Saturday, November 2, 2013

House of the Scorpion By: Nancy Farmer

Summary:

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 Alacrán Estate is no guarantee of freedom, because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect.

2 comments:

  1. I could not put this book down. I was reading it during seminar, between classes (even at stop lights on my way home).

    The moral discussions that could be had with this book are possibly unending. I really don't know what to say, maybe because I just finished it and it's still sinking in, but this is by far the front runner for me of the three I've read.

    If I can think of any more to say, I'll add it later.

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  2. This book was pretty amazing. The novel had quite a load of twist and turns that kept it fresh and interesting. The main character is intriguing due to his growth throughout the novel and the moral issues that he faces as he matures. Its a good read and does well to compete with modern science fiction novels considering it was published in 2002. I enjoyed reading it and would expect others to find it to be enlightening and entertaining.

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