Customer Reviews

The House Of The Scorpion

5 star:		(296)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

You will find this in the YA or the Juvenile section but don't let that keep you from reading it. If I could give it 10 stars I would. This National Book Award Winner is one of the best near future sci-fi thriller novels written in the past few years. Early in the novel, Matt discovers he is a clone in a future where clones are thought of as little more than animals. Matt is the clone of a very powerful drug lord, and because of this, he enjoys a much more comfortable life than most. Matt learns a lot in the course of the novel...perhaps the most frightening of these is that there are many reasons for cloning one's self. I hear a lot of people review books and say things like "a page turner" and "you won't want to put it down." I read a lot and usually don't have too much trouble putting a book down if something else catches my eye or if it's late at night. This one kept me up until three a.m. This "Newbery Honor" is head and shoulders above the winner of the medal for 2003. (Crispin isn't even in the same league as this book). This is also head and shoulders above most SF books of 2003! Give it a look you won't be sorry!

May I gush for a moment about Nancy Farmer? Please bow, one and all, for the premiere sci-fi children's author of the day. The successor, to my mind, of Madeline L'Engle with a hint of Mildred Taylor for flair. She won me over initially with her extraordinary "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" and reeled me in completely with "House of the Scorpion". In this, her latest offering, the moral implications of cloning and the drug wars are brought to terrifying extremes. And yet who knew that organ farming could be so readable? The main character, Matteo, is followed from his very conception to the age of fourteen. The book does not, surprisingly, dwell too closely on the nature of existence and Matteo's own appearance on the globe. Instead, it chooses to simply lay out a world in which the drug lords of South America have created their own land and laws. The book abounds with interesting characters and ideas. Though I found it odd that member of the Alacran clan would openly despise their leader's clone before him, there are few missteps in this powerful novel. That it was a Newberry Honor Book impresses me especially. Some parents will undoubtedly find the depictions of violence that spot this book (and they do certainly crop up at regular intervals) too much for younger children, just as older kids will adore the gorier details. Like "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm", this is a wordy tale. It is 380 pages in length and it feels it. And truthfully, the first false climax, when Matt escapes the land of Opium, seems as if it should be the end of the book, only to open up into a whole new story. I would be very interested to know if any teachers have read this book to their students. Just the same, consider this book highly recommended and Ms. Farmer a master of wordplay.

The House of the Scorpion, written by Newberry Honor book author, Nancy Farmer, has earned the National Book Award and is a Junior Library Guild Selection. An excellent example of literary merit, this novel draws you into its unique settings and expansive characters. You truly feel as if you are lost in the Poppy Fields in the midday heat on El Patron's estate or coughing and itching along with Matt as he endures months of captivity in a room filled with chicken litter and roaches. Farmer's characters are so believable you find yourself feeling compassion for a clone, and anger at those who treat him as anything less than human. Farmer cleverly uses figurative language and understatements to slowly build your curiosity and the suspense. You struggle along with Matt as he attempts to understand his purpose and what those who love him are trying desperately to convey to him.
"So many hints! So many clues! Like a pebble that starts an avalanche, Matt's fear shook loose more and more memories. Why had Tam Lin given him a chest full of supplies and maps? Why had Maria run from him when they found MacGregor's clone in the hospital? Because she knew! They all knew!"

The characters never are able to tell Matt directly what he so desperately wants to know.
"They're looking for you everywhere.....They've sent bodyguards to comb the stables and fields..... `Why are they looking for me?' (Matt desperately wants to know.) `You have to know. Tam Lin said you were too clever not to figure it out.' Matt felt turned to stone. The bodyguard evidently gave him more credit than he deserved. Matt hadn't figured it out- not really-until a few minutes ago."

Although this book has a science fictional flair to it, it appeals to a wider range of readers including those who enjoy suspense and mysteries. As well as, readers who are not afraid of controversial topics like cloning, drug lords, brain-deadened eejits and wealth that surpass morals and the laws. Within a classroom, this book could be used to stimulate discussions on present day controversies of cloning, stem cell research as well as nature vs. nurture, since Matt and El Patron had the same DNA however turned out to be very different people.

This is YA fiction at its best: an epic story about life-changing events and human strength, appropriate for middle schoolers but totally readable for any teen or adult reader, and a book that can be enjoyed by male or female readers. The protagonist, Matteo, is male, but the story is universal and not to be missed by any literature fan. This is one of those books that can change a middle schooler from a non-reader to a reader.

The story unfolds gradually, as we learn about Matt and his life as a clone, a second-class citizen, growing up in the sprawling mansion of rich and powerful feudal drug lord El Patron, the man from whose DNA Matt was cloned. Matt is unsure of his place in the world, and he needs to learn about the inner workings of the household and its members, the robot-like people who farm opium, the politics of the land El Patron rules between the US and Mexico, as well as Matt's own purpose in life (why did El Patron make a clone? Is Matt his ultimate heir or is there a darker purpose?). The reader is along for Matt's journey of self-discovery, as he figures out who to trust and where the real truth lies. Along the way, Matt finds love as well as boyhood friendship and bonding.

