Serpent King, The

This coming of age novel for grade 11-12 students follows three misfit best friends in rural Tennessee as they face their senior year of school and deal with finishing school and their impending futures. Each is faced with either leaving their community to forge a better future or staying with limited opportunities available. The novel presents a realistic portrayal of youth issues and problems, addresses issues of grief, poverty, and abuse, and highlights the importance of friendship to get through personal trials. Suitable for a class novel, independent study, or small group study. Social considerations were identified.