Review of The Serpent's Tail

[Faithy_Goody_Star]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Serpent's Tail" by Deb Daulton Thibodeau.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Written in verse form, the author narrated the story of how she was raised at the center of religious extremism. This led to all kinds of abuses, including physical abuse, of her and other children by so-called leaders. Her parents were living a pretty normal life until her father heard the Word of God. Hungry for more, he went in search of more knowledge. Unfortunately, his path crossed with Brother Branham and Leo Mercier, messengers of the gospel. Soon, Leo hatched a plan that involved believers living in a secluded area to prepare for the coming of the lord. This place was called The Park. The Park was the beginning of the author’s misery and that of her siblings, parents, and others living there. For instance, the suppression and subduing of adult women were the order of the day. Men, too, submitted to a higher authority and had little say in their families. Children were beaten mercilessly for little or no misdoings. Read this book to find out more about the author’s experiences in and outside The Park.

Being a twin myself, the author's introduction of her twin stuck with me. She narrated their characters and activities while growing up. She also wrote about her death and the activities surrounding it, as well as the impact it had on her. Furthermore, the author wrote about her deep interest in books growing up. This fascinated me because I love hearing about people who started reading as children. I would not be out of line to assume that her early reading habits played a part in her impeccable writing in this masterful piece.

While reading The Serpent’s Tail by Deb Daulton Thibodeau, I could not help but imagine the horrors the author and other humans (and even animals) passed through at the hands of the religious bigot at the helm of affairs. It was a heart-wrenching read, to say the least. I hoped that the content would somehow become a fictional book because the suffering and pain were too much to be inflicted by actual human beings with feelings.

From this book, we recognize the influence religious leaders can have on their followers, especially adults who should ordinarily have some form of autonomy. Parents must ensure their children are safe from religious bigots. Furthermore, I could not help but wonder how an effective government could have prevented this, at least regarding the abuse inflicted on children.

Books written in verse form are not very familiar to me. So it amazed me at how gripping and clear this approach made the narration of the author’s experiences. While this book is a memoir, it is indeed an actual work of art. The words flowed seamlessly, and the presence of elements like figurative language made it a delightful read.

There was nothing I disliked about the book. Again, it was professionally edited, as I found a few minor errors. Coupled with the editing and how I feel about the book, as highlighted above, The Serpent’s Tail deserves nothing less than four out of four stars. I recommend the book to individuals interested in reading about the life of the author in The Park, as they will find it engaging.

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The Serpent's Tail
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[Fearnia Laurel]

It seems a bit surreal to me that places like The Park exist somewhere, but it is the harsh reality that I must face. In doing so, I hope it would do justice to the author who have tried to bring awareness on the issue of religious bigot and to all the victims of it. I don't think I've ever read books in verse form so I don't know how I would like it. I will give it a try first. Thank you for the review.

[Sumto Nii]

Religious extremism and ignorance is very dangerous. It can make you to act stupid and confused. I am happy the author was able to break free. Good book. Great review.

[Odala J Phiri]

Always it's good to remember that too much is poisonous in some instances. Saying this because of how deeper her father got affected by the information that he accumulated. Thanks very much for the review.