The House of the Scorpion
By Mike S., Wayland, MA
Anyone, and I mean anyone, will enjoy reading The House of the Scorpion. I couldn't take my eyes off it. Around every corner is a twist, and at the end comes the biggest twist of all.
The main character is Mutt, a lonely boy who lives in a little House in the poppy fields near the Alcaran House (the Alcarians run the country). Mutt lives with Celia, who cooks for the Alcaran House. Mutt is scared and frightened when he is alone while Celia is cooking, but he starts to spend more time there.
As the story unfolds, Mutt grows into a more self-assured character, and that confidence helps him learn the secrets and feelings of the residents of the house. He also finds that the chief ruler of the country is Mutt's clone, or I should say, Mutt is the ruler's clone. While uncovering secrets about El Patron, he discovers another person he has been searching for all his life - himself.
I was blown away when I read this book. I really thought it would be boring and scientific, but it turned out to be a suspenseful, futuristic story. It is full of characters that develop into real people. I feel like this book may really set the bar for those that follow.
Nancy Farmer has an interesting style. First, she creates a setting we know barely anything about. Then she introduces us to characters we aren't formally acquainted with. Then she gets the adventure started and works her magic into the story, answering our questions and making things clear.
It's hard to categorize this book. It's a futuristic science fiction novel with some mystery, adventure, action and revenge. Revenge is a big factor, actually, and there are lots of symbols used. The Farm Patrol, people who watch the desert so nobody crosses the border into Mexico, are similar to the police who guard the border and disguise themselves as people giving out green cards when Mexicans try to cross into the United States. One symbol throughout the book is the scorpion; some of the characters even resemble it.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. You don't have to like a certain type of book to like this one because the plot, characters and suspense make it so engaging.
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