By Jeff Zentner
Rating: 3.75/5
Dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life—at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.
He and his fellow outcast friends must try to make it through their senior year of high school without letting the small-town culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. Graduation will lead to new beginnings for Lydia, whose edgy fashion blog is her ticket out of their rural Tennessee town. And Travis is content where he is thanks to his obsession with an epic book series and the fangirl turning his reality into real-life fantasy.
Their diverging paths could mean the end of their friendship. But not before Dill confronts his dark legacy to attempt to find a way into the light of a future worth living:
(*received I'm exchange for an honest review*) 3.75/5 stars
The Serpent King was far from what I expected. We really delve
into this Southern United States idea on religion and how it effects people's opinions on others completely. In this community called Forrestville we meet three characters, Dill, Travis and Lydia wjo don't fit into the category of cool to other people. Travis is a fantasy book loving, lumber working and overlooking boy who just wants to be understood. Lydia is the girl with the blog, she looks out for her friends, is quick witted and a believer in imperfection. Then there is Dill who is basically the main focus of the story, his dad is in prison, his mother has to work hours to make ends meet and all he has is his songwriting. This follows their journey through senior year and the pressure they take to try and make futures for themselves even though they're from a small town.
I tried to explain the book without giving to much away as it is better to be kept on the dark side with this one. This book really captured the essence of being a teenager and I really did enjoy Zentner's writing style as it was easy to follow yet kept you pulled into the story.
My only criticism for this book would be the fact that the pacing varied throughout the book. In other words, sometimes it was a bit too fast and sometime it was a bit too slow but by the end there was a balance. I found myself having to flip back sometimes to pick up parts I didn't really catch on to.
My favourite character by far would have to be Travis. The way that he was fearless and selfless and really valued the small things in life. He was admirable and really came through a lot. He didn't let petty arguments between his friends wreck his day and I just wanted to be his friend so we could discuss fantasy books together.
I'm not going to lie. I did shed a big tear at the end if this book and I don't cry much when I read books! It was a full on 1am sob and the way these characters overcame their issues and pushed forward even if they felt like their thread had snapped.
Overall, I do recommend this book as it is a gripping read which I think you would enjoy!
Sorry if this review is messy, I'm a bit rusty as I haven't written a proper review in months!
Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx
