Scan barcode
A review by ebralz
Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner
4.0
First let me say I love Jeff Zetner with all my heart. In the beginning of this book he writes a note stating this is not going to be like his first two books which were gut kickers, so I was a bit nervous. Because I love books that make you crawl into a fetal position, while sucking your thumb, as you cry yourself to sleep...more specifically Jeff's first two novels. While this book is different, it didn't disappoint. His writing style and wit that came through the two main characters made this book so endearing. I love, love, LOVED the friendship and I loved that while they were different it didn't drive the plot of the story too much. Meaning one girl was too insecure over the other girl and it inevitably brought them down.
The main reason this didn't turn out to be a 5 for me was the end. There was this epic lead up to meet this tv personality that was all driven by Delilah, along with the desire to see her deadbeat dad, but for her to just give up the chance for the meeting AT THE VERY LAST SECOND to see her dad was a bit unrealistic. Why did she have to go then? Why couldn't she have gone after? Also how did Rayne not call her out on that when Dee was laying into her for giving up on "their" dream?
I did like how Dee's dad was just a jerk. No qualms about it. He left them for a bs reason and Jeff didn't make it into this philosophical thing, just a case of abandonment for no reason. While that sounds terrible, and it's a gut kicker, so often you see books where they make it into this thing that's not. The dude left and had no good reason, that's realistic to me. But then again is there ever a good reason to abandon your family?
In the end I'll keep loving Jeff with all my reader heart because any book that makes me have any outward emotion is a keeper in my opinion. The banter he came up with...tears of laughter.
The main reason this didn't turn out to be a 5 for me was the end. There was this epic lead up to meet this tv personality that was all driven by Delilah, along with the desire to see her deadbeat dad, but for her to just give up the chance for the meeting AT THE VERY LAST SECOND to see her dad was a bit unrealistic. Why did she have to go then? Why couldn't she have gone after? Also how did Rayne not call her out on that when Dee was laying into her for giving up on "their" dream?
I did like how Dee's dad was just a jerk. No qualms about it. He left them for a bs reason and Jeff didn't make it into this philosophical thing, just a case of abandonment for no reason. While that sounds terrible, and it's a gut kicker, so often you see books where they make it into this thing that's not. The dude left and had no good reason, that's realistic to me. But then again is there ever a good reason to abandon your family?
In the end I'll keep loving Jeff with all my reader heart because any book that makes me have any outward emotion is a keeper in my opinion. The banter he came up with...tears of laughter.