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eslismyjam 's review for:
The Serpent King
by Jeff Zentner
This is the story of three very different kids growing up in the rural south. The book rotates between the perspectives of Lydia, Travis and Dillard. They are best friends and outcasts at their high school. Lydia is the most "normal" of the three. She comes from a loving home, and runs a successful fashion blog. She's going to leave as soon as she graduates and attend NYU. Dillard is the dirt poor son of a religious zealot of a Pentecostal preacher known for forcing his congregation to handle poisonous snakes and drink battery acid as a way of proving their faith. His father is serving time for having kiddie porn and Dillard's hard-core Christian mom blames it on Dillard. Travis has an abusive, alcoholic father and spends most of his time immersed in the fandom of a fantasy series similar to Game of Thorns. Dillard and Travis seem like they will live in their small town forever. Dillard at least is obviously miserable. The story follows these three through their senior year.
What makes this book is the excellent characterization and the unique setting. There is a lot that maybe could have gone wrong or become boring because not a lot really happens in this book until near the end, but somehow it avoids being mundane throughout. Caution: there will probably be some tears. Just a heads up.
What makes this book is the excellent characterization and the unique setting. There is a lot that maybe could have gone wrong or become boring because not a lot really happens in this book until near the end, but somehow it avoids being mundane throughout. Caution: there will probably be some tears. Just a heads up.