The Serpent King

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD WINNER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Buzzfeed • Mashable • Kirkus Reviews • Publishers Weekly •  Shelf Awareness

A critically acclaimed debut novel about 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. And don't miss the author's highly anticipated new book, In the Wild Light! 

"Move over, John Green; Zentner is coming for you." —The New York Public Library

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 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.

Before becoming a writer, JEFF ZENTNER was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son. Committed to making creativity a part of his everyday life, Zentner wrote both his debut novel, The Serpent King, and his follow-up book, Goodbye Days, on his iPhone while taking the bus to and from work. You can follow Zentner on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter at @jeffzentner.