Books like the serpent king

Instead, it was a beautifully told story of three friends trapped in the prejudices and ignorance of a smalltown in tennessee, the pain of broken families. The serpent king was published by crown books for young readersrandom house on 8 march 2016. The synopsis failed to interest me, and i tend to like more of the fantastical young adult books rather than those based on reality. This gorgeous paperback edition with a fullcolor stepback cover will. The serpent king by jeff zentner overview named to ten best of the year lists and selected as a william c. However, the fact that lydia is going to nyu, and not an ivy league school, makes the contrast between her and her friendsand the world she lives inmuch starker.

The serpent king is a difficult book in my opinion. Here are 6 reasons you should read the serpent king. Melissa hibbard the lazy son of a good king makes an oath to the devil disguised as a wizard that leads him on a path of murder and cruelty until a prophecy foretelling his demise is fulfilled. The serpent king by jeff zentner the son of a pentecostal preacher faces his personal demons as he and his two outcast friends try to make it through their senior year of high school in rural forrestville, tennessee, without letting the smalltown culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. The serpent king takes the reader through the three friends senior year, from the high points to the darkest lows. 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. The serpent king by jeff zentner is among the best books ive read so far in 2016, debut or no. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the serpent king. The serpent king is a book you wont be able to resist or forget. 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 fathers extreme faith and very public fall from grace. Whether it was fellow book blogger friends or other authors, i kept seeing the serpent king everywhere i turned. Morris award finalist speech given by jeff zentner about the serpent king. The serpent king by jeff zentner the serpent king by jeff zentner effervesces with the warmth and darkness of a small southern gothic town. He writes in forums, has online fandom friends, owns multiple copies of the books, and even dresses like one of the characters.

The serpent king author jeff zentner on his top 10 southernset. The serpent king is one of best books released on 2016 containing 384 pages, this book written by jeff zentner whom known as an author and have wrote many interesting books with great story telling. Dill fears his heart will break when she escapes to a better life. Theyre unpopular but intelligent, creative, caring, and loyal to one another. The serpent king author jeff zentner on his new book goodbye days. Alls faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laughoutloud romcom from debut. As dills story comes to a close and he reflects on all hes overcome, he admits, ill miss this. The most captivating aspect of this novel for me was the friendship between lydia and dillardusually pointless friendship in novels make me sick but not this one because they had every intention of. Its a brutally honest portrayal of teen life on the spectrum of realism, most ya novels these. Goodreads members who liked the serpent king also liked. Zentner creates an atmosphere that is both stiflingly oppressive and starkly beautiful a landscape where both ramshackle homes and restored victorians can coexist, where theres dignity in both wanting to leave a small town and wanting to stay.

The serpent king is a mesmerizing piece of fiction one full of heartbreak and wonderment. I used to pride myself on not crying during emotional scenes in books, though as. This is the book that made me see there was a place in young adult literature for a story like the serpent king, and so in addition to this books considerable merits, it will always be one of the most important books ive ever. The story is being told from each characters perspective, and each one of them taking this story forward with their own. Dill has always been branded as an outsider due to his family heritage as snake handlers and poison drinkers, an essential part of their pentecostal faith. Of course, im unable to say definitively whether or not its at the table for realcommittee, but im always intrigued by religious themed or even slightly religious flavored fiction for teens. A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself. This book is complex, hilarious, sad, poignant, and lyrical, and it brims with the atmosphere of the rural south. John corey whaley, national book award finalist and printz award winner.

This story, its writing, is so powerful that from the very first page, it makes you feel like you are there, witnessing everything happening to the main characters, crying and laughing with them, getting your heart broken if i might add, a. Handpicked recommendations to other books that have a similar writing style or theme to the serpent king. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. The heartrending story focuses on three high school seniors and best friends in rural tennessee. The serpent king author jeff zentner on his new book. The serpent king gripped me in its coils and kept me turning pages late into the night. Dill, lydia and travis are all small town kids and high school outcasts for a variety of reasons who are either dreaming of bigger lives or feeling that theyre stuck in the lives their parents and families made for them. Morris award winner, the serpent king is the critically acclaimed, muchbeloved story of three teens who find themselvesand each otherwhile on the cusp of graduating from high school with hopes of leaving their smalltown behind.

