The Serpent King ~Jeff Zentner

Dillard Early Jr. doesn’t like his name. Anywhere he introduces himself, he is immediately recognized as the son of the radical Christian pastor who is now in prison. Not only is Dill constantly ridiculed by classmates at his high school, he is also misunderstood at home by his mother. Only two people seem to understand and look out for Dill: his two best friends, Lydia and Travis. 

As their senior year begins, though, it gets harder and harder for Dill not to resent Lydia. She has supportive parents and the money to go away to college the following year. Dill, on the other hand, is weighed down by the financial mess his father left for him and Dill’s mother to clean up. While Dill’s mom assures him that God will take care of him, Lydia urges Dill to take care of himself. Dill wishes he could be content with his simple life like Travis is, but he wants more than what his small hometown has to offer, and he hopes to break free from the reputation that follows him around like a dark cloud in Forrestville. Escape feels impossible, and as graduation approaches, Dill falls deeper and deeper into despair and begins to fear that he is destined for the same kind of life his father and grandfather succumbed to. 

Maturity: 3/4

I would recommend this novel to students 13+. This is a novel for a mature middle school or high school reader. It deals with death, abuse, and extreme poverty. 

Pages: 400

Lexile: 630L

Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.

If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!