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levzies's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my heart ♥️ this book is one that I’ve made Dearly special in my heart shelf. I’d be proud with a debut like this gem.
gggina13's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful and engaging book. It was very well written and the characters were so, so easy to latch onto. I loved the portrayal of parents and the vast difference between good and bad parents, and bad parents who think they’re being good parents. The big comparison is relatable, I’m sure, for many people. Alcoholic parents can be triggering for me in books and this one brought up some unpleasant feelings but it’s real and raw and that part of the story needed to be told. It’s rare that a book can be so painful yet so hopeful but this one was a perfect combination of the two.
katiehearn08's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
amazingcross's review
4.0
“And if you’re going to live, you might as well do painful, brave, and beautiful things.”
This book gave me all the feelings
emc425's review
2.0
I hate to say I didn’t love this book but I didn’t. I liked the general themes, growing up, learning to be brave, found family, those concepts were good and I like the energy they had. That being said, the book itself I didn’t love. It was a book about teenagers that /felt/ like it was written by an adult who had never talked to a teen. Maybe this is a me problem but I just didn’t feel attached to any of the characters so I didn’t tear up the way everyone said they did. Maybe there was too much hype but it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I think as a 14-16 year old I would have loved this but as a 23 year old it just didn’t do it for me
hikool101's review
4.0
The Serpent King is a wonderfully engaging coming-of-age tale, told through the perspectives of three friends, each possessing various personalities and aspirations. I loved this book, because it feels so real. It was touching, heartbreaking, heartwarming and filled with three-dimensional characters. I'm genuinely excited to read everything in Jeff Zentner's backlist. A must-read in the YA demographic. 9/10
jwinchell's review
4.0
Dill Early is one of my boys-- a select group of fictional YA characters who are so wounded, so unique, so resilient, so beautifully wrought; I vow to always protect him.
And I vow to always hand sell this fantastic novel! Dill is the driving force and his stories are wooooweeee captivating. A PK with a dad whose penchant for snakes and kiddie porn landed him in prison. An angsty loner who may be falling for his kooky and hard-to-get best friend. Lydia is totally a Tavi Gevinson character--a talented, well-supported, ambitious fashion blogger who is ready to make it big. And Travis: this sweet guy... I loved that fantasy escapism (reading, fandom, online friends) was portrayed--it's a very real part of life for many.
There's a twist I didn't see coming that kept me turning pages late into the night. And I cried! Several times.
But I left this at 4 stars because I felt like Zentner's male perspective was too dominant through both Lydia and Dill. Their portrayals felt unbalanced even though they were very authentic: Lydia fell short for me.
This is one of those realistic fiction page-turners that navigates in the romance and the ugly sides of life. It's about trauma and love. It's totally chaste, FWIW. It's southern fiction, of the TN variety, and it sheds light on experiences we don't often see enough in fiction (or media). This will resonate especially well with lovers of John Green and Gayle Foreman and Rainbow Rowell.
And I vow to always hand sell this fantastic novel! Dill is the driving force and his stories are wooooweeee captivating. A PK with a dad whose penchant for snakes and kiddie porn landed him in prison. An angsty loner who may be falling for his kooky and hard-to-get best friend. Lydia is totally a Tavi Gevinson character--a talented, well-supported, ambitious fashion blogger who is ready to make it big. And Travis: this sweet guy... I loved that fantasy escapism (reading, fandom, online friends) was portrayed--it's a very real part of life for many.
There's a twist I didn't see coming that kept me turning pages late into the night. And I cried! Several times.
But I left this at 4 stars because I felt like Zentner's male perspective was too dominant through both Lydia and Dill. Their portrayals felt unbalanced even though they were very authentic: Lydia fell short for me.
This is one of those realistic fiction page-turners that navigates in the romance and the ugly sides of life. It's about trauma and love. It's totally chaste, FWIW. It's southern fiction, of the TN variety, and it sheds light on experiences we don't often see enough in fiction (or media). This will resonate especially well with lovers of John Green and Gayle Foreman and Rainbow Rowell.
pantsreads's review
5.0
Totally blown away by this book. I laughed, I cried—literally, and more than once—I cheered.
Read my full review on FYA.
Read my full review on FYA.