April 2016 Debut of the Month High school student Dill knows what it is to feel “the crushing weight of destiny”. His granddad went mad after a copperhead viper killed his daughter, and his dad, a fanatical Pentecostal minister, makes his congregation handle deadly serpents to prove their faith. While his father is now in prison for a terrible crime, Dill feels shackled by these family demons, and also by poverty, bullying and a fiercely religious mum who blames Dill for his father’s imprisonment.
Dill also knows he’s lucky to have friends like Travis and Lydia. While staff-wielding Travis finds sanctuary from his violent drunk of a dad in fantasy books, Lydia is an energetic fashion blogger from the right side of the tracks. But everything shifts as the three friends embark on their last year of high school.
Lydia is all set to study journalism in New York, Travis is excited about his burgeoning relationship with a fellow fantasy geek, but Dill has no hope for his future. He’s terrified of losing Lydia, and terrified that he’s already been poisoned by his family’s legacy. He finds some solace in song-writing but, when tragedy strikes, Dill descends to a very dark place and it takes supreme strength and love to untangle himself from the strangling grip of grief and despair.
This southern gothic story about small-town small-mindedness, religious fanaticism, wrestling family demons and the redemptive power of friendship really is an exquisite gem; an unforgettably haunting tale that imprints itself on your heart. ~ Joanne Owen
A dark, southern gothic novel about small-town dreams, love and grief.
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A dark, southern gothic novel about small-town dreams, love and grief. Dill's father is in jail for an unspeakable crime.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Serpent King and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
The Serpent King features in the following genres: Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Debuts of the Month, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, PSHE: Bullying and Discrimination, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), PSHE: Bereavement and Grief, Romance / Relationship Stories, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for Young Adults, Gritty Reads, Featured Books for 13+ readers
Paperback. Not Available.
The Serpent King was written by Jeff Zentner and published by Andersen Press Ltd
The Serpent King has 372 pages
