At his coming-of-age party, Matteo Alacrán asks El Patrón's bodyguard, "How old am I?...I know I don't have a birthday like humans, but I was born....
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reviews
Dec 17, 2009
Linda (Librarian)
rated it: 
This is one of the almost perfect books written for young adults. It is an exciting story that will keep you turning the pages, but it also makes you think about the world we live in. It is a Newbery and Printz honor book and winner of the National Book Award.
In the House of the Scorpion, Nancy Farmer tells the story of Matt, the clone of 142-year-old El Patron, dictator of Opium, a country between the United States and Aztlan. In Opium, clones have one purpose, to extend the live More...
In the House of the Scorpion, Nancy Farmer tells the story of Matt, the clone of 142-year-old El Patron, dictator of Opium, a country between the United States and Aztlan. In Opium, clones have one purpose, to extend the live More...
Jul 12, 2011
Lady Moorchild
rated it:
I have no words to describe how breathtakingly beautiful I found The House of Scorpion.
Like many of my Goodreads friends, I have struggled with the current trend of YA dystopia romances. Whereas some of the aforementioned YA novels fail to extrapolate current world issues like the dystopic greats, Farmer speculates on issues of immigration, drug policy, and bioethics, and even touches on terrorism, modern-day slavery, human and labor rights, crime families and Catholicism in a rea More...
Like many of my Goodreads friends, I have struggled with the current trend of YA dystopia romances. Whereas some of the aforementioned YA novels fail to extrapolate current world issues like the dystopic greats, Farmer speculates on issues of immigration, drug policy, and bioethics, and even touches on terrorism, modern-day slavery, human and labor rights, crime families and Catholicism in a rea More...
8 comments
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(12 people liked it)
Oct 06, 2008
Jack
rated it: 
A really hit and miss book, with some terrific ideas and terrible plotting.
The main character, Matt, is a clone of the world's biggest drug kingpin, the 140+ year-old El Patron. Matt lives in El Patron's sprawling estate and is hated by most of the residents there, aside from his care-taker Celia and El Patron himself, who is raising Matt for his own sinister reasons. Soon, these reasons are revealed and Matt's only hope is to escape.
This felt like it should have been a More...
The main character, Matt, is a clone of the world's biggest drug kingpin, the 140+ year-old El Patron. Matt lives in El Patron's sprawling estate and is hated by most of the residents there, aside from his care-taker Celia and El Patron himself, who is raising Matt for his own sinister reasons. Soon, these reasons are revealed and Matt's only hope is to escape.
This felt like it should have been a More...
3 comments
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(22 people liked it)
Jan 20, 2009
Zoë
rated it:
The house of the Scorpion is a book about a clone named Matteo Alacran. He was cloned from El Patron and harvested from a cow. His mother like figure is a woman named Celia. When Matteo, "Matt" lives with Celia he doesn't understand that he is different from everyone else. When he is brought from his little house in the poppy field to "The Big House," his life changes for the better and worse. He meets a girl he likes, named Maria, who also likes him, but he is treate
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0 comments
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(7 people liked it)
Oct 01, 2008
Esther
rated it:
Recommended to me by my teenaged son, the book had a promising start and an interesting middle, but it all kind of fell apart towards the end and finished with a very unsatisfying ending. I liked the ideas presented about prejudice and predetermination vs. self-determination, and about the relative values of evil. The book is chock-full of evil-doers, some of whom are despicable, some of whom are loved, and one, the most interesting character of them all, Tam Lin, who is a compelling mixture o
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Oct 14, 2011
Rebecca
rated it: 
A very well written and very dark story of a dystopian future where rich people make clones of themselves to serve as organ donors.
Matt is such a clone although, unlike the others, he's allowed to keep his intelligence. He grows up in the house of a 140+ year old drug lord surrounded by various psychopaths and zombies: humans exploited to serve as slave labor.
There's a lot going on in this book starting from when Matt is 6 years old till when he escapes as a young teenage More...
Matt is such a clone although, unlike the others, he's allowed to keep his intelligence. He grows up in the house of a 140+ year old drug lord surrounded by various psychopaths and zombies: humans exploited to serve as slave labor.
There's a lot going on in this book starting from when Matt is 6 years old till when he escapes as a young teenage More...
0 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Jul 29, 2011
Stacy
rated it:
This review includes a small spoiler--but only for the first couple chapters.
I’ve always meant to read this since it’s an award winning YA dystopia novel. I wasn’t disappointed after finally getting to it. It reads well and gives food for thought. I really liked how the book portrayed the moral development of the main character, who is a clone. The book is an easy choice for junior high kids because there is no language or sex, but it’s edgy enough to keep a reluctant reader’s in More...
