My son had to read a book that had won the Newbery Award, an award for outstanding children's literature. He is in the sixth grade, and just turned 12. The book he picked from a list of Newbery Award winners was Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion.

I usually will read the books that he has for book reports so that I know he actually read the book and to discuss the topics in it. The last book I read with him was Ace - The Very Important Pig. The House of the Scorpion is no Ace the V.I.P. I was immediately sucked into this book, it doesn't read like a children's book, it was a well written fascinating dystopian tale of the future in which opium sales and cloning are legal and human rights are a thing of the past. Simply put, I couldn't put this book down. I got a copy in print and as a book on tape. At home I would read chapters, and in my car, I would continue listening to the following chapters on compact disc until I finished this novel.

What is House of the Scorpion About?

We first meet Matt, a young six year old boy. He is a sweet boy who lives with a caretaker, Celia. She isn't his mother but she loves him dearly, and seems over protective of him. As the story unfolds we learn that Matt lives in the middle of a vast opium farm in a nation called Opium formed between the United States and Azlan (formerly Mexico). Opium is ruled by Matteo Alacran "El Patron" a ruthless wealthy 140 year old man. Matt is his clone. We quickly learn through Matt's eyes that clones are regarded as lower than dogs in the general scheme of things in Opium. Most clones are deliberately brain damaged at birth, but El Patron's clone Matt is not. He is educated and quite talented. Despite Matt's talents all but Marie, a girl his age, depise him. The novel unwinds through Matt's eyes as he grows from a boy to a teenager. He makes friends with Marie, the daughter of a U.S. Senator and forms a close bond with his Scottish bodyguard Tam Lin. However, he also makes powerful enemies with Tom, "El Patrons" grandson, and Felicia Alacran, El Patron's daughter-in-law. Matt struggles for acceptance as a person, and cannot comprehend why "El Patron" loves him so much, but almost everyone else reviles him. He also suspects that there is something else significant about him being a clone, but no one will tell him what.

I don't know how quickly my son will catch on, he hasn't finished the book yet, but as an adult, I quickly found myself in horror at Matt's situation in the "House of Scorpion" the vast estate of the Alacrans. Matteo Alacran is 140 years old, and so are his friends. Life expectancy for most hasn't been expanded in this bleak future for most. Some called eejits even have their life cruelly shortened by brain surgeries that make them docile slaves. I knew before Matt and my son why clones exist and what clones are used for, and yet, read on hoping upon hope that things would be different for Matt. Matt isn't always good, in fact sometimes he was as cruel as the man he was cloned from, but I grew to like him and to root for him as he struggled to survive in The House of the Scorpion. I will not tell you how things turn out, but recommend that you read this for yourself.

Writing

You will root for Matt the underdog clone too. Nancy Farmer writes in such a way that both adults and young adults will be drawn into this brutish vision of the future. The story focuses on Matt and the friends and enemies he makes as he grows up, while also working in the back history effortlessly. It reads as a coming of age tale and as a gripping science fiction novel. Farmers characters aren't good or bad either, none appeared as cardboard cutouts, they are capable of good and evil actions and as the reader I struggled with the choices that they made, and read eagerly to find the results of those choices. It was easy to see why this book won not only a Newbery Honor, but also a National Book Award and a Michael Prinz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. It brought me back to my teenage days of vociferously reading well written science fiction novels by Heinlien, Asimov and Clark. I can also say that I fully enjoyed reading this novel as an adult, and never felt like I was reading a child's book.

Is is for Children?

This book is categorized as young adult. My son is 12, and I have no problems with him reading this. Although the novel is set in a drug empire, the drug cartels are shown for what they are, evil, and not glamorized in any manner. Harsh realities are certainly present here, including torture, imprisonment, and murder. On the other hand, the book doesn't contain sexual situations or foul language. It does contain rather adult topics such as the moral implications of cloning, legalizing addictive drugs, illegal immigration and human rights. This is not a happy book and the situations presented seem much more realistic than the more fanciful Series of Unfortunate Events. However, if you have a younger reader who balks at any book that's "for little kids", this book may present just the challenges that they are seeking.

Book on Tape

My local library had this as a book and a book on CD so I signed out both, and alternated chapters reading and listening. Robert Ramirez narrates the story, and does an excellent job of bringing Farmers characters to life. He is able to vary his voice enough so that you can quickly identify each person and their emotional state.

Summary

I haven't had a read as good as The House of the Scorpion in quite a while. If you enjoy drama or science fiction, this novel was very riveting and enjoyable.



Recommended: Yes