The House of the Scorpion
Science Fiction / Fantasy
By Nancy Farmer
Reviewed by Devlin Farr
5 out of 5 Stars
How would you feel if you were hated and considered an animalistic clone? Or how would you feel knowing that you weren’t born, but harvested in a lab? Or even knowing that the only reason you exist is to give organs. This is the life of Matteo, Matt as he’s called. At first this book starts just a little bit too slow for me. But when it picks up it picks up, taking place in a land between Mexico and the United States, called Opium.
For one El patron, Matt’s “owner,” grows Opium by the mile. When Matt was young, he was restricted to what he could do and had no outside contacts, besides the TV. But when Matt falls on broken window glass, his world changes; he comes upon the “big house” where el Patron lives. He bleeds profusely and the doctors must save him. The family doctors and maids take care of him until they discover what’s written on his foot, “Property of the Alacran Estate.” Then, because they have discovered he’s a clone, he’s tossed onto the street like a common pig. But, to Matt’s advantage, el Patron intervenes and saves Matt’s life, helping mat Matt discover his one purpose in life. To find out that purpose and more, you’ll have to pick up and read this fantasy thriller and find out for yourself. Will Matt survive, or will his one purpose truly be to server others with his body parts?
Nancy Farmer, whose books have had much recognition as the best, is a very good author and tells the story perfectly. Her descriptions of the characters are amazing. She does a grand job in tying up any unknown information at the end. I thought that it was a great read, though it’s over 300 pages long. But if length doesn’t bother you, this is the book you should read.