I’ve always meant to read this since it’s an award winning YA dystopia novel. I wasn’t disappointed after finally getting to it. It reads well and gives food for thought. I really liked how the book portrayed the moral development of the main character, who is a clone. The book is an easy choice for junior high kids because there is no language or sex, but it’s edgy enough to keep a reluctant reader’s in More...
0 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 20, 2010
Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ
rated it:
Ya ampyun... kirain ni bakal seperti buku Farmer yang laen seperti "The Sea of Troll".. ternyata...
Duh gimana yah? Seperti paduan antara One Hundred Years of Solitude-nya Marquez dan buku2nya Gaiman dan dibumbui humor ala Haddon. Jelas seh gak sedahsyat yang Marquez (ini buku termasuk genre young adult)... cuman istilahnya apa yah... pesonanya itu lho... yang jelas buku ini bakal masuk daftar 100 novel terbaik versi saya
*garuk2 kepala mikir, buku mana yang bakal terdepak da More...
Duh gimana yah? Seperti paduan antara One Hundred Years of Solitude-nya Marquez dan buku2nya Gaiman dan dibumbui humor ala Haddon. Jelas seh gak sedahsyat yang Marquez (ini buku termasuk genre young adult)... cuman istilahnya apa yah... pesonanya itu lho... yang jelas buku ini bakal masuk daftar 100 novel terbaik versi saya
*garuk2 kepala mikir, buku mana yang bakal terdepak da More...
2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 18, 2011
Jason
rated it:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. See the RACK of medals of the cover of this book? A friend told me she felt this novel changed the face of science-fiction. High praise indeed. I didn't buy the hype, and still have issues with the extremely slow start of this novel. It has been sitting on my desk for almost two years (no lie) and I finally read it.
After the first 80 pages of slow moving material, I finally became vested in the characters and thought the novel finally caught on. I think this n More...
After the first 80 pages of slow moving material, I finally became vested in the characters and thought the novel finally caught on. I think this n More...
0 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Oct 07, 2008
Alex
rated it:
freaking addicting read it 4 times.
This is the story of a clone named Matteo Alacran, or matt. Matt is a clone of the drug lord el patron. El Patron is very concerned about the wellbeing of matt. In this book matt grows from a skin cell to the age 16. During this time period he slowly learns why el patron is so worried about matt's well being. el patron has had clones before matt, he uses them for orgam transplants so he can live long. el patron is 140.
This book takes place in the More...
This is the story of a clone named Matteo Alacran, or matt. Matt is a clone of the drug lord el patron. El Patron is very concerned about the wellbeing of matt. In this book matt grows from a skin cell to the age 16. During this time period he slowly learns why el patron is so worried about matt's well being. el patron has had clones before matt, he uses them for orgam transplants so he can live long. el patron is 140.
This book takes place in the More...
0 comments
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(6 people liked it)
Jul 18, 2008
Amy
rated it:
Nancy Farmer has a unique talent for creating action-packed novels set in some pretty wild places. In this case, the future is ruled by a Mexican druglord who clones himself in order to harvest organs when he needs them. The book follows the life of a clone.
Science meets social issues in Nancy Farmer's books. People who try to flee the Mexican border into the U.S. are captured in a new country ruled by the druglord, where they are imbedded with a computer chip in the brain to make t More...
Science meets social issues in Nancy Farmer's books. People who try to flee the Mexican border into the U.S. are captured in a new country ruled by the druglord, where they are imbedded with a computer chip in the brain to make t More...
Jul 12, 2007
Monica
rated it:
I enjoyed the fact that Nancy Farmer brought up some very pertinent issues through this novel—cloning, drugs, and finding a sense of belonging. Through Matt’s experience as a clone in Opium, a place where he is looked down upon by almost everyone, the reader identifies with his struggles and is rooting for him to find acceptance the whole way through the novel.
The author’s setting of the book in a country based upon the drug industry allows a lot of room for discussion about the top More...
The author’s setting of the book in a country based upon the drug industry allows a lot of room for discussion about the top More...
0 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Jul 12, 2011
Flannery
rated it:
This book is great because:
1. It is a young adult book about, I kid you not, every social policy and -ism you can think of--drugs, slavery, cloning, classism, socialism, EVERYTHING
2. I read all 400 or something pages in a day
3. The story is really unique and I wasn't really sure what was going to happen
Anyways, it is basically the story of the clone of the biggest drug lord in a country solely made up of drug farms.
A few people on the book's goodreads p More...
