The Serpent King
Named to ten BEST OF THE YEAR lists and selected as a William C. Morris Award Winner, The Serpent King is the critically acclaimed, much-beloved story of three teens who find themselves--and each other--while on the cusp of graduating from high school with hopes of leaving their small-town behind.
This gorgeous paperback edition with a full-color step-back cover will have teens everywhere itching to discover the book that everyone is talking about. Perfect for fans of John Green's Turtles All the Way Down.
"Move over, John Green; Zentner is coming for you." —The New York Public Library
“Will fill the infinite space that was left in your chest after you finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” —BookRiot.com
Dill isn't the most popular kid at his rural Tennessee high school. After his father fell from grace in a public scandal that reverberated throughout their small town, Dill became a target. Fortunately, his two fellow misfits and best friends, Travis and Lydia, have his back.
But as they begin their senior year, Dill feels the coils of his future tightening around him. His only escapes are music and his secret feelings for Lydia--neither of which he is brave enough to share. Graduation feels more like an ending to Dill than a beginning. But even before then, he must cope with another ending--one that will rock his life to the core.
Debut novelist Jeff Zentner provides an unblinking and at times comic view of the hard realities of growing up in the Bible belt, and an intimate look at the struggles to find one’s true self in the wreckage of the past.
“A story about friendship, family and forgiveness, it’s as funny and witty as it is utterly heartbreaking.” —PasteMagazine.com
“A brutally honest portrayal of teen life . . . [and] a love letter to the South from a man who really understands it.” —Mashable.com
“I adored all three of these characters and the way they talked to and loved one another.”—New York Times
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Community Reviews
How do I review one of my favorite books? I have been putting this off for almost a year now but I think I am ready...
Dill lives in a small town in an infamous family of religious snake handlers and has a preacher father who was sent to prison. He is ostracized and bullied at his school and at home, he is blamed for his father's imprisonment since Dill would not lie for his father. His only solace is his music and best friends, Travis and Lydia. Travis lives with an abusive dad and as an escape, re-reads his favorite fanasty book series over and over and goes on online forums to talk about this fanasty series with other fans. Lydia is a smart, popular fashion blogger who is extremely unpopular at her high school since she is seen as weird and as thinking or acting like she is better than everyone. In their senior year of high school, everything is bittersweet since they know everything will change after high school-- Lydia is getting out of town and going to college and Dill and Travis are stuck in town due to their poverty and duty to family that Lydia (daughter of a dentist) does not fully see and understand. And Dill is conflicted about telling Lydia he is in love with her and guilty that telling Lydia the truth may guilt her into staying or have Lydia pressuring Dill to leave when he feels he needs to stay to help get his family out of debt due to his father's imprisonment. When tragedy strikes his life, Dill has to deal with his life changing sooner and more unexpectly than he was ready for, forcing him to make decisions that he really does not want to make. Will there ever be a happy ending for a Dill?
I don't know how to express how much I loved this book and why without giving spoilers, which I do not do in my reviews. This book deeply moved me, from the nostalgic feel the author created to the witty characters and their banter that made you love them to the tragedy that befell them and how they handled (or in some cases, didn't handle it). I wish this book was written when I was still in high school because I feel like it healed me in a way, like balm for my soul. I cannot recommend highly enough.
I gave this 5 out of 5 on Goodreads.
Dill lives in a small town in an infamous family of religious snake handlers and has a preacher father who was sent to prison. He is ostracized and bullied at his school and at home, he is blamed for his father's imprisonment since Dill would not lie for his father. His only solace is his music and best friends, Travis and Lydia. Travis lives with an abusive dad and as an escape, re-reads his favorite fanasty book series over and over and goes on online forums to talk about this fanasty series with other fans. Lydia is a smart, popular fashion blogger who is extremely unpopular at her high school since she is seen as weird and as thinking or acting like she is better than everyone. In their senior year of high school, everything is bittersweet since they know everything will change after high school-- Lydia is getting out of town and going to college and Dill and Travis are stuck in town due to their poverty and duty to family that Lydia (daughter of a dentist) does not fully see and understand. And Dill is conflicted about telling Lydia he is in love with her and guilty that telling Lydia the truth may guilt her into staying or have Lydia pressuring Dill to leave when he feels he needs to stay to help get his family out of debt due to his father's imprisonment. When tragedy strikes his life, Dill has to deal with his life changing sooner and more unexpectly than he was ready for, forcing him to make decisions that he really does not want to make. Will there ever be a happy ending for a Dill?
I don't know how to express how much I loved this book and why without giving spoilers, which I do not do in my reviews. This book deeply moved me, from the nostalgic feel the author created to the witty characters and their banter that made you love them to the tragedy that befell them and how they handled (or in some cases, didn't handle it). I wish this book was written when I was still in high school because I feel like it healed me in a way, like balm for my soul. I cannot recommend highly enough.
I gave this 5 out of 5 on Goodreads.
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