Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee

I've known Jeff Zentner was an amazing author for a while now. Serpent King and Goodbye Days ruined me. Seriously, I don't cry easily over book but both of those destroyed me and several boxes of tissues.. When I heard RAYNE AND DELILAH'S MIDNITE MATINEE was more a comedy, I had my doubts. Most authors don't do well switching between different styles and I couldn't imagine Zentner going from tearing my heart out to making me laugh. But he did.I don't say this lightly- RAYNE AND DELILAH is Zentner's glow-up book. This is the book that took him (for me) from a "I might buy it" author to an "I'd pre-order his grocery list" author. I only have two of those authors. Adding a third seemed impossible. It's happened. I will buy anything he writes.Zentner's southern voice in this novel is not only authentic, something we severely lack across all genres, but also self-aware. He has a way of making light of the way we speak in the deep south without actually making fun of it. Yes, we all know that county boy that ends everything he says with "Hell." And yes, we all know someone who speaks as if they've had a traumatic brain injury while eating cornbread and collard greens. But instead of making it seem overly ignorant, Zentner treats it as it is- local flavor and a part of life when you live down yonder.I was also surprised at how both character AND plot driven this book is. Zentner's real gift is in characters- he can make you care about what they are doing regardless of what they are doing. In terms of plot, none of his books have felt very plot driven to me but this one had me rooting for the characters AND their end goals.The friendship and the romance in this book is what sealed the deal for me. I'm a sucker on all levels for a strong, realistic friendships and the one between Josie and Delia is probably the most realistic one I've ever read in YA. Zentner also has a knack for young romances (something he seems to deny but the denial is unnecessary). I truly appreciated that the romance in the book was a) obviously young, b) didn't have sex (I couldn't read a book containing sex from a young girl's perspective written by a thirty-something year old man), and c) didn't fix anything in Josie or make like herself better or any of that other bs a lot of YA romance tries to sell. It was refreshing to see a male love interest recognize and understand that he doesn't have to step in in every situation... which allowed Josie to keep her agency and didn't change the independent character we met at the beginning of the story.Speaking of characters, Zentner is the master of multi-dimensional characters. I enjoyed that not a single character had just one set of goals or dreams or hobbies, and even the minor characters in this book are completely memorable and fleshed out.Jeff Zentner is the leading southern voice in YA and this book sealed that fact for me.

If you've read either or both of Jeff's books you kinda have a good idea of what to expect: beautiful sentences, characters with a ton of heart and empathy who you'd love to have in your social group, an exploration of loss in some capacity, a reverence for the people and the state of Tennessee, and, of course, tears. This time, though, the tears are from laughter and joy rather than heart-wrenching sadness. And, like his two previous novels, it’ll uplift you to a place where you’ll end up being better off than you were before you read it.There's also a really sweet romance, a truly nail-biting fight scene (or two), a pretty rad dog, one of the more astute observations when it comes to Star Wars naming conventions, and so much more.Seriously, though, those fights. When I say nail-biting I mean nail-biting. Do you know how much I usually hate reading about fights?I can't recommend this book enough.

Josie and Delia are best friends who co-host a horror movie commentary show on public access T.V. Their lives will have you alternately laughing out loud and crying uncontrollably as “Rayne” and “Delilah” discover new relationships, revisit old heartbreaks, and chase their dreams only to spectacularly fall and land in new ones.Readers will love Josie and Delia, as well as the other characters in the book. The pages are filled with quirky banter and a super cute side love story. The writing is simply beautiful with very descriptive, metaphoric language throughout.

Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee was funny, engaging and sweet from start to finish. I loved getting to know this group of flawed, quirky and compelling characters. What stood out to me most is the exploration of expectations - the people we expect the least of can pleasantly surprise us and what we hold out to be of penultimate importance in our lives may not be exactly what we hoped for. Each character in this book copes differently with their frustrations, and we see friends finding just the right way to be there for each other. Like Jeff Zentner's other two books, this one was great fun to read, but also one that stays with you after it's (sadly) done.Brian

I loved this book. It has a horrorcon (for horror fans), MMA, and more importantly it was about 2 young women finding their own path in life while remaining friends and supportive of each other. A beautiful mom and daughter relationship and about forgiveness for those who run instead of stepping up.

