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Copperhead
What do we do when the people we love hold beliefs that are fundamentally incompatible with who we are?
All Jessup wants is to enjoy his senior year at Cortaca High and get a scholarship to attend college. It doesn’t seem impossible. He’s a standout varsity football player. A good student. He works at the local movie theater to help his mother make ends meet. But it’s hard to live a normal life when everybody in town knows that your stepfather is a white supremacist–a white supremacist who was involved in a violent encounter with two young black college students. And who is about to be released from prison.
But his stepfather, David John, also saved Jessup’s family from imploding, rescuing his mother and giving Jessup and his siblings a safe home for the first time. David John’s release from prison sets off a chain of events that will forever define Jessup’s entry into adulthood, dragging him into the swirling currents of irreconcilable ideologies, crushing loyalties, and unshakeable guilt.
Told with unflinching honesty and a ferocious gaze directed at contemporary America’s darkest corners, Copperhead vibrates with the energy released by football tackles and car crashes. Alexi Zenter unspools the story of boys who think they’re men of the entrenched thinking that supports a split-second decision; and asks whether hatred, bigotry, and violence can ever be unlearned.
All Jessup wants is to enjoy his senior year at Cortaca High and get a scholarship to attend college. It doesn’t seem impossible. He’s a standout varsity football player. A good student. He works at the local movie theater to help his mother make ends meet. But it’s hard to live a normal life when everybody in town knows that your stepfather is a white supremacist–a white supremacist who was involved in a violent encounter with two young black college students. And who is about to be released from prison.
But his stepfather, David John, also saved Jessup’s family from imploding, rescuing his mother and giving Jessup and his siblings a safe home for the first time. David John’s release from prison sets off a chain of events that will forever define Jessup’s entry into adulthood, dragging him into the swirling currents of irreconcilable ideologies, crushing loyalties, and unshakeable guilt.
Told with unflinching honesty and a ferocious gaze directed at contemporary America’s darkest corners, Copperhead vibrates with the energy released by football tackles and car crashes. Alexi Zenter unspools the story of boys who think they’re men of the entrenched thinking that supports a split-second decision; and asks whether hatred, bigotry, and violence can ever be unlearned.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 9, 2019
About the author
Alexi Zentner
9 books128 followersAlexi Zentner lives in upstate New York with his wife and children. His novels have been published in sixteen countries and more than a dozen languages. He is the author of the novel, COPPERHEAD, forthcoming from Viking Penguin on July 9, 2019. He is also the author of the internationally acclaimed novels, THE LOBSTER KINGS, and TOUCH. Under the pseudonym Ezekiel Boone, Alexi is the author of the internationally bestselling THE HATCHING series (THE HATCHING, SKITTER, and ZERO DAY) as well as THE MANSION. Alexi's short fiction has appeared in The Atlantic, Tin House, Glimmer Train, and many other publications, and has won the O. Henry Prize and the Narrative Prize. He holds citizenship in both the USA and Canada. Alexi also has two dogs, both of whom are poorly behaved.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
October 27, 2019
Stories With Mr. Ahamad
Season 2 Episode 2 | Copperhead
https://youtu.be/-AQscnQ1spY
To be honest, I’m surprised that I even finished this book. As a young Black man, reading from the perspective of a reluctant white supremacist was hard to commit to for more than a couple of pages. Thankfully, once I got in about 100 pages deep, the story really picked up and there were some incredible character arcs to read through. Without giving too much away, I LOVE that this is a book about race featuring a white protagonist that isn’t a white savior. Having the main character struggle with his whiteness and family history without trying to save someone of color really made this book feel... I don’t know— raw and earnest. Things got ugly more than once in this book and Alexi Zentner wasn’t shy about what he wanted and needed to say. It’s weird: a lot of this book made me angry and incredibly uncomfortable, but I was appreciative of the fact that it was presented in such a forward way.
I have SOOOOOO MUCH more to say, but I rather save it for a future episode of #BookTube.