The serpent king author jeff zentner on his top 10. Graduation feels more like an ending to dill than a beginning. It shows us that life, even one full of struggle, is still worth living. I ended up loving it despite everything and i am really glad to see you didnt hate it either. This is an alternate cover edition for asin b00zne17d2dill ha. Created by young adult library services association yalsa read the pdf share. In jeff zentners gorgeous southernset debut, the serpent king, three.

Looking for something like the serpent king by jeff. The serpent king was the hype or like friday selection for the month of january, and i can honestly say that i would not have picked this book up had it not been the book of the month. This gorgeous paperback edition with a fullcolor stepback cover will have teens everywhere. The southern boy in me savored every syllable and the reader in me fell in love with every page. Zentner explores difficult themes head onincluding the desire to escape the sins of the father and the fragility of happinesswhile tempering them with the saving grace of enduring friendship.

But even before then, he must cope with another ending, one that will rock his life to the core. Request im looking for something in which a crush turns into friendship which evolves into a relationship amd both the protagonists live through any crisis together. In order to finish by the new year, well be packaging two genres together in this onceaweek series. This book is beautiful, heart breaking, and ultimately affirms the power. I have no idea why i thought that, because it couldnt have been further from the truth. As we countdown to 2020, we re going t o publish a series of ten of the best books of the past decade in ten different genres. Parents need to know that the serpent king is a realistic contemporary novel by musicianturnednovelist jeff zentner. The serpent king is a captivating tale of three friends, who are different from each other in every way possible, but still manages to form a strong and beautiful friendship. On the one hand, the title totally had me fooled for a fantasy novel, but more importantly, i didnt feel like it was a book i could instantly connect to. The serpent king named to ten best of the year lists and selected as a william c.

The legend of the serpent king, created by iranian awardwinning artist and filmmaker hamid rahmanian and meggendorfer prizewinning paper engineer simon arizpe, is an impressive popup book like youve never seen before. Paperback crown books for young readers dill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole lifeat 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. The serpent king by jeff zentner is one such book that has reached down. However, there was something about zentners the serpent king that really spoke to me on a deeper level. The son of a pentecostal preacher faces his personal demons as he and his two outcast friends try to make it through their senior year of high school in rural forrestville, tennessee without letting the smalltown culture destroy their creative spirits and sense of self. 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. Birth of the serpent king chapter one keira marcos. For some reason i thought the serpent king by jeff zentner was about videogames prior to starting it. Looking for something like the serpent king by jeff zentner and eleanor and park by rainbow rowell. The serpent king is set in smalltown tennessee, and alternates between the perspectives of three friends going through their final year of school. Im looking for something similar to the serpent king by. Find books like the serpent king from the worlds largest community of readers. Jeff zentners debut novel, the serpent king, deserves all the praises and hype it has been receiving.

Jeff zentner, the serpent king, published by crown books for young readers, march 8th 2016. Im looking for something similar to the serpent king by jeff zentner. The serpent king is one of those books that just came out of nowhere. It looks at how friends and love can carry you through the dark times and how following your dreams can take you to new places, but leaving your past behind can be hard. I suppose it is a bit premature to proclaim this already in march. It retells the persian tale of prince zahhak who was easily convinced by the devil angra mainyu to murder his father king merdas and take over the throne. I feel like jeff zentner was channeling my inner spirit into three. For the most part this book is beautifully written and just doesnt feel like a debut novel. This is a three star title, and had some conversation in the comments of our initial list post. Named to ten best of the year lists and selected as a william c.