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The Serpent King

Contemporary

Published: Print · 2016 | eBook · 2017

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Named to ten BEST OF THE YEAR lists and selected as a William C. Morris Award Winner,The Serpent King is the critically acclaimed, much-beloved story of three teens who find themselves--and each other--while on the cusp of graduating from high school with hopes of leaving their small-town behind. Perfect for fans of John Green's Turtles All the Way Down. "Move over, John Green; Zentner is coming for you." —The New York Public Library “Will fill the infinite space that was left in your chest after you finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” —BookRiot.com Dill isn't the most popular kid at his rural Tennessee high school. After his father fell from grace in a public scandal that reverberated throughout their small town, Dill became a target. Fortunately, his two fellow misfits and best friends, Travis and Lydia, have his back. But as they begin their senior year, Dill feels the…

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coils of his future tightening around him. His only escapes are music and his secret feelings for Lydia--neither of which he is brave enough to share. Graduation feels more like an ending to Dill than a beginning. But even before then, he must cope with another ending--one that will rock his life to the core. Debut novelist Jeff Zentner provides an unblinking and at times comic view of the hard realities of growing up in the Bible belt, and an intimate look at the struggles to find one’s true self in the wreckage of the past. “A story about friendship, family and forgiveness, it’s as funny and witty as it is utterly heartbreaking.” —PasteMagazine.com “A brutally honest portrayal of teen life . . . [and] a love letter to the South from a man who really understands it.” —Mashable.com “I adored all three of these characters and the way they talked to and loved one another.”—New York Times

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Award Winner
2017 William C. Morris YA Debut Award winner.
William C. Morris YA Debut Award
Podcast Episode
Jeff Zentner Exclusive
Southern Reads · 2026-08-10 · Listen ↗
Podcast Episode
Meet Jeff Zentner | Author of 'Colton Gentry's Third Act'
The Fresh Fiction Podcast · 2024-05-21 · Listen ↗
Podcast Episode
Everybody Wants to Rural the World
The Vocal Fries · 2021-10-25 · Listen ↗
Listen on Apple Podcasts
FormatPublisherYearLanguageTerritory
Print—2016English—
eBookEmber2017-06-06English—

Sources

1
William C. Morris YA Debut Award
Award Winner
2
Southern Reads
Jeff Zentner Exclusive
3
The Fresh Fiction Podcast
Meet Jeff Zentner | Author of 'Colton Gentry's Third Act'
4
The Vocal Fries
Everybody Wants to Rural the World