PS: So that you’re not waiting, I took points off for the slow and explicit football opening along with a major set piece that shifted the story from super real and believable to fictitious for me. People may disagree with me, and that’s okay, because this is still an important and meaningful piece of work, I just wasn’t 100% in love with it during my entire read.
Anyway, stay tuned!
*** UPDATE ***
I was holding onto this until I officially dropped Season 2 of my #BookTube series, but since I’ve been getting some traffic here lately, I thought now would be a good time.
Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/-AQscnQ1spY
Season 2 Episode 2 | Copperhead
https://youtu.be/-AQscnQ1spY
To be honest, I’m surprised that I even finished this book. As a young Black man, reading from the perspective of a reluctant white supremacist was hard to commit to for more than a couple of pages. Thankfully, once I got in about 100 pages deep, the story really picked up and there were some incredible character arcs to read through. Without giving too much away, I LOVE that this is a book about race featuring a white protagonist that isn’t a white savior. Having the main character struggle with his whiteness and family history without trying to save someone of color really made this book feel... I don’t know— raw and earnest. Things got ugly more than once in this book and Alexi Zentner wasn’t shy about what he wanted and needed to say. It’s weird: a lot of this book made me angry and incredibly uncomfortable, but I was appreciative of the fact that it was presented in such a forward way.
I have SOOOOOO MUCH more to say, but I rather save it for a future episode of #BookTube.
PS: So that you’re not waiting, I took points off for the slow and explicit football opening along with a major set piece that shifted the story from super real and believable to fictitious for me. People may disagree with me, and that’s okay, because this is still an important and meaningful piece of work, I just wasn’t 100% in love with it during my entire read.
Anyway, stay tuned!
*** UPDATE ***
I was holding onto this until I officially dropped Season 2 of my #BookTube series, but since I’ve been getting some traffic here lately, I thought now would be a good time.
Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/-AQscnQ1spY
August 18, 2019
This was an absolute stunning novel about racism in America. The main character is a 17 year old football player whose stepfather has just gotten home from serving a 4 year prison term for accessory to murder. And the stepfather expects his son to go back to the church that they all previously attended, The Blessed Church of the White America. This riveting novel seems pulled from today’s headlines. It is the best novel I have read this year, and I will be recommending it to everyone!!!
August 27, 2019
Genre: Adult Fiction
Publisher: Viking Press
Publication Date: July 9, 2019
Mini-Review
“Copperhead” has a “Sins of the Father” theme. The novel reads like YA, but it is an adult story about racism that asks the question: Can you ever out-run your family history? We meet a 17-year-old high school football player who has a good chance of getting into an Ivy League school on a scholarship. He is the star of the team and his grades are good. He desperately needs this scholarship to be able to attend college. He lives paycheck-to-paycheck in a trailer and takes care of his mom and his 12-year-old sister. His brother and stepfather are in jail for the murder of two black college students. However, the students attacked his brother, not the other way around. The stepfather was only given a four year sentence since he arrived after the murder. His crime was just wiping the murder weapon clean. His family, but not himself, belongs to a white supremacist church. Many in his town call him white-trash, even though he has shown himself to be a decent and hard-working young man. The book begins with his stepfather’s release from prison on the same day of the school’s big game. Throughout the story, we watch the teenage linebacker struggle simply to avoid trouble while remaining loyal to his family and friends. Zentner’s prose is taut and powerful. You can almost hear the music of Johnny Cash playing in the teen’s pick-up truck. But the author never shares how this boy was able to see beyond his family’s beliefs. Most of us can not accomplish this while still living in the family system. Still, this is a heck of a good coming of age story for our times.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Find all my book reviews at:
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https://www.amazon.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
Publisher: Viking Press
Publication Date: July 9, 2019
Mini-Review
“Copperhead” has a “Sins of the Father” theme. The novel reads like YA, but it is an adult story about racism that asks the question: Can you ever out-run your family history? We meet a 17-year-old high school football player who has a good chance of getting into an Ivy League school on a scholarship. He is the star of the team and his grades are good. He desperately needs this scholarship to be able to attend college. He lives paycheck-to-paycheck in a trailer and takes care of his mom and his 12-year-old sister. His brother and stepfather are in jail for the murder of two black college students. However, the students attacked his brother, not the other way around. The stepfather was only given a four year sentence since he arrived after the murder. His crime was just wiping the murder weapon clean. His family, but not himself, belongs to a white supremacist church. Many in his town call him white-trash, even though he has shown himself to be a decent and hard-working young man. The book begins with his stepfather’s release from prison on the same day of the school’s big game. Throughout the story, we watch the teenage linebacker struggle simply to avoid trouble while remaining loyal to his family and friends. Zentner’s prose is taut and powerful. You can almost hear the music of Johnny Cash playing in the teen’s pick-up truck. But the author never shares how this boy was able to see beyond his family’s beliefs. Most of us can not accomplish this while still living in the family system. Still, this is a heck of a good coming of age story for our times.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/review...
