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bookbrowsingblog's review against another edition
4.0
3.75
Some really strong aspects, some a little weaker but overall a really fun and captivating read!
Some really strong aspects, some a little weaker but overall a really fun and captivating read!
booksandladders's review against another edition
5.0
See this review and more on Books and Ladders!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
Thank you to Christy of BookCrushin' for putting together the ARC Tour and letting me join in!
Hello, I am broken by another Jeff Zentner novel. I felt too many things and now am sobbing in bed and do not want to feel things ever again. But, alas, Jeff does a very good job of breaking people in the way they need to be broken in order to truly understand how they need to heal. So read this book to break and heal.
The characters, as always, were incredible. I loved the relationship between Josie and Delia, the way that anxieties and worries were portrayed, and the realness of it all. I liked that both girls had real issues, real problems, and real solutions. They were truly the best of friends (and I'm so lucky I have the Josie to my Delia in Dani)
I also like that Jeff is starting to follow in the contemporary author footsteps of those before him and intertwining other characters from his other books as little Easter Eggs for those who have read his past work. I liked having "Insider Knowledge" about some of the little interactions and side characters that we meet that don't take away anything from the plot if you are unaware of them.
Honestly, I am always so impressed with Zentner's work. He knows how to bring together a cohesive story that incorporate family relationships, coming of age, and friendships so well. I was also really impressed with how well he understood young women and the dynamics they have in their relationships (especially when one gets a boyfriend!). I highly recommend anything that Jeff writes and I can't wait to see what comes next!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
Thank you to Christy of BookCrushin' for putting together the ARC Tour and letting me join in!
Hello, I am broken by another Jeff Zentner novel. I felt too many things and now am sobbing in bed and do not want to feel things ever again. But, alas, Jeff does a very good job of breaking people in the way they need to be broken in order to truly understand how they need to heal. So read this book to break and heal.
The characters, as always, were incredible. I loved the relationship between Josie and Delia, the way that anxieties and worries were portrayed, and the realness of it all. I liked that both girls had real issues, real problems, and real solutions. They were truly the best of friends (and I'm so lucky I have the Josie to my Delia in Dani)
I also like that Jeff is starting to follow in the contemporary author footsteps of those before him and intertwining other characters from his other books as little Easter Eggs for those who have read his past work. I liked having "Insider Knowledge" about some of the little interactions and side characters that we meet that don't take away anything from the plot if you are unaware of them.
Honestly, I am always so impressed with Zentner's work. He knows how to bring together a cohesive story that incorporate family relationships, coming of age, and friendships so well. I was also really impressed with how well he understood young women and the dynamics they have in their relationships (especially when one gets a boyfriend!). I highly recommend anything that Jeff writes and I can't wait to see what comes next!
lisamparkin's review against another edition
5.0
Best friends take on the world...and specifically a public access horror show they co-host. This book is literally laugh-out-loud funny.
There are so many poignant moments - growing up, making big decisions, leaving childhood behind. I love how Delia and Josie interact with each other and their truly amazing sense of humor.
Zentner's best work yet.
There are so many poignant moments - growing up, making big decisions, leaving childhood behind. I love how Delia and Josie interact with each other and their truly amazing sense of humor.
Zentner's best work yet.
thenextgenlib's review against another edition
4.0
Took me a while to get into this one but by the end I was bawling in true Zentner fashion. Great story of friendship and growing up and realizing the family you make is sometimes more important than the family you were born with.
emilysunflowers's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
piggottc's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my word! Such a funny and delightful book. I may never stop laughing about the possible damage to Jack Divine’s anus.
brooke_review's review against another edition
4.0
Nothing lasts forever. This is the theme of Jeff Zentner’s new novel, Rayne & Deliah’s Midnite Matinee, a coming of age story about two best friends who host an old-school horror film show on public access television.
It’s hard to believe that a pair of high school seniors could pull it off, but Josie and Delia host a weekend creature feature TV show that is broadcast in several states. While the viewership leaves something to be desired and the girls doubt that anyone would recognize them in public, “Midnite Matinee” gives them an outlet to work toward their future goals and come to terms with their past and future.
Delia, AKA Delilah Darkwood, is the one who is really passionate about low-rent horror flicks. She and her dad used to watch VHS tapes of the films before he abandoned their family when Delia was just a young child. Josie, AKA Rayne Ravenscroft, doesn’t care about scary movies the way that Delia does. She is hoping to make a name for herself in television someday, and Midnite Matinee is helping her get closer to her dream.
