The House of the Scorpion

Rating:
Summary: Keeps you hooked reading until the very last page.
Review: This book in my own two words is "very touching." It includes romance, comedy here and there, and of course still keeps its name. Nancy Farmer wrote this book to take place during the future and uses Mexican words in the script. I find the wording very detailed as if you could picture every single scene going on in your head.

The story is about a clone named Matteo Alacran. He lived in a house in the poppy fields with his care taker Celia until he was discovered.

When he found out about being a clone. He was often mistreated until El Patron found him. Matt is El Patron's clone. He is pampered and taken care of by a burly body guard named Tam Lin. As his life goes on, Matt learns about what El Patron will do to him by the hints of Tam Lin. (But you will find out what will happen later in the review)

He loves Maria and they sneak out into a secret passage to be together. Although Matt is a clone, she loves him anyway and doesn't care about the difference. When El Patron needs a new heart. Matt is taken away to die and give him a transplant. Butt Matt escapes into another trouble.

He must work in San Luis in a plankton reserve. They are fed plankton and are badly treated. He befriends Chacho, Fildelito, and Ton Ton.

Of course there is more. Matt sees Maria again. But you have to read the rest to figure it all out. Hope this was helpful It covers abou 3/4 of the story.

Thanx,
Jing

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking and very intriguing
Review: House of the Scorpion

I recently finished reading House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer, and I was blown away. Taking place about 50 to 70 years from the present in a country called Opium. Opium, a strip of land separating America and Mexico, is a country created by drug lords. Opium was formed when a group of drug lords (or "farmers") proposed to the two countries a deal that no farmers would sell their products to Mexico or America and would even catch any illegal immigrants trying to escape across the border. This was all in return for a strip of land that would be one of the largest centers of crime in the world.

Matt, a clone of one of the most powerful of these farmers, is thrown into a world of corruption, deceit, and lies. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he is a clone, which are commonly regarded as rabid animals. From the beginning, Matt is in an never-ending struggle to discover true morals. He is able, however, to form relationships with humans that are not blinded by ingrained prejudices. One such character, a girl named Maria, grows up with Matt who is the only clone she knows. This lets her see the social issues of Opium in a different perspective than most others and sets and interesting spin on this already deep plot.

I found that the ethical decisions that the characters are faced with in House of the Scorpion were not just poignant because of the way this talented author presented them; but also because many of these situations we face internationally and personally today. Farmer does a great job of keeping you in the dark with Matt, and you have to learn with him in a harsh, unrelenting world. Also, she is able to mix two drastically different periods with relative ease, a plot change that you will find if you read the book. I helps keep the Sci-Fi there but still form intense, real characters that you can relate with.

Rating:
Summary: Quo vadis?
Review: In the near future, according to this book, the United States and Mexico will be separated by the land of Opium, where illegal immigrants are surgically altered into zombies, to work the poppy fields for the world heroin supply. In Opium, the rich farmers are the only law. They can afford to have clones made of themselves... but why? As the clone of the Vampire of Dreamland, Matt's life is alternately disgustingly horrible and outrageously privileged. He grows to be 14 years old before he can unlock the secrets of Opium and his own existence.
As in the author's "The Eye, the Ear and the Arm," the children in "The House of the Scorpion" are met with obstacles that seem to be natural, if dismaying, outgrowths of today's headlines. The social ills that Farmer projects are all too believable. What new skills might today's youth need in order to survive tomorrow in a world whose values are a logical perversion of those we see today?

Rating:
Summary: The best book!
Review: This book is a great book. It is about a boy named Matt who's a clone and people treat him bad because he was harvested out of a cow. The book has a lot of twists and turns and like the book jacket said, the end of the book is something you never expected. Everybody should read this book even though it has some really gross parts. If you like books on science fiction and realistic fiction a lot this book is defenetly for you.

Rating:
Summary: what makes a human human?
Review: THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION is about good & evil, & what makes a human a human. Here evil people do good things, & good people do evil things, & when the two are mixed by a great story teller, they make great literature.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION as a memorable read & one of the best in today's science fiction.

Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: I bought this book, seeing that it was science fiction. I thought that i would only read the first 30 pages, but I ended up reading all 380, nonstop. It was great, and so great, that 380 pages is not even enough. It's about the events of the near future which include cloning, and eejits. Matt is a clone, and is trying to fit in with the rest of humanity, even though they tell Matt that he's a filthy clone. It's his adventure through life.

It will satisfy science fiction people, (there's a lot of amazing technology, that is grealty described), and adventure people, (there's a lot of adventure here too). Overall...this book is great for pretty much anyone, and it would be very great if they made a sequel to this book.

Rating:
Summary: The House of the Scorpion
Review: This book is by far the best book I have ever read. I thought that the ideas and setting placed in this book were so freekin awesome. Nancy Farmer never fails to wright amazing books. I would recommend this book to anyone of all ages. It has everything good in a book that someone like me wants. 5 Stars for a truly awesome book.
Joe

Rating:
Summary: Of Drugs and Clones
Review: If you were looking for a morbid book this may not be it. It is a little on the weird side but it's not really sci-fi either. I'd say it's more like an adventure. Although it looks like it's leaning towards the mens side, I think that a well read girl could read it and enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Clones, symbols, drugs!
Review: One thing you can say about this book is that is definitely has a unique subject. It takes place on the border between Mexico and the U.S. (AZ), which is a territory that's owned by drug lords, with their own rules and procedures. It's an adventure tale of how a young boy, who's also a clone, escapes from this wasteland in order to do better for the oppressed population within the drug lord's community where he grows up.

This book is ahead of its time in the way the author deals with both the subject of cloning and the corrupt circumstances that currently reside on the U.S.-Mexican border.

The book traveled in a different direction than what I expected, focusing more on the personal lives of the characters, rather than the overall events (such as cloning & the power of drugs).

Overall, a great, unique book for adults & adolescents who are interested in cloning, drugs, Mexico, Arizona, and current affairs.

Rating:
Summary: It's hard to describe the excellence of this book
Review: The House of the Scorpion is amazing. I could possible say it is an equal to Harry Potter, perhaps it surpasses it. I was immediately intrigued by the depth of the characters and description of the futuristic atmosphere. I was surprised to find how the book grew on me, and in the end I couldn't put it down. When it was over, I wanted to yell with dissapointment (it ended) and happiness (because it was such a pleasure to read). Anybody who reads this book will love everything about it. ...