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr...
https://www.instagram.com/martie6947/
https://www.pinterest.com/martienreco...\
https://www.amazon.com/
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord
November 26, 2019
Wow what a book - loved the structure and the titles of the chapters and can’t believe most of the book took place in one weekend
A book that really makes you think about so many things
A book that really makes you think about so many things
August 23, 2019
I really appreciate what the author was trying to do, but it just seemed overly contrived with each character designed so that we could arrive a certain conclusion. His father (or significantly his stepfather), his girlfriend, his girlfriend’s father (the coach), his friend, and even the police were all written in a way to sit snugly into the plot, and sometimes that presented ambiguities left unanswered. Despite those minor points, it was a worthy attempt at dealing with a difficult topic.
August 26, 2019
This was a sparely written, thought-provoking, and ultimately hopeful book that kept me guessing about how it would end. As it takes place in Ithaca (renamed Cortaca), it was a bit like looking at my hometown in a funhouse mirror. I wouldn't have made all of the same narrative choices, but I found this to be a satisfying read.
August 1, 2019
I’d recommend this book to anyone. It’s definitely written for an older audience than The Hate U Give, so it was more interesting for me to read. Maybe that’s because I didn’t need the Black Lives Matter explained to me (although of course that wasn’t always true). I definitely still need the people in white supremacy groups explained to me. This book didn’t quite give you an insider perspective, but it wasn’t far off. It reminded me of of the way Harper Lee explained racism in Go Set A Watchman, or How Kevin Roose explained Born again Christians to me in The Unlikely Disciple. A glimpse behind the curtain to see how and why people unlike me think. The book isn’t perfect. The ending is disappointingly Hollywood, although I would accept that sort of Hollywood ending in the next election in a heartbeat. In any case, this book has sports and friendship and the problems with growing up, like Beartown, and like Beartown, the community as a whole is fleshed out in a very satisfying way, helping the reader understand the pressures Jessup feels as he tries to navigate his way. I could have read another 100 pages if the author had given them to me.
March 9, 2021
"Es ist nur, nun, das macht es schwer. Du hast keine Wahl, weißt du? Du wirst geboren,wenn du geboren wirst, deine Eltern sind deine Eltern, und die Dinge geschehen, wie sie gescchehen. EIniges davon ist gut, einiges nicht. Ich kann dir mein ganzes Leben erzählen, aber wenn du nicht dabei warst, wenn du nicht wie ich großgezogen wurdest, ergibt es keinen Sinn für dich."S.137
Eine Farbe zwischen Liebe und Hass ist vor allem aufgrund seiner Perspektive ein besonderes Werk. Aus der Sicht eines weißen Teenagers, dessen Familie einer radikal- nationalistischen-rassistischen Kirche, der Kirche des Weißen Amerikas angehört, beschäftigt sich das Werk mit Problemen der amerikanischen Gesellschaft und den Schwierigkeiten eines Jungen, der versucht, aus dieser Gemeinschaft des Hasses auszubrechen und dabei doch immer wieder in Zwiespalt gerät.
Meine Meinung:
Das Werk von Alexi Zentner ist sehr eindrücklich geschrieben. Der Autor versucht darin nach eigenen Angaben, sich in die Rolle des Jungen auf der anderen Seite hineinzuversetzen, da er selbst ein Attentat von Neonazis auf das Haus seiner Eltern, engagierter Bürgerrechtler, erlebt hat- und dies gelingt im meisterhaft.
