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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Completely unexpected and delightfully honest.
I wish this book was written while I was still in high school. I haven't read many young adult/coming of age books but The Serpent King is one to cherish.
Dill is an outcast in his small Tennessee town. His father, the disgraced Pentecostal pastor, his mother, working two jobs to make ends meet. Dill along with his friends are navigating their senior year of high school through ups and downs.
My heart bleeds for Dill. Without spoiling, because I was completely shocked with the plot twist, I can't even imagine having to go through what he did and coming out triumphantly. It really makes you think about life and how to get through the darkest times.
Jeff Zentner nailed it with his debut novel. He incorporated the perfect music to set the theme and gave these beautiful characters wonderful friendships and hardships. I cannot wait to read more from this author as I'm officially hooked.
I wish this book was written while I was still in high school. I haven't read many young adult/coming of age books but The Serpent King is one to cherish.
Dill is an outcast in his small Tennessee town. His father, the disgraced Pentecostal pastor, his mother, working two jobs to make ends meet. Dill along with his friends are navigating their senior year of high school through ups and downs.
My heart bleeds for Dill. Without spoiling, because I was completely shocked with the plot twist, I can't even imagine having to go through what he did and coming out triumphantly. It really makes you think about life and how to get through the darkest times.
Jeff Zentner nailed it with his debut novel. He incorporated the perfect music to set the theme and gave these beautiful characters wonderful friendships and hardships. I cannot wait to read more from this author as I'm officially hooked.
I am at a loss for words at this beautiful book. It shattered my heart and soul in more then one way. I never expect to connect and see myself in each of the main protagonists Dill, Travis and Lydia. As Someone who grew up different (Gay in this case) in Oklahoma and was raised Southern Baptist by grandparents, I could defintely relate to how they each viewed life, the beauty and the darkness. I know that i didn't have the same exact experiences as them, noone truly goes through the same things as each other, but I was just as much of a loser/ outsider as them. This book tackles a lot of dark topics from abuse (physical and mental) to bullying to depression to suicidal thoughts to death to many other things in such a beautiful, realistic, and understanding way. I will definitely be remembering this for a very very long time.
I went into this book thinking it would be a fast read. That I would think it was okay and then move on with my life. And although it was a fast read I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. First of all the relationship that the main three characters have with each other is such a real one. It felt like the lives of real teenagers which I appreciated.
Lydia is a force to be reckoned with. Smart and witty and absolutely certain about what she wants from life and how to get it. On top of all that her relationship with her parents warmed my heart.
Dill’s inner turmoil about his faith in God is something I could relate with. As well as his ugly bout with suicidal thoughts. His story is a hopeful one. A future filled with more options than he ever thought he could have.
Finally is Travis, a big old softie of a boy. Who is fine with living in Forrestville as long as he gets to read his books. The way he finally stands up to his abusive father and finally tries to claim more from life makes his end all the more tragic.
There are so many parts in this book that I could name that touched my heart. The lives of these people felt so real and heartbreaking. The Serpent King will definitely be a story that stays with me.
And now for my favorite quote from the book:
“And if you’re going to live, you might as well do painful, brave, and beautiful things.”
Lydia is a force to be reckoned with. Smart and witty and absolutely certain about what she wants from life and how to get it. On top of all that her relationship with her parents warmed my heart.
Dill’s inner turmoil about his faith in God is something I could relate with. As well as his ugly bout with suicidal thoughts. His story is a hopeful one. A future filled with more options than he ever thought he could have.
Finally is Travis, a big old softie of a boy. Who is fine with living in Forrestville as long as he gets to read his books. The way he finally stands up to his abusive father and finally tries to claim more from life makes his end all the more tragic.
There are so many parts in this book that I could name that touched my heart. The lives of these people felt so real and heartbreaking. The Serpent King will definitely be a story that stays with me.
And now for my favorite quote from the book:
“And if you’re going to live, you might as well do painful, brave, and beautiful things.”
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had no idea what to expect from this book and definitely was not counting on becoming so invested in the lives of these three young people. This book holds many valuable lessons for young people and characters that feel like friends.
You know those books that are so good you don't want them to end? Add The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner.
The book covers the senior years of three friends -- Dill, whose father is a serpent-handling minister now in prison for having kiddie porn on his computer; Lydia, a force of nature with a fashion blog that has caught the attention of the big city fashionistas; and Travis, a big lug of a man-child who loves his fantasy books, wears a dragon pendant and carries a wooden staff.
