Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner

Earlier this summer the Connecticut Association of School Librarians hosted NErDcampCT. I think most of you know I serve on the Board for CASL, and I am so proud of my colleagues in transitioning the event to a virtual format.  Because it was virtual, many authors who otherwise could not attend were able to, including Jeff Zentner.  I did not review his first novel The Serpent King here (I think it's OK now to say I read it for Nutmeg 2018), but I did review Goodbye Days. With both being very serious and somewhat dark, I was a little surprised he was in a forum on humor in YA.  What?

Well, Rayne and Delilah is dark, but a dark comedy.  For those of you old enough, Josie and Delia really reminded me of Carly and Sam from iCarly. The high school seniors host a weekly show on public television.  They host viewing of low-budget, old horror movies as Rayne and Delilah.  Dressed up as witches or vampires or both, it was like Celebrity Watch Party, but of bad horror movies (I kept thinking Blair Witch).

The underlying storylines are juxtaposed.  Josie is college-bound with a possible television internship with Food Network.  Her parents are overbearing in the academic world.  Delia has a fortune-teller mother.  Her father took off when she was a child.  The idea behind the show is to hope he sees it and recognizes her and their old movies.  

I did not find this to be the roll-on-the-floor funny it was advertised as, both on Amazon and in the forum, but I did laugh a few times and smile a lot. I found both girls a bit overdone, but perhaps that was the point?  A parody of teenage girl stereotypes?  Perhaps.  I also felt the door was left open for a sequel.

Hopefully we will see each other in the fall, and you can check this out then.

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.