Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Every Friday night, best friends Delia and Josie become Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, hosts of the campy creature feature show Midnite Matinee on the local cable station TV Six.

But with the end of senior year quickly approaching, the girls face tough decisions about their futures. Josie has been dreading graduation, as she tries to decide whether to leave for a big university and chase her dream career in mainstream TV. And Lawson, one of the show's guest performers, a talented MMA fighter with weaknesses for pancakes, fantasy novels, and Josie, is making her tough decision even harder. 

Scary movies are the last connection Delia has to her dad, who abandoned the family years ago. If Midnite Matinee becomes a hit, maybe he'll see it and want to be a part of her life again. And maybe Josie will stay with the show instead of leaving her behind, too.

As the tug-of-war between growing up and growing apart tests the bonds of their friendship, Josie and Delia start to realize that an uncertain future can be both monstrous...and momentous.

My thoughts-

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.  Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee will be available on February 26. 

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Where are you guys? Text me back. That's the last message Carver Briggs will ever send his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. He never thought that it would lead to their death.

Now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, a powerful judge is pressuring the district attorney to open up a criminal investigation.

Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli’s girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake’s grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a “goodbye day” together to share their memories and say a proper farewell.

Soon the other families are asking for their own goodbye day with Carver—but he’s unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these goodbye days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or—even worse—prison?

My thoughts-

Goodbye Days is the heartbreaking account of the aftermath of the deaths of a car full of teenage boys in a car accident that could have probably been prevented. Carver Briggs was the one who sent the text message and is dealing with the emotional trauma of feeling responsible for not just one of his friends, but all e of his best friends. He's also dealing with ostracism at school, and feeling blame from family members of his friends. It's a sad book, but one of the best ones I have read in a long time. I could really imagine a teenager feeling this way in a situation like this. The best part of the book is Carver's relationship with his friends grandmother, who gives him the idea for doing "goodbye days" and helps him kind of get through this situation as best he can. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA books or drama.