Jessups Geschichte mag fiktiv sein, aber sie regt einen beim Lesen dennoch zum Nachdenken an. Wie kann man Aussteigern aus der Neonazi/ White Power Szene den Ausstieg erleichtern? Und gerade dieses Nachdenken, dieser geradezu bestehende Zwang, mit Jessup, der aufgrund seiner Herkunft und trotz all seiner Ziele, sich von seinem Hintergrund zu distanzieren, offen angefeindet wird, mitzufühlen und die Gesellschaft in Frage zu stellen, regt doch zum Nachdenken an. Die Erzählung ist in einem sehr ernsten, aber aufgrund der Thematik auch angemessenen Ton gehalten und gerade aufgrund der enthaltenen Kontroversen teilweise emotional schwer zu lesen.
Die Charaktere und Szenen sind realistisch gezeichnet, die Kürze der einzelnen Abschnitte verstärkt noch den Eindruck, den Jessups Perspektive der Geschichte verleiht.
Mir war die Handlung zwar auf einen zu kurzen Zeitraum fokussiert, aber die Aussage der Geschichte und deren Effekt ist doch rübergekommen.
Fazit: Ein ernstes Buch mit zwar bekannter, ernster Thematik, das doch zum Nachdenken anstößt und gerade aufgrund seiner Perspektive besonders ist.
Read
May 24, 2020
August 14, 2019
I'm hovering between three and four stars. This was one strange novel that evoked very conflicting emotions within me.
This is the story about a white American teenager growing up in a racially charged current America while being affiliated to a white supremacy church. Jessup Collins stepdad and his brother are in jail for killing two black men in a crime that we're told as an unfortunate event but manipulated by the media into a hate crime. Jessup hasn't gone to the church for four years but everyone knows his story and believes him and his family to be racists. Throughout the novel, Jessup faces a number of conflicts and tries to be true to himself though he does fail a number of times.
I do like the flow of the novel and the focus on the importance of loving your family no matter what. I've rated it for making me think about the other side of the coin but I do believe this novel could've been better.
This is the story about a white American teenager growing up in a racially charged current America while being affiliated to a white supremacy church. Jessup Collins stepdad and his brother are in jail for killing two black men in a crime that we're told as an unfortunate event but manipulated by the media into a hate crime. Jessup hasn't gone to the church for four years but everyone knows his story and believes him and his family to be racists. Throughout the novel, Jessup faces a number of conflicts and tries to be true to himself though he does fail a number of times.
I do like the flow of the novel and the focus on the importance of loving your family no matter what. I've rated it for making me think about the other side of the coin but I do believe this novel could've been better.
June 25, 2019
"Copperhead" gets at some of the core questions about racism, especially as seen and experienced in small-town America. Why do people hate for no reason? Can anyone raised by white supremacists grow out of that world view? Author Alexi Zentner, who is Jewish, says he's been thinking about these topics his whole life. His parents, Canadian social workers and activists, saw their office firebombed by white supremacists twice when he was a teenager.
Read more in my story for Binghamton University's Discover-e: https://discovere.binghamton.edu/news...
Read more in my story for Binghamton University's Discover-e: https://discovere.binghamton.edu/news...
July 29, 2020
Solid 4 stars
Copperhead wasn't really on my radar until my co-workers started talking about it.
I really really like this book. It's a strange read though- in the way that Rage (by Richard Bachmann) is a strange read. Both stories make you see what is normally perceived as evil and nefarious with more humanity and ethos.
Many things Jessup's people said about white pride and their racist remarks were, unfortunately, a little too familiar to me. A few of my own family members have shared some of the same sentiments, though not to the extremist nature of Jessup's family and church.
Regarding that type of person, what also struck me is how after stripping away the insanity of white power and such bizarre hate,there is a good person underneath it all. Those family members of mine that have similar views are good people, just ignorant. Or maybe that's the exception we make for the people we love, like Jessup and David John.