However, as senior year comes to a close and the girls start contemplating their futures, they find they are being pulled in different directions. Delia can’t stop thinking about her father and how she never got closure after he walked out on their family all those years ago. With every broadcast of Midnite Matinee, she hopes that her dad is out there, somewhere, watching and that he is proud. Josie’s parents are pushing her to accept an internship at Food Network, which would put her in college far away from Delia and the guy who has recently caught her eye, Lawson. Torn between the world she loves and the world she dreams, Josie feels that with whatever decision she makes, she will be letting someone down. In this last fateful summer before their adult lives begin, Delia and Josie hang on desperately to their pasts while making way for their futures.
Rayne & Deliah’s Midnite Matinee is heartfelt, introspective, and thought-provoking. Jeff Zentner captures perfectly how it feels to be on the cusp of something great, but afraid to leave everything you have ever loved behind. This story is even amusing, with the production of Midnite Matinee bringing on lots of laughs. Zentner takes two issues that many young people face - coming to terms with family struggles and making major life decisions - and presents them in a way that is relatable and engaging.
While the majority of this novel is very good and readable, the story takes an odd turn when Delia and Josie attend ShiverCon, a horror convention. Here the story becomes outlandish, the tone not gelling well with the rest of the book. Had it not been so over the top, my overall impression of the book would have been much higher.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
It’s hard to believe that a pair of high school seniors could pull it off, but Josie and Delia host a weekend creature feature TV show that is broadcast in several states. While the viewership leaves something to be desired and the girls doubt that anyone would recognize them in public, “Midnite Matinee” gives them an outlet to work toward their future goals and come to terms with their past and future.
Delia, AKA Delilah Darkwood, is the one who is really passionate about low-rent horror flicks. She and her dad used to watch VHS tapes of the films before he abandoned their family when Delia was just a young child. Josie, AKA Rayne Ravenscroft, doesn’t care about scary movies the way that Delia does. She is hoping to make a name for herself in television someday, and Midnite Matinee is helping her get closer to her dream.
However, as senior year comes to a close and the girls start contemplating their futures, they find they are being pulled in different directions. Delia can’t stop thinking about her father and how she never got closure after he walked out on their family all those years ago. With every broadcast of Midnite Matinee, she hopes that her dad is out there, somewhere, watching and that he is proud. Josie’s parents are pushing her to accept an internship at Food Network, which would put her in college far away from Delia and the guy who has recently caught her eye, Lawson. Torn between the world she loves and the world she dreams, Josie feels that with whatever decision she makes, she will be letting someone down. In this last fateful summer before their adult lives begin, Delia and Josie hang on desperately to their pasts while making way for their futures.
Rayne & Deliah’s Midnite Matinee is heartfelt, introspective, and thought-provoking. Jeff Zentner captures perfectly how it feels to be on the cusp of something great, but afraid to leave everything you have ever loved behind. This story is even amusing, with the production of Midnite Matinee bringing on lots of laughs. Zentner takes two issues that many young people face - coming to terms with family struggles and making major life decisions - and presents them in a way that is relatable and engaging.
While the majority of this novel is very good and readable, the story takes an odd turn when Delia and Josie attend ShiverCon, a horror convention. Here the story becomes outlandish, the tone not gelling well with the rest of the book. Had it not been so over the top, my overall impression of the book would have been much higher.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
crisp_pages_'s review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 with a heavy heart- did not land as well as his other works. Jeff Zentner is, and will always be one of my favorite authors, I just feel like this book didn’t hit me like his other works.
This felt more loudly YA.. and almost John green styled ? Like teens.. but also comedic in a way that makes it unrealistic? It may be that as someone no longer a teen it makes this style of storytelling harder to enjoy.
I LOVED the characters, as always the fleshed out dynamics and personality HIT. By far the weakest I’ve read but still good. I found myself enjoying the love interest? Despite not wanting to? This was cute. I don’t foresee myself re-reading it but I would recommend it.
I’m going to re-read serpent king for the hundredth time now…
This felt more loudly YA.. and almost John green styled ? Like teens.. but also comedic in a way that makes it unrealistic? It may be that as someone no longer a teen it makes this style of storytelling harder to enjoy.
I LOVED the characters, as always the fleshed out dynamics and personality HIT. By far the weakest I’ve read but still good. I found myself enjoying the love interest? Despite not wanting to? This was cute. I don’t foresee myself re-reading it but I would recommend it.
I’m going to re-read serpent king for the hundredth time now…
the_bookish_gal21's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25