a very particular sense of humor. This one had me chuckling and waking up my husband. Score on both accounts. That being said, this had more witty moments than Jeff's other books and reminded me so much of myself and my best friend in high school.

"I get lonely sometimes, but so does everyone else. We're all looking for some sort of salvation in something."

If you loved The Serpent King and Goodbye Days, you will love this one. You may even enjoy it more. You may also follow Jeff on every platform you can and pick apart every tweet looking for news of his next book. I will do that. Always. No shame.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to review this title ahead of its release date.

I really enjoyed this! I am a big fan of Zentner's earlier books, but also glad that this one was lighter. It wasn't lighter in that mindless fluff kind of way, but not as heavy as The Serpent King and Goodbye Days. Each girl has her own conflicts and problems--one more so than the other--but there's a great deal of humor mixed in, so that breaks it up nicely. And I was satisfied with the ending. I really hope to meet this author someday (and get my books signed!).

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the early copy!

It has been years since I read a novel by Zentner and I forgot how great he is at writing characters! This was a great ya contemporary novel and I cannot wait to read more from him in the future.


RTC

I featured this title on my blog and will provide details to the publisher in the next step of this process.

I hate horror movies due to me being an absolute wimp, but thankfully I enjoyed this book 100x more than I have ever enjoyed a horror movie.