I'm also a huge fan of how Zentner writes- it flows in a way that almost feels real time, the thoughts quick and clipped, but relatable when your mind is running in so many different directions. In many ways, his writing is artful.
Copperhead wasn't really on my radar until my co-workers started talking about it.
I really really like this book. It's a strange read though- in the way that Rage (by Richard Bachmann) is a strange read. Both stories make you see what is normally perceived as evil and nefarious with more humanity and ethos.
Many things Jessup's people said about white pride and their racist remarks were, unfortunately, a little too familiar to me. A few of my own family members have shared some of the same sentiments, though not to the extremist nature of Jessup's family and church.
Regarding that type of person, what also struck me is how after stripping away the insanity of white power and such bizarre hate,there is a good person underneath it all. Those family members of mine that have similar views are good people, just ignorant. Or maybe that's the exception we make for the people we love, like Jessup and David John.
I'm also a huge fan of how Zentner writes- it flows in a way that almost feels real time, the thoughts quick and clipped, but relatable when your mind is running in so many different directions. In many ways, his writing is artful.
October 2, 2023
I never felt like I really got into this book like I have some others. I’m not sure if is was because of the book itself or just that I wasn’t able to read it in good chunks (usually how I like to read books). That being said, I haven’t read a book like it before; it was unique. I liked the short chapters and that each chapter was titled.
Overall it was a good book and I’d recommend it to friends!
Overall it was a good book and I’d recommend it to friends!
July 19, 2019
A very interesting read that made me think. Can see how it’s not for everyone tho
January 22, 2020
I’d put this story closer to 4.5 stars.
October 17, 2023
A really good book! I liked it a lot but I wish I didn’t read the epilogue , that kinda brings it down to a 3.5 for me. Was just a bit too much of a happy ending for me and I think that took away from magnitude of the problem in the book
June 3, 2024
an interesting coming of age read about a 17 year old boy who grows up in a white supremacist community. it’s an interesting perspective and I enjoyed how jessup challenged his family’s and community’s beliefs, questioning his own morality. the conclusion of the book is questionable when dealing with consequences & justice, but the fact that jessup is self aware of his privilege concerning his consequence is somewhat satisfying enough
October 31, 2023
No one is born hating another person because of the colour of their skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. -Nelson Mandala
This powerful book will stay with me for a very long time! I wasn’t sure where the words were taking me at first, but the journey was worth it.
“It looks like this: the light swallows the darkness”
This powerful book will stay with me for a very long time! I wasn’t sure where the words were taking me at first, but the journey was worth it.
“It looks like this: the light swallows the darkness”
November 22, 2022
2.5, rounded down. it felt a little too topical/buzzy for me, but it did leave me with a lot to think about
September 9, 2019
I seriously don't know what to say about the book. I get the premise, there are white kids who have the deck stacked against them but still try to follow the rules, and there are privileged black kids who can be real asses. But, here is the thing, if a kid ends up dead because of what you did, because you murdered them, then you do have to be held accountable. Hinting that the hate preached by white supremacist church you attended and your family continues to attend, as the reason for your actions is simply bogus. I get what the author is trying to say but I don't buy it.
August 6, 2019
Raced through this... really compelling, well-paced. The book focuses on race and religion and violence in the US and also adolescence. All this without being preachy. The author does an excellent job of letting things get messy in a real way - not shying away from the complexity of people. The one disappointment for me was the ending -- everything came together too neatly. It was the one spot where things were unbelievable.
May 23, 2021
Beautifully written and perfectly paced. I haven’t read a book this compelling in a long time.
March 31, 2023
this book really made me think and was a very meaningful book to me. definitely a good read, easy to understand, and read in a day. :))
April 27, 2022
The author lays out on the first page the themes of this book and what his intentions are. "I wanted to look more closely at how our sense of morality both mutates and crystallizes as we come of age. I wanted to explore how hatred can complicate love, how love can make us blind to the danger around us, and how racism and hate are at work even in the lives of those who don't think they've chosen a side".
