By: Nancy Farmer
"Take the creature outside."
Rosa hesitated, obviously bewildered.
The man leaned forward and whispered something into her ear.
A look of horror crossed Rosa's face.
She instantly scooped up Matt and ran.
I read Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion. This book will take you on a ride to the future full of twists and turns as the main character, Matteo Alcran discovers who he is, and fights for what he finds is right. The story all takes place some where in the future, in a country called Opium, that's in between the United States, and what used to be Mexico, which is now called Aztlan. Matt is a boy who lives in a small house in the middle of some large poppy fields. For as long as he can remember, he has always been in this house that he shares with his guardian, Celia. Celia sometimes tells him about the mansion she works at as a cook. Matt loves Celia and her stories, yet life is ever so quiet during the long days he spends by himself at the small house. Until one day, things change forever, when a few children discover him. From that point on, Matt finds out what he really is. A clone. A clone of a very rich, old man named El Patron. But what exactly is a clone, and what are they really used for? Everyone treats him as though he is some disgusting beast. For the duration of the book, Matt goes through things no child should ever have to, but in the end he becomes magnificently smart, wise, learns strong leadership skills, and discovers who he really is.
There are a variety of characters in this book, and almost all of them have a few secrets. The most powerful, and most frightening is El Patron, or the original Matteo Alcran. El Patron is over 130 years old! He is a filthy rich, drug lord; and the ruler of Opium, the country that makes the drug opium. He is an evil, powerful man, that will go to all costs to make sure is stays in power, and makes all those who defy him suffer. Yet, El Patron is very nice to Matt, for a few reasons, but he mostly likes him because he sees himself in Matt; because Matt literally is him. No matter what, you better watch your back, because he's always watching. The descendants of El Patron are the Alcran family. The Alcrans are a jumbled concoction of power hungry, conspirating, despicable people. They are the family that lives full time in the big mansion, and have many relationship problems within the family. Their friends the Mendozas sometimes come and visit. Their family consists of the father, Senator Mendoza. His two daughters, Emilia and Maria and a wife who has been gone for many years. Emilia is the oldest sister. Maria, who is close to the same age as Matt, is a very spunky, fun, girl who becomes Matt's best friend. She is one of the only ones who treats Matt well. Besides Maria, there are two other people who treat Matt kindly. One of them, Celia, is Matt's mother figure. She does all she can to keep Matt safe. And finally, Tam Lin, Matt's body guard. Tam Lin is one of my favorite characters. He is one you might call a gentle giant, but does his job as a body guard very well. He is also very wise, and gives lots of good advice to Matt. All of these characters and more, make up this interesting book.
I have been a fan of Nancy Farmer's books, they are all very diverse. I have never read another book quite like any of hers. I think this is a great book for many reasons. One reason why I like this book is that it has a very unique plot. I haven't read a book about clones before, or heard of the kind of adventures the characters experience. Another reason why I liked it is because it is fast moving, and has lots of twists. This book will certainly keep you on your toes. I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone. Especially if you enjoy books that are a little out of the 'norm'. This is a wonderful and adventurous book that everyone would enjoy.
