katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
5.0
I almost missed out on this book and am SO GLAD I didn’t. It’s been on my tbr for a long time. I believe it first got there from a podcast rec - either Books on the Nightstand or Bookriot. Then it sat and sat and sat. Then I saw a recommendation on Bookstagram which bumped it back up my list.
But something about it made me think it wasn’t for me. The title? The cover? The description? I’m not sure but for whatever reason, I kept pushing it to “later”. I had the audiobook from the library and it’s due in a few days. I thought about just returning it unread but looked at my friends’ reviews - saw a lot of 5 star reads from friends with similar reading taste. So I thought “Fine! I’ll finally give it a shot. I’ll read a few chapters and not like it and DNF and confirm this isn’t for me!”
I was wrong. I was so wrong. I absolutely loved this book. The audiobook was excellent - with 3 narrators to cover the 3 different POVs in the book. This is a story about 3 high school seniors - Dill, Lydia and Travis. I listened in one shot.
The author did an amazing job of covering a lot of serious topics with the right heft - but also never getting bogged down. The humor is excellent. The characters are amazing - I think Lydia is my favorite but so many that I really loved. I cried - but never felt emotionally manipulated. If you have triggers, I suggest doing some research before deciding if this is for you. If not - I suggest going in without any additional info like I did and just letting it unfold. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
But something about it made me think it wasn’t for me. The title? The cover? The description? I’m not sure but for whatever reason, I kept pushing it to “later”. I had the audiobook from the library and it’s due in a few days. I thought about just returning it unread but looked at my friends’ reviews - saw a lot of 5 star reads from friends with similar reading taste. So I thought “Fine! I’ll finally give it a shot. I’ll read a few chapters and not like it and DNF and confirm this isn’t for me!”
I was wrong. I was so wrong. I absolutely loved this book. The audiobook was excellent - with 3 narrators to cover the 3 different POVs in the book. This is a story about 3 high school seniors - Dill, Lydia and Travis. I listened in one shot.
The author did an amazing job of covering a lot of serious topics with the right heft - but also never getting bogged down. The humor is excellent. The characters are amazing - I think Lydia is my favorite but so many that I really loved. I cried - but never felt emotionally manipulated. If you have triggers, I suggest doing some research before deciding if this is for you. If not - I suggest going in without any additional info like I did and just letting it unfold. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
_sarah_reads_'s review against another edition
4.0
Loved it. Loved it so much.
I mean, there were rough parts, emotionally demanding parts. I cried, I guffawed ("Crackers Barrel!" Lol--shout out to my west wing comrades...cause it's the plural of Cracker Barrel...like, attorneys general...nvm).
If I were a less sleep-deprived person AND I'd started this on a weekend night, I would not have been able to put it down.
Lydia, Travis, Dill--I would have been your friend in high school, if you'd have had me.
This book had me thinking about how much damage parents are capable of inflicting, and how resilient children of a$$hat parents can be.
I mean, there were rough parts, emotionally demanding parts. I cried, I guffawed ("Crackers Barrel!" Lol--shout out to my west wing comrades...cause it's the plural of Cracker Barrel...like, attorneys general...nvm).
If I were a less sleep-deprived person AND I'd started this on a weekend night, I would not have been able to put it down.
Lydia, Travis, Dill--I would have been your friend in high school, if you'd have had me.
This book had me thinking about how much damage parents are capable of inflicting, and how resilient children of a$$hat parents can be.
sendusia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
erinarkin20's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this one you guys. It punched me right in the feels (read: I cried...maybe more than once) and I adore Dill. Check this one out!
3/20/16
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner has been on my to read list for a while and I have to say, I was not disappointed when I finally cracked the cover of this book.
We get the story from three different perspectives (Dill, Lydia, and Travis) which gives us a bit of variation throughout the book. Dill, Lydia, and Travis are entering their senior year of high school which means things will be changing for all of them. They are all considered outcasts in their small town of Forrestville, Tennessee and all for different reasons. Dill is the son of the snake-handling preacher who ended up in jail, Lydia is the opinionated girl who writes a fashion blog, and Travis is obsessed with a fantasy book series which is only one of the things his father dislikes about him. All of these things prompt others to either make fun of them or keep their distance.
I have to say, Dill was my absolute favorite character in this story. He is smart, sensitive, and cares so much for the people he loves. His chapters were the ones that brought me the most heartache as they range from painful interactions with his mother and father, struggling to come to terms with the changes that are in store for him when Lydia leaves, conversation with Travis, and the turmoil he faces every single day because of who his father is. As he struggles to make decisions about his life, it is clear he doesn’t want to hurt his parents. I hated his mother and father for the things they said to him and their willingness to blame Dill for every bad situation they created for themselves. I absolutely loved Lydia’s father for embracing Dill and being there for him however he could be. Even if it meant just giving him a ride, showing him a guitar, or listening to him talk.
The friendship these three have with each other was fantastic. Despite their differences, they had so much love and trust within their circle and they knew who they were when they were with each other. Lydia is so “in your face” about everything and while I liked that about her, I also thought she didn’t fully understand what Dill was dealing with. What I loved most about Lydia’s chapters were the interactions she had with her parents…her dad especially. It was great to see them involved in her life and the way they discussed things with her. One of my favorite parts was when Lydia’s dad sat her down to get her to see just how different her life is from Dill’s and Travis’.
Travis was a fantastic character and provided a great balance between Dill and Lydia. He is comfortable with who he is and that includes his love of a certain fantasy series of books. It is clear almost immediately he has a tough relationship with his father but he isn’t afraid to stand up for the people he loves. As a big guy he could be intimidating if he would want to be but that isn’t who he is at all…not until he is pushed to that point.