1. It is a young adult book about, I kid you not, every social policy and -ism you can think of--drugs, slavery, cloning, classism, socialism, EVERYTHING
2. I read all 400 or something pages in a day
3. The story is really unique and I wasn't really sure what was going to happen
Anyways, it is basically the story of the clone of the biggest drug lord in a country solely made up of drug farms.
A few people on the book's goodreads p More...
0 comments
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(7 people liked it)
Jan 16, 2009
Amanda
rated it:
I learned to love science fiction with this book. I fell in love with Matt, the protagonist! I could not put the book down, calling it a page turner would be an understatement!
0 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Nov 17, 2008
Sean
rated it:
I'm slowly working my way through a stack of recommendation from one of the YA librarians where I work, and so far The House of the Schorpion is my favorite. The near-future world of depravity, deprivation and corruption Farmer has created is frighteningly real, and the characters are fully rounded and believable. Matt's slow coming-of-age is both languorous and tense, as he learns how to be who he is: first, a favored clone in the household of El Patrón and later, a full-fledged human being.
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3 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jan 03, 2012
Christine
rated it:
Is cloning something that will be available to us for a price in the future? Let’s look at what your money will buy you today.
$295.00 + $100.00 annual storage fee—You can bank your pet’s genes and have a genetic lab maintain them in case you should want them at a later date.
$1700.00 + $150.00 shipping + $125.00 annual storage fee—You can bank your new baby’s cord blood so that the stem cells can possibly be used in the future for your family’s health needs.
$32,000.00—This is More...
$295.00 + $100.00 annual storage fee—You can bank your pet’s genes and have a genetic lab maintain them in case you should want them at a later date.
$1700.00 + $150.00 shipping + $125.00 annual storage fee—You can bank your new baby’s cord blood so that the stem cells can possibly be used in the future for your family’s health needs.
$32,000.00—This is More...
Mar 28, 2009
Phoebe
rated it:
In The House of the Scorpion, Nancy Farmer slowly weaves the tale of Matt, a clone of the drug lord Matteo Alacron. Alternately pampered and tortured throughout his childhood (he slightly unbelievably goes from being kept in a pen of chicken litter to being given private piano lessons and tutoring in a few years' time), Matt grows up with a strong moral compass thanks only to his caretakers. Farmer does a good job of developing this bildungsroman--by the novel's end, Matt is a fairly complex cha
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0 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Mar 14, 2009
Casandria
rated it:
The House of the Scorpion was actually a terrifying book, but I could not put it down. It takes place in the future, in a time when the countries of Mexico and the United States have each given up part of their land to form a new country on the border called Opium. Their goal was to keep drugs and illegals out of both countries (the drugs would only be sold elsewhere). This country was ruled by a dictator called Matteo Alacran.
The story of this book follows another Matteo Alacran, More...
The story of this book follows another Matteo Alacran, More...
May 30, 2008
Kirstie
rated it:
A very well done sci-fi book. I don't usually read this genre but a friend of mine recommended it to me and I usually agree with her opinions. This book has won the national book award, newbery honor, and ALA honors and I can see why.
This story is about clones, mexico, and drug lords but not really--it is mostly a coming-of-age story about a boy looking for friendship and acceptance in a world he doesn't understand. I enjoyed that it was such a unique concept and inspiring story of surv More...
This story is about clones, mexico, and drug lords but not really--it is mostly a coming-of-age story about a boy looking for friendship and acceptance in a world he doesn't understand. I enjoyed that it was such a unique concept and inspiring story of surv More...
0 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 21, 2011
Tessa
rated it:
http://ftbotbblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/h...
This was a very forceful account of one single person defying an entire society who is against him, and learning to survive. I was in awe when I read about this harsh reality that many were forced to endure. The House of the Scorpion really opened up my eyes to this amazing boy’s strength to continue on despite all of the resistance he faced. Matt persevered when he wasn’t even sure what was ahead of him. This is a fantastic book for young tee More...
This was a very forceful account of one single person defying an entire society who is against him, and learning to survive. I was in awe when I read about this harsh reality that many were forced to endure. The House of the Scorpion really opened up my eyes to this amazing boy’s strength to continue on despite all of the resistance he faced. Matt persevered when he wasn’t even sure what was ahead of him. This is a fantastic book for young tee More...