This book! I love Jeff Zentner's writing, and he does not disappoint with Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee. Josie and Delia are funny, thoughtful, intelligent, and dynamic characters. The reader feels like a third silent partner in their best-friendship, which is hilarious, sweet, and utterly delightful. I copied down so many wonderful pieces of Zentner's writing while reading, many of which made me catch my breath with amazement. He is able to capture an enormous depth of feeling using one or two sentences. His characters' observations about life and friendship and family filled me with a deep nostalgia, reminding me of my own teen years, and of other times in my life, when one wonderful thing is ending and the possibilities of the future hold both anticipation and uncertainty. He captured the transition from kid to young adult just beautifully. Teens will LOVE this book, but adults should read it too. It would make a perfect graduation gift!

I didn't want this book to end. Thank you for writing a book featuring two fantastically quirky, snarky, real girls who didn't need others to change them but went through the passing of time and continued to be themselves. The friendship and evolution of their lives in this story was beautiful.

Akh. Ayayay. I can't decide how I feel about this book or its characters.On the one hand, I enjoyed parts of it, on the other hand, it dragged for so long and the writing was so bland that I wanted to put it down and never pick it up again.Here's what I didn't like:Delilah is a pain in the ass. Like a big pain in the ass. I could not stand her. Mental issues aside, this girl was intolerable. She was a walking moping piece of wet toilet paper stuck on the sole of your shoe. Whining whining whining. Complaining complaining complaining. So possessive of Josie, like she owns her. So unfair to her friend. So clingy. My God. Give me some space, I cannot breathe! I don't see why Josie is obligated to cater to her friend's every whim, and to change her life and sacrifice her dream for her. How selfish is that?It took almost 60% for the book to finally get to the road trip and to start moving along with the events of story. SIXTY PERCENT! I don't how I made it that far without quitting, but I totally credit Lawson for my perseverance.The dialogue reeked of Gilmore Girls style dialogue, which is in turns annoying, stupid, funny and witty. But still...incredibly annoying. Like people don't actually speak that way in real life, give me a break.What I did like?Josie's loyalty to her best friend. How much she cared for her, how much she sacrificed for her and how much she mentally and physically stressed over displeasing her in any way. God, what a pain Delia is. I mean, she paid for a $900 dinner because of stupid Delia and her silly obsessions! So annoyed! But still, I admire Josie for that.I also loved Josie in general, her humor, her character, her vulnerability when she showed it. Her relationship with her family. Her relationship with Lawson.Loved Lawson, he is the cutest boy next door character that has ever been. Although, him suddenly bursting into tears when he lost the fight was very...strange.Finally, I loved Josie and Lawson and their relationship. They were super cute in so many ways, it was adorable. Their first kiss was so realistic and believable. I loved the way it was written, the way it was conveyed and described. The every feeling and emotion and physical aspect put into words, I was so connected with that moment. In fact, many of their moments together were so realistic of a new budding love, so believable and real.So there you have it. Those are my scattered thoughts on this book. It does take a turn to the bizarre at one point. Strange book. Not sure how I feel.

Hilarious and heartfelt. All Zentner's books are superb and I recommend them to people constantly. I loved the central characters, their friendship and their banter.

Die Schreibweise hat mit zwar sehr gut gefallen aber wenn der Plot mich nicht anspricht, hilft das auch nichts mehr. Ich hab mich im Endeffekt dennoch aufgerafft alles zu lesen, auch wenn ich teilweise sehr gelangweilt war. Das Ende find‘ ich an sich gelungen, in der die Thematik Verlust von Menschen aufgegriffen wird, aber ich würd das Buch nicht nochmal lesen nur wegen dem Ende.Nur meine subjektive Meinung :)