There's an important lesson in here about the fate of those who grow up inside cults: When Matt figures out what is right and wrong in the world, will he be able to make the right choice and reject the powerful but evil man who brought him into this world? What if your hero is a kind man to you, but reviled by the rest of the world?

Another interesting aspect of the story is the way the future echoes the past. In the futuristic world of House of the Scorpion, some places have reverted to the dark ages, with feudal lords ruling over people who can do nothing but farm the land. Students of history will have an interesting time contrasting the future portrayed in this book with the "evils" of the past.

The epic story of Matt's childhood, personal growth, and his final destiny makes for great reading. This is highly recommended to readers of all ages. My one complaint is that it starts a little slow, and the majority of the action is packed into the second half, so if you are having trouble getting into this book, I implore you to charge on, because the journey is very worthwhile. In addition to the national awards bestowed on this book, it was also the RI Teen Book Award winner for 2005.

Number of family members and friends who have read my one copy of "The House of the Scorpion": 4 (and counting)
Number of days it took one 12-year-old girl, one 14-year-old boy, one 22-year-old recent Stanford grad, and one 49-year-old mom to read "The House of the Scorpion": 8
Number of copies of "The House of the Scorpion" I plan to purchase for birthday and holiday gifts: 10 (and counting)
This book deserves to take off faster than Harry Potter, and because it won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, it just might do that. Bravo -- for Matt, and for Nancy Farmer!

This is a wonderful book with good characters and fascinating story. Unusual for a "children's" book author, Farmer brings up some issues within this story that merit thought and discussion -- primarily the issue of human cloning and a drug culture gone amok. I read this book out loud to my two sons, ages 7 and 9. The action scenes played well with my younger son while the ethical issues caused several questions to be asked by my older son. And, although I feared a quick wrapup of the plot at the end, tying together all loose strings, Farmer resists this temptation, leading the reader to wonder just what Matt will do with his future. Will he truly shut down Opium or will power go to his head (he is, after all, a clone of El Patron). Farmer leaves the door open for a possible sequel, but fortunately, the reader is not left hanging from a cliff. Well done!

I agree wholeheartedly with Ursula K. Le Guin's comments on the back cover, and with the published reviews; along with an exciting plot, Ms. Farmer gives readers a thoroughly imagined future setting, moral passion, and characters we can relate to on a human level. Little Matt has lived all his life (until age 6) in a shack in the fields with his loving guardian, the cook Celia. When other children discover him, Matt is both scared and excited. He longs to make contact with the other kids, but, when he tries, both wonderful and terrible things start to happen to him. Gradually Matt begins to understand that he is a clone, born specifically to provide body parts for El Patron. Although most people despise clones as less than animal, Matt is lucky to have a few people who love him - and he also has a sharp intelligence and determination. Will these things be enough to help him avoid his preordained fate? Published as a children's book (for ages 12 and up), "House of the Scorpion" should also be read by all adults with any taste for science fiction. I'd love to see it get the Nebula as well as the Printz award! It's a challenging book, for teens and adults alike, but also engaging, stimulating and rewarding.

House Of The Scorpion is recommended for mature young adults able to grasp the scientific and social complexities inherent in a future where genetic cloning has resulted in expendable people. Matt is considered a beast because he's a clone of a rich elderly man - but he's alternately abused and pampered in his position, and grows up with the affection of a worker woman who raises him. His struggle to understand his world and his place in it changes as he ages, until a frightening truth emerges about his future. Farmer has created an all-too-realistic future world and raises some important questions about its ethics - and about the roots of humanity.

The House of the Scorpion is a book that will leave you in a grace period upon finishing it - you will want to just sit and ponder the story and it's issues before beginning a new book. It is a book that, while not completely relevant to our modern society, almost everyone can relate to through the characters feelings and struggles.

I couldn't help but fall in love with Matt, the main character. I have never felt more compassion for a main character when he is struggling as when Matt had to. This story is just plain heart-wrenching.

Nancy Farmer created a wonderfully unique story. There is humour and there is pain. It will leave some sort of impact on all who read it.

As a college student and future teacher, I was enrolled this past semester in a children's literature course. As required reading,we had two books from each genre. I have never liked science fiction and was a little discouraged to see my book was near 400 pages! It was difficult to find at the library, so I thought about buying it. I didn't though,because I didn't think I'd like it. I just finished it about an hour ago. I couldn't put it down! It wasn't only becase it was due today either! Nancy Farmer did a great job of making you care about the characters. The main character of the book is Matt. You see his struggle to live a sub-human life as a clone. After he meets his genetic "parent" El Patron, he begins to receive better treatment. Read this book if you want to find out what happens to Matt as El Patron has a need for him and what happens to the Opium Empire, which is between Aztlan (future Mexico) and the U.S. At times I was a little frustrated that I did not know Spanish, not knowing how some words and names were pronounced, but Nancy translates these phrases. I am considering buying this book and will recommend it an upper grade class if I am an upper grade teacher. Maybe this would be a good read aloud.