Dec 15, 2011
Marsha
rated it:
Summary: Matt has been kept in seclusion for years until one day, three kids find his shack out in the poppy fields and life changes. He is brought to the main house of Matteo Alacran, El Patron, owner of Opium, the small country between the borders of Mexico and the United States. Despite his human appearance, Matt is treated like an animal, a monster, by the people who live in this house for what appears like no reason at all. When El Patron returns home and finds the horrible treatment of Mat
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Nov 30, 2011
1. Science Fiction
2. The House of the Scorpion is set in the future, in a country between the United States and Mexico run by the dictator El Patron, a drug lord. It tells the story of Matt, who is the clone of El Patron. Clones in that time are grown in the womb of cows and harvested. Most clones have their brain development destroyed by an injection, but El Patron doesn’t want that to happen to his clone. So Matt is a bright little boy who doesn’t understand why people treat him like More...
2. The House of the Scorpion is set in the future, in a country between the United States and Mexico run by the dictator El Patron, a drug lord. It tells the story of Matt, who is the clone of El Patron. Clones in that time are grown in the womb of cows and harvested. Most clones have their brain development destroyed by an injection, but El Patron doesn’t want that to happen to his clone. So Matt is a bright little boy who doesn’t understand why people treat him like More...
Nov 16, 2011
Ayo
rated it:
The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is about a young boy named Matteo Alacrán. Matteo is the clone of the drug lord, El Patrón. Matteo was created in order to give his organs to El Patrón when the organs in his body start to fail. For most of his life, Matteo was kept inside El Patrón's mansion with his guardian Celia until one day he breaks out to explore the outside world but in the process ends up hurting himself. Since that day he’s never been let outside and put under horrible conditions.
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Nov 14, 2011
Daniel
rated it:
A coming of age story with a science fiction twist, Nancy Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion tells the tale of a young clone trying to establish an identity as an individual. Something I always enjoy about Farmer’s novels are their settings. Farmer once again makes the task of building a fantasy setting that it also completely believable seem easy. The main character, Matt, is a clone of a wealthy ruler. In his world clones are grown to be killed so their organs may be used to help the ill. Matt
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Nov 14, 2011
Rodricucuz
rated it:
1. Science Fiction
2. " The House of the Scorpion" is a story about a boy named Matt who is being raised by a drug lord . The drug lord uses immigrants with computer chips in their heads to work his Opium fields.
3. critique
a. The story has a surprising twist when Matt finds out that he is being raised for the sole purpose of providing extra body parts for the drug lord.
b. The story was well written is in my opinion is a tr More...
Oct 25, 2011
Tony
rated it:
Nancy Farmer- The House of the Scorpion (Simon Pulse 2004) 4.25 Stars
Harvested as a clone, Matteo Alacran is deemed an outcast by all except his master. He is a clone belonging to El Patron, a rich and powerful opium grower for both the United States and Mexico. He owns the land between Mexico and the US, and is possessive of everything he owns, especially his Matteo. Matt doesn’t understand much about life, as everyone seems so secretive, unwilling to reveal to him the true purpose More...
Harvested as a clone, Matteo Alacran is deemed an outcast by all except his master. He is a clone belonging to El Patron, a rich and powerful opium grower for both the United States and Mexico. He owns the land between Mexico and the US, and is possessive of everything he owns, especially his Matteo. Matt doesn’t understand much about life, as everyone seems so secretive, unwilling to reveal to him the true purpose More...
Oct 24, 2011
04katey
rated it:
The House of the Scorpion is on my top ten favorite books.
I normally don’t really enjoy Science fictions but I really enjoyed this one.
The main issue in this book is how Matt is a clone; and because of this he is mistreated and disrespect. The main setting is in Mexico on a property that is owned by the drug lord EL Patron; which Matt is a clone to. Matt is a clone of El Paton that his brain never was destroyed. Matt loves music and loves to learn about new things; he abso More...
Oct 20, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I loved this book. I don't even know where to begin. Set in the future and offering an idea of where drug wars, immigration, and cloning may take us, The House of the Scorpion is about a boy named Matt who happens to be the clone of the greatest drug lord to have ever lived. Unlike other clones, he is allowed to keep his mind and be educated and enjoy certain freedoms--until his original has a heart attack. But Matt has allies in the forms of Celia, a cook and caregiver, and Tam Lin, a bodyguard
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Oct 19, 2011
Tayler
rated it:
This near-futuristic sci-fi novel is about a powerful drug lord's clone. Matt discovers what it means to grow up as a clone to this powerful man while exploring who has a soul by making friends with humans and witnessing how eejits (humans with computer chips in their brains) are treated.
After reading partly through this book, I immedietly thought of Unwind. They are pretty similar. This book talks about God a bit, especially with reference to St. Francis. I find this very interestin More...
After reading partly through this book, I immedietly thought of Unwind. They are pretty similar. This book talks about God a bit, especially with reference to St. Francis. I find this very interestin More...
