The House of the Scorpion

The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer, is a book about a young boy named Matt who is a clone of a mafia godfather like figure named El Patron. The book is set in a futuristic world where Mexico and the United States have been separated by a country called Dreamland. El Patron is one of the leaders of dreamland, and an opium baron. The book is split into parts by different time periods in Matt's life. As Matt grows up, he learns more about what it means to be a clone, and with the help of a girl named Maria, Matt discovers a horrible truth about his relationship with El Patron. Told with very little violence in a way that makes you forget you are reading a science fiction book, The House of the Scorpion is a great choice for younger science fiction readers.

I enjoyed House of the Scorpion because as the story progressed, Matt learned more and more about what it really means to be a clone. As he comes closer to the horrible truth, the book becomes more and more suspenseful, which is something that I like in my science fiction books. I also enjoyed the way the author could take a dire situation, and infuse enough charm in it to make it seem as though it were not as dire. This lead to a feeling of suspense with out the deep worry about what would happen to your favorite characters. Overall, The House of the Scorpion is great for new science fiction readers who are in elementary and middle school, and who want a fairly long read to tide them over the summer.