Well, if that's what the author wanted to show, then I think he did a very good job. Let's start with the prose though. This is going to be a matter of preference, but for me, I enjoy descriptive. Perhaps it's because my first love is Fantasy, but world building matters to me. I enjoy being able to paint an image based on the prose. Zentner has a very sparse prose though, that while I was able to get use to it, it is far from my favourite. It is however very simple and quick to read.
Small quibble aside there, this is a story about a kid who has to reconcile various facts and come to terms with what they might mean. In this particular case he has a step father who is patient, will study algebra so he can help the kids with their homework, believes in hard work, treats his mother well, doesn't drink, doesn't swear, believes in God and family. But he's also a racist. And that's one element of the book. Jessup trying to come to terms with where he stands in context to his family and battling with the fact he loves them.
Another element of the book is his step dad trying to reconcile with his beliefs on family and the fact that his bigotry may not be what's in said family's best interests. These themes lead to a story that is frustrating, at times hard to read, saddening, and touching. Such a myriad of up and down emotions that made for a very compelling read.
Then we have the plot. I don't want to spoil anything here, but suffice to say I was feeling it at first, but then it entered a territory that I thought was frankly a bit to far over the line of believability from a story standpoint. Does diminish the story a little bit. I also felt that characters arguably develop to fast. A pet peeve of mine is characters that feel like they're doing a 180 personality wise rather than gradual changes. I wouldn't say it felt quite 180 here, but it's definitely not gradual either.
So what do I rate this? You know what, it's got significant flaws, but as I sit here contemplating the rating I realize, I don't care. It's not perfect, but the engrossing themes, the emotional rollercoaster, and depicting a very sensitive issue with humanity...it's a 5 in my book.
Well, if that's what the author wanted to show, then I think he did a very good job. Let's start with the prose though. This is going to be a matter of preference, but for me, I enjoy descriptive. Perhaps it's because my first love is Fantasy, but world building matters to me. I enjoy being able to paint an image based on the prose. Zentner has a very sparse prose though, that while I was able to get use to it, it is far from my favourite. It is however very simple and quick to read.
Small quibble aside there, this is a story about a kid who has to reconcile various facts and come to terms with what they might mean. In this particular case he has a step father who is patient, will study algebra so he can help the kids with their homework, believes in hard work, treats his mother well, doesn't drink, doesn't swear, believes in God and family. But he's also a racist. And that's one element of the book. Jessup trying to come to terms with where he stands in context to his family and battling with the fact he loves them.
Another element of the book is his step dad trying to reconcile with his beliefs on family and the fact that his bigotry may not be what's in said family's best interests. These themes lead to a story that is frustrating, at times hard to read, saddening, and touching. Such a myriad of up and down emotions that made for a very compelling read.
Then we have the plot. I don't want to spoil anything here, but suffice to say I was feeling it at first, but then it entered a territory that I thought was frankly a bit to far over the line of believability from a story standpoint. Does diminish the story a little bit. I also felt that characters arguably develop to fast. A pet peeve of mine is characters that feel like they're doing a 180 personality wise rather than gradual changes. I wouldn't say it felt quite 180 here, but it's definitely not gradual either.
So what do I rate this? You know what, it's got significant flaws, but as I sit here contemplating the rating I realize, I don't care. It's not perfect, but the engrossing themes, the emotional rollercoaster, and depicting a very sensitive issue with humanity...it's a 5 in my book.
October 18, 2020
3.99 stars. A fast-moving and engaging contemporary coming-of-age novel addressing race and class in an upstate New York college town and the surrounding local community. A keen and affecting depiction of the conflict between the liberal left and alt-right religious politics. This novel is intentionally uncomfortable as the characters grapple with their own beliefs of right and wrong, especially when the people they love are on opposing fields.
I bought this book while visiting a college town in CT and coincidentally started reading it during a visit to my alma mater in upstate NY, Ithaca College. It was still packed in my luggage “to be read” when I discovered that the author was a Cornell professor and resident of Ithaca (thanks to the “local authors” section at Buffalo Street Books!)
