The House of the Scorpion

Nancy Farmer, a two-time Newbery honoree, surpasses even her marvelous novel, The Ear, The Eye and the Arm in the breathless action and fascinating characters of The House of the Scorpion. Readers will be reminded of Orson Scott Card's Ender in Matt's persistence and courage in the face of a world that intends to use him for its own purposes, and of Louis Sachar's Holes in the camaraderie of imprisoned boys and the layers of meaning embedded in this irresistibly compelling story. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Product Description

Matteo Alacrán was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium -- a strip of poppy fields lying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. Matt's first cell split and divided inside a petri dish. Then he was placed in the womb of a cow, where he continued the miraculous journey from embryo to fetus to baby. He is a boy now, but most consider him a monster -- except for El Patrón. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself, because Matt is himself.

As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister cast of characters, including El Patrón's power-hungry family, and he is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards. Escape is the only chance Matt has to survive. But escape from the Alacr n Estate is no guarantee of freedom, because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect.

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.


A creative tour de force for our day and age   January 2, 2004
E. R. Bird (Manhattan, NY)
36 out of 40 found this review helpful

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.


A winner for middle school and up, both male and female readers   October 12, 2005
Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA)
22 out of 25 found this review helpful

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.


A winner from first page to last   November 22, 2002
18 out of 20 found this review helpful

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!