Copperhead by Alexi Zentner (2019) - Fiction

A novel tackling the age-old dilemma of facing the "Sins of your father" in a racially charged modern setting

Copperhead's protagonist is a high school senior named Jessup who is focused on doing well in school and football. The only time he seeks attention is from college football scouts in hopes of earning a scholarship. He lives in the fictitious town of Cortaca, New York with his mother, younger sister, and his step father David John, who was sent to prison along with Jessup's brother. David John and the brother committed a murder in what appears to be self-defense against two African American college students. Because of their affiliation with an overtly White supremacist church and their racist tattoos they had almost no chance of getting away without prison time.

The same day David John is released from prison Jessup's world comes crashing down with an accident involving an African American teenager. Zentner effectively drags the reader into a sense of helplessness with a focus on the family tattoos and corresponding crisis: "the entire family marked, no matter that Jessup is clean of ink. He's stained anyway" (p. 252).

The narrative moves quickly with chapters ranging from only 1-4 pages in length and the entire 340 pages covering only about 72 hours. Zentner keeps the tension high by writing from a close third person perspective; never venturing anywhere outside of Jessup's limited point of view. This deepens our empathy and increases our anxiety for Jessup as he feebly attempts to navigate a world in which he's thrusts into the national spotlight for what is perceived as a racially charged crime. He repeatedly attempts to console himself with "I didn't do anything wrong" only to be met with hostility even from people he trusts and an increasing sense of powerlessness, "Jessup wants to push back, but he's not even sure what he's pushing back against. It feels like everything has been taken out of his hands" (p. 204).

Because of a relentless and tactful focus on the core dilemmas of racial injustice, political stigmatization, and family loyalty vs. personal responsibility, Zentner manages to evoke feelings of despair reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and feelings of injustice as seen in Richard Wright's Native Son. Some critics will gawk at how I just compared Alexi Zentner to the likes of such renowned writers; however, the fact stands that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see how Jessup would handle the increasing external and internal pressures.

Zenter does not sacrifice "message" over style. He doesn't convey many clear-cut lessons, but rather, forces all readers to question their own values in the face of injustice. In addition, he scrambles our own biases towards people who seem completely different than us and forces us to see their complexities. David John is the prime example of this. Unless you're a White supremacist you'll abhor his tattoos. However, it's hard to neglect all the good he has done for his family. He helped bring Jessup's mom out of alcoholism; provided financial stability for everyone in the family; raised Jessup to work hard and show respect; and even hates when people in his family curse. It would be a lot easier to hate him if you just labeled him as ignorant racist hick, but Zenter doesn't make it easy. You could even argue that the novel would have a much less redeeming ending if it weren't for the fatherly guidance of David John.

Without writing a clunky manifesto Zenter is able to open up conversations about race, family, religion, and inequalities that literature academics and general readers will enjoy.

Not all is shiny for Alexi Zenter. Michael Schaub from the LA Times makes a fair assessment of one Copperhead pitfall, "the book ends with an ill-advised epilogue, set 14 years after the events of the novel, that’s essentially a white liberal redemption fantasy." For me it's not whole epilogue that misses the mark. It's the fact that it seems too much of a good thing for Zenter or anyone sharing his views. Like a dessert that's too sweet after a well-balanced dinner. Maybe the last few pages should be seen as a shout out to his family since Jessup's life seems to share some similarities with Zenter's real life childhood.

Although not explicitly written for young adults it does feel this way. With main characters in their upper teens, a quickly paced style, and key topics of family and identity, it would fit well in a high school or college curriculum. But anyone with an open mind and heart will enjoy this book.

Highest Score - 5 Trophies

Writing: 🏆🏆🏆🏆

Readability: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Plot: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Characters: 🏆🏆🏆🏆

Overall: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