The fictional town of Cortaca, NY is clearly based on Ithaca, made more alive for me following my 6.5 hour drive from Maine to upstate NY. The communities outside of Ithaca are similar to what Zentner describes: beautiful farmlands with dilapidated barns built high in the hills and homes with exposed Tyvek on at least one side of the houses. The image complete with the many Trump flags and the occasional confederate flag expressing hate, despair or both? Then, as you approach Cornell University and Ithaca center you see BLM signs and Biden/Harris. Modern buildings of steel and glass spring up on this hillside. The divide between ideology is as clear as the divide between the inhabitants of downtown Ithaca and the outlying area.
Zentner does a fabulous job of creating tension between these opposing communities, keeping the reader on edge. A page turning story that kept me reading almost nonstop.
I bought this book while visiting a college town in CT and coincidentally started reading it during a visit to my alma mater in upstate NY, Ithaca College. It was still packed in my luggage “to be read” when I discovered that the author was a Cornell professor and resident of Ithaca (thanks to the “local authors” section at Buffalo Street Books!)
The fictional town of Cortaca, NY is clearly based on Ithaca, made more alive for me following my 6.5 hour drive from Maine to upstate NY. The communities outside of Ithaca are similar to what Zentner describes: beautiful farmlands with dilapidated barns built high in the hills and homes with exposed Tyvek on at least one side of the houses. The image complete with the many Trump flags and the occasional confederate flag expressing hate, despair or both? Then, as you approach Cornell University and Ithaca center you see BLM signs and Biden/Harris. Modern buildings of steel and glass spring up on this hillside. The divide between ideology is as clear as the divide between the inhabitants of downtown Ithaca and the outlying area.
Zentner does a fabulous job of creating tension between these opposing communities, keeping the reader on edge. A page turning story that kept me reading almost nonstop.
March 21, 2020
I really liked the main character in this book. Jessup is a teen who is starting to gain awareness of the world around him and beginning to form opinions of his own that are diametrically opposed to (what he thinks are) his family's and (what are very much) his church's — which he's stopped going to, thank you very much. You see, the church, run by his step uncle, is The Blessed Church of the White America. It's about the conflict of loving your family while also hating the things they seem to stand for and believe in. It's about Jessup's desire to completely distance himself from everyone, but still being compelled by the love he has for his sweet younger sister, his mother who has worked tirelessly to raise him well, his stepfather who has been the only father he's ever known, who taught him to work hard at school, to live up to his potential, the man who would put himself before everything to save his family. It's about the struggle of reconciling this family full of love with this community of hate.
That's not to say Jessup is a saint. He messes up BIG TIME. And I was kind of annoyed that you don't really find out much about the outcome of that until the epilogue. The book was more about the fracture. Which was great. But I felt there was SO much in the epilogue that was dealt with very quickly and felt a little glossed over. Which was... almost a little anti-climactic? I don't know.
I thought the tension was built really well otherwise, though. I thought the Big Scene that IS the climax of the book was really well done. The comedown is what felt like could have used a little more... oomph. The characters were really well developed though, especially Jessup and his stepfather David John. I thought their relationship was really interesting and very realistic. Jessup's internal monologue fighting himself about his stepdad (never dad; he's not his dad, okay?!) was really well done. The relationship dynamics were really well done. Jessup is very much a teenage boy.
I think I'd give this a 3.5/5. It was a difficult read, but I liked it.
That's not to say Jessup is a saint. He messes up BIG TIME. And I was kind of annoyed that you don't really find out much about the outcome of that until the epilogue. The book was more about the fracture. Which was great. But I felt there was SO much in the epilogue that was dealt with very quickly and felt a little glossed over. Which was... almost a little anti-climactic? I don't know.
I thought the tension was built really well otherwise, though. I thought the Big Scene that IS the climax of the book was really well done. The comedown is what felt like could have used a little more... oomph. The characters were really well developed though, especially Jessup and his stepfather David John. I thought their relationship was really interesting and very realistic. Jessup's internal monologue fighting himself about his stepdad (never dad; he's not his dad, okay?!) was really well done. The relationship dynamics were really well done. Jessup is very much a teenage boy.