I can’t say much about what happens in the story as I think you need to experience it as it unfolds. Just trust me when I say you won’t be able to put this book down or stop thinking about it once you have finished.
Zentner has written a story that had me experiencing every single emotion. There is friendship, love, heartbreak, pain, sorrow, and hope. Yes, you heard me…hope. While there are some really tough issues written into this story, by the time I turned the last page, I had hope that everything was going to be ok for these characters. If you are looking for a moving story that will have you turning the pages to find out what will happen next with all of the characters, definitely consider checking out The Serpent King. This is a fantastic debut from Zentner and I can’t wait to read more from him!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
3/20/16
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner has been on my to read list for a while and I have to say, I was not disappointed when I finally cracked the cover of this book.
We get the story from three different perspectives (Dill, Lydia, and Travis) which gives us a bit of variation throughout the book. Dill, Lydia, and Travis are entering their senior year of high school which means things will be changing for all of them. They are all considered outcasts in their small town of Forrestville, Tennessee and all for different reasons. Dill is the son of the snake-handling preacher who ended up in jail, Lydia is the opinionated girl who writes a fashion blog, and Travis is obsessed with a fantasy book series which is only one of the things his father dislikes about him. All of these things prompt others to either make fun of them or keep their distance.
I have to say, Dill was my absolute favorite character in this story. He is smart, sensitive, and cares so much for the people he loves. His chapters were the ones that brought me the most heartache as they range from painful interactions with his mother and father, struggling to come to terms with the changes that are in store for him when Lydia leaves, conversation with Travis, and the turmoil he faces every single day because of who his father is. As he struggles to make decisions about his life, it is clear he doesn’t want to hurt his parents. I hated his mother and father for the things they said to him and their willingness to blame Dill for every bad situation they created for themselves. I absolutely loved Lydia’s father for embracing Dill and being there for him however he could be. Even if it meant just giving him a ride, showing him a guitar, or listening to him talk.
The friendship these three have with each other was fantastic. Despite their differences, they had so much love and trust within their circle and they knew who they were when they were with each other. Lydia is so “in your face” about everything and while I liked that about her, I also thought she didn’t fully understand what Dill was dealing with. What I loved most about Lydia’s chapters were the interactions she had with her parents…her dad especially. It was great to see them involved in her life and the way they discussed things with her. One of my favorite parts was when Lydia’s dad sat her down to get her to see just how different her life is from Dill’s and Travis’.
Travis was a fantastic character and provided a great balance between Dill and Lydia. He is comfortable with who he is and that includes his love of a certain fantasy series of books. It is clear almost immediately he has a tough relationship with his father but he isn’t afraid to stand up for the people he loves. As a big guy he could be intimidating if he would want to be but that isn’t who he is at all…not until he is pushed to that point.
I can’t say much about what happens in the story as I think you need to experience it as it unfolds. Just trust me when I say you won’t be able to put this book down or stop thinking about it once you have finished.
Zentner has written a story that had me experiencing every single emotion. There is friendship, love, heartbreak, pain, sorrow, and hope. Yes, you heard me…hope. While there are some really tough issues written into this story, by the time I turned the last page, I had hope that everything was going to be ok for these characters. If you are looking for a moving story that will have you turning the pages to find out what will happen next with all of the characters, definitely consider checking out The Serpent King. This is a fantastic debut from Zentner and I can’t wait to read more from him!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
vsrkive's review against another edition
5.0
I have no words.None at all.
You guys should have seen me around 70% of the book, I was sobbing.This book is that good.
RTC if I ever recover from this.
You guys should have seen me around 70% of the book, I was sobbing.This book is that good.
RTC if I ever recover from this.
blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
Well, damn, this was excellent. Beautiful prose paired with heartbreaking and honest characters set in a small, Christ-haunted south. So lovely and I absolutely adored Lydia. She's authentic and bold and vulnerable and so very very snarky that I kinda have a huge crush on her. Well, maybe not kinda. I do. And, if you favor eye makeup, I'd suggest not while reading this beaut. Mkay?
cer1012's review against another edition
5.0
This book will give you a serious case of the feels.
I received this book in an Owl Crate box and didn't really think much of it. After reading the description and the first chapter I thought I wasn't going to like this book. I was so wrong. This book totally blew me away in ways I was not expecting. I became so attached to these characters, I actually cried for them. Dill, Lydia and Travis, you will live in my heart forever.
I received this book in an Owl Crate box and didn't really think much of it. After reading the description and the first chapter I thought I wasn't going to like this book. I was so wrong. This book totally blew me away in ways I was not expecting. I became so attached to these characters, I actually cried for them. Dill, Lydia and Travis, you will live in my heart forever.
deservingporcupine's review against another edition
3.0
This was an original, compelling story. Definitely a book that I would recommend to students. However, the writing was the embodiment of angsty trying too hard. From the ‘too-cool-for-school’ pop culture, Indy movie/band name dropping to the passages detailing the existential philosophy of watching passing trains, there was a lot of cringing for me here. (Seriously, one more YA novel with characters talking about how starlight is just the light from dead stars ...) And the romance just felt wrong — I wish very much the relationship had been platonic, because other than the tortured descriptions of how magical the line of a certain character’s jaw was as the sun set, there wasn’t much chemistry, and some important moments felt overshadowed. That said, I cried at all the right places, and felt that the author wrote this with best intentions.
denaiir's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Quite a slow start, I didn't know if I was going to enjoy it until about 60% in, I would have given it 3 stars. But then the pacing started picking up and suddenly it became so much more!!
Loved the second part, the raw emotions we so real and the characters' evolution was on point
Quite a slow start, I didn't know if I was going to enjoy it until about 60% in, I would have given it 3 stars. But then the pacing started picking up and suddenly it became so much more!!
Loved the second part, the raw emotions we so real and the characters' evolution was on point