The House of the Scorpion

The House of the Scorpion
By Nancy Farmer
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002. 380 pgs. Young Adult

To most people, Matteo Alacran is sub-human, a monster. Created from the DNA of El Patron, a powerful drug lord who rules Opium, a country between the U.S. and the former Mexico, Matt is a clone. For the early years of his life, Matt was hidden away from everyone except for Celia, his caretaker and the cook at the Alacran estate. Later, though, he is moved to the Alacran house, where most people hate him and some even try to harm him. As Matt learns more about the estate and the Alacran family, he also learns more about himself and El Patron--and what exactly it is that El Patron has planned for him.

This futuristic dystopia is well-grounded in today's reality; although it takes place sometime in the future, Farmer has built on our known world in a way that makes this book accessible even to those like me--admittedly very reluctant to read Science Fiction. Matt and his friends are likable characters and there are many interesting discussion points that arise from this book, such as what it means to be human.


AE