I think I'd give this a 3.5/5. It was a difficult read, but I liked it.
September 18, 2019
Copperhead examines today's climate of racism through the eyes of Jessup, a 17-year-old white boy living in upstate NY (Ithaca - not very subtly renamed Corsaca). Jessup wants nothing more than to play football, get close to his bi-racial girlfriend (daughter of his football coach), and go away somewhere to college. But he is stained with the reputation of his family who attend the Blessed Church of White America and the crimes of his brother and stepfather, who went to prison for killing 2 black men who attacked them.
Through most of this book, I was reminded of reading Native Son, where one terrible accident leads to all sorts of poor choices and it was clear that nothing good was going to come of anything. I liked the development of Jessup's character - he is clearly caught up in too much for a teenager to have to live with - but thought the other characters were a little less well-developed. Happy to see some hope at the end.
Through most of this book, I was reminded of reading Native Son, where one terrible accident leads to all sorts of poor choices and it was clear that nothing good was going to come of anything. I liked the development of Jessup's character - he is clearly caught up in too much for a teenager to have to live with - but thought the other characters were a little less well-developed. Happy to see some hope at the end.
February 3, 2020
A very powerful and sometimes painful description of a young man struggling to find the right path forward in the context of his white supremacist family. Jessup lives in upstate New York where he plays football, gets good grades, plans to get out of there once he gets a college acceptance, and takes care of his mom and sister while his stepfather and brother are in prison for a racially motivated crime. But the night his stepfather gets out of jail, a terrible accident leads to consequences that spiral out of Jessup's control.
This book is high energy and I had a hard time putting it down; it's written in short chapters, bursts of text, and the action keeps moving. It was very painful to read at times - Zentner doesn't shy away from depicting overt racism (including an alt-right, white supremacist Christian church) and he also doesn't make his characters one-dimensional. The character of David John (Jessup's stepfather) felt especially complex and real to me as a reader - he is someone who has provided a loving and stable family for Jessup and his siblings and is an exemplary parent, except that he's also inculcated them with his white supremacist beliefs. There aren't too many easy villains here - the white characters say and do terrible things while also acting in a kind and loving way in different contexts. Zentner never wavers from showing the horror (his moral stance as the author is clear, starting with the foreword to the book), and one of the strengths of the book is the way it puts the reader in the uncomfortable position of empathizing with some of the characters while being horrified by their actions.
This book is high energy and I had a hard time putting it down; it's written in short chapters, bursts of text, and the action keeps moving. It was very painful to read at times - Zentner doesn't shy away from depicting overt racism (including an alt-right, white supremacist Christian church) and he also doesn't make his characters one-dimensional. The character of David John (Jessup's stepfather) felt especially complex and real to me as a reader - he is someone who has provided a loving and stable family for Jessup and his siblings and is an exemplary parent, except that he's also inculcated them with his white supremacist beliefs. There aren't too many easy villains here - the white characters say and do terrible things while also acting in a kind and loving way in different contexts. Zentner never wavers from showing the horror (his moral stance as the author is clear, starting with the foreword to the book), and one of the strengths of the book is the way it puts the reader in the uncomfortable position of empathizing with some of the characters while being horrified by their actions.
December 29, 2023
Really interesting commentary on racial tensions in the US and their dangerous potential. I really felt like the story was real and could take place in our day and age in the US or even in other places in North America. It really is a heartbreaking story that left me questioning a lot of decisions and philosophies and wondering how I would’ve acted if I were in the main character’s place. Many of the events in this place will make you uncomfortable and will have you questioning societal norms and what is ‘wrong vs. Right’.
July 12, 2020
It took me about 85 pages to get into this book, but I understand that those 85 pages were needed to help you understand the characters before the true action started, and once you get there the first 85 pages were so worth it. The author has a wonderful command of his characters and is able to have them reflect on themselves and their situation in ways that are not at all trite - or even expected. I do wish the book had stopped before the epilogue because the first ending was so strong, and the tying up of loose ends afterward was too over the top, but despite that, this is a book that will certainly stay with me.
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