As the son of a disgraced Pentecostal snake-handling preacher, Dill has had to face a lot of bullies. The only thing that has kept him sane is his friendship with Travis and Lydia. As senior year begins, Dill feels his sanity eroding as Lydia and Travis make plans fora future away from their small town. Dill believes his future will be working full-time at the grocery store, supporting his mother and paying his father’s large legal debts. He basically feel he has no future. Soon Dill is facing an even harder ending. One that will change everything. Will it change Dill’s life for the better or worse? The Serpent King is a superb novel that stays with you long after you finish reading it.