The story takes turns with its centering on the three characters, but none of them are ever really left out. They are outcasts at school and their interactions with the bullies are documented, but thanks to Lydia the outcomes are not the usual slink-and-go-hide-in-the-bathroom.
Zentner also includes the home life of each friend. Dill's mother works long, menial hours and is broken in spirit and body. The few scenes with his father in prison show a wicked man who twists words to make everything all about him.
Travis's mother stays home and is still getting over the loss of his older brother, a Marine who died in service. His father also hasn't gotten over it and takes it out on both of them, especially after he's been drinking.
Lydia's parents are amazing. He's a dentist who decided to stay in his family's small town to protect his beloved daughter from the evils of a big-city life, and who helps the boys. Her mother would be the kindest woman in any suburb. They're the kind of parents who sip wine and read their books out on the enclosed porch while the three friends have their usual Friday movie night
Dill, who loves music, does fear his family's heritage. He not only carries his father's name, and all the weight that carries in a small town, but also knows his grandfather went mad and died of grief after a snake killed his beloved daughter. The sins of the father are a genuine burden. Both Lydia and Travis have online friends; one is honest and the other keeps major parts of everyday life hidden.
One of the highlights is when the three friends climb a railroad trestle to inscribe words important to them to commemorate their senior year. They know Lydia will go off to college and that the boys will stay in town to work and help their parents.
One of the great things about the novel is that there are events that make a reader think the worst is going to happen. Bad things do happen, but so do good things. And they feel real. Zentner's characters are complex human beings with hopes, dreams and sorrows. They are well worth knowing.
The book covers the senior years of three friends -- Dill, whose father is a serpent-handling minister now in prison for having kiddie porn on his computer; Lydia, a force of nature with a fashion blog that has caught the attention of the big city fashionistas; and Travis, a big lug of a man-child who loves his fantasy books, wears a dragon pendant and carries a wooden staff.
The story takes turns with its centering on the three characters, but none of them are ever really left out. They are outcasts at school and their interactions with the bullies are documented, but thanks to Lydia the outcomes are not the usual slink-and-go-hide-in-the-bathroom.
Zentner also includes the home life of each friend. Dill's mother works long, menial hours and is broken in spirit and body. The few scenes with his father in prison show a wicked man who twists words to make everything all about him.
Travis's mother stays home and is still getting over the loss of his older brother, a Marine who died in service. His father also hasn't gotten over it and takes it out on both of them, especially after he's been drinking.
Lydia's parents are amazing. He's a dentist who decided to stay in his family's small town to protect his beloved daughter from the evils of a big-city life, and who helps the boys. Her mother would be the kindest woman in any suburb. They're the kind of parents who sip wine and read their books out on the enclosed porch while the three friends have their usual Friday movie night
Dill, who loves music, does fear his family's heritage. He not only carries his father's name, and all the weight that carries in a small town, but also knows his grandfather went mad and died of grief after a snake killed his beloved daughter. The sins of the father are a genuine burden. Both Lydia and Travis have online friends; one is honest and the other keeps major parts of everyday life hidden.
One of the highlights is when the three friends climb a railroad trestle to inscribe words important to them to commemorate their senior year. They know Lydia will go off to college and that the boys will stay in town to work and help their parents.
One of the great things about the novel is that there are events that make a reader think the worst is going to happen. Bad things do happen, but so do good things. And they feel real. Zentner's characters are complex human beings with hopes, dreams and sorrows. They are well worth knowing.
i read this book for a class i am taking and i enjoyed it much more than i thought i would! it gave me all the feelings, made me laugh, cry, and even mad at times.
Abandoned. There's so much "Lord savior help me" I can take in one book. I'm kind of disappointed really. "Goodbye Days" was something that blew my mind. I loved it. But this book was like a big fat no. I couldn't understand why Lydia, Dill and Travis were friends in the first place, all characters were annyoing and it seemed like the story wasn't going anywhere from the start. It was just "jesus this" "jesus that". And not one moment we are told this is a "religious" book so I feel tricked. I couldn't get past page 116 and I went to watch reviews with spoilers just to know what happens because that was it for me and you know what - that is it for me.
I don't even know why young adult novels have to be dark and depressing. I have the same feeling reading this as I was reading "The female of the species", although TFOS was much sadder and darker. The end is beautiful. I intended to give this book a 4 when I was in the middle of the book (since it is dark), but the ending, the light in the end of the tunnel, the bright future for Dill, changed my mind. I hope that no teenagers had to experience what Dill had gone through. If they had to, then I hope they would have friends like Lydia and Travis beside them.
A good read. <3
A good read. <3