I think from the title of this book, I expected a fantasy novel about a snake ruling over people. That will teach me not to take everything so literally. As much as I like the fantasy genre, this realistic fiction novel hit home in a way that a snake ruling over people (or other creatures) never could.
High school is never a good time to be a nonconformist. Unfortunately for the high school kids who should be allowed comfort in reveling in their uniqueness, they have a long time to go before they turn 40, which seems to be the magic age for not caring what anyone else thinks. (At least it was for me.)
Dill, Travis and Lydia live in a small town in Tennessee, the type of town where everyone knows everyone else and has known everyone else for generations. For the most part, those of us who grew up in the South either grew up in such a town or have relatives or friends who did. The same with the extreme evangelical Christianity depicted by Dill's parents; for the most part, those of us who grew up in the South either grew up in such a household or know someone who did.
I appreciated the way all three main characters defied conventions and made a concerted effort to be themselves, to be who they were meant to be, often pushing against incredible odds, often having no support outside of each other. Travis carried his staff from his favorite fantasy series wherever he went, despite being teased about it even by his friends, and he dressed how he wanted. He made a good friend in the online fandom of this series; I enjoyed the positive portrayal of online friendships. I feel that a lot of discussion and portrayals about online interaction among teenagers is solely negative.
Dill, with Lydia's help, pushed back against all the bullying from his classmates and played his music in front of the school. It would be difficult not to read through that passage without thinking "Please let him win the talent competition please let him win the talent competition" over and over.
Most of the adults in the book--Travis' father, Dill's father and mother--are portrayed as terrible human beings but at the same time Zentner manages to show that their behavior and outlook on life cannot be summed up as only terrible; there is a sympathy angle. They suffered losses of their own, they had their values challenged, and they have no idea how to act in the face of that.
That said, every teenager needs a Denton Blankenship in his or her life. Lydia's understanding and loving father was the greatest adult in the book., with Mr. Burson, the cat-loving bookstore owner, coming in second.
I was surprised to read at the end that Zentner is a musician and that this is his first novel. I hope that he will write more. I ran through the full range of laughter and tears with this one.
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