The House of the Scorpion
Average rating |
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4 out of 5
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Based on 346 Ratings and 346 Reviews |
Book Description
National Book Award Winner 2002 for Young Adults. The House of the Scorpion, is a science fiction work in which the author presents a "ystopian vision on a strip of land called Opium, between Mexico and the USA. Controlled by an iron-fisted drug lord, Opium may be a fictitious location, but it feels disturbingly real. This 2002 publication tackles the war on drugs
and mistreatment of migrant labor...
MoreNational Book Award Winner 2002 for Young Adults. The House of the Scorpion, is a science fiction work in which the author presents a "ystopian vision on a strip of land called Opium, between Mexico and the USA. Controlled by an iron-fisted drug lord, Opium may be a fictitious location, but it feels disturbingly real. This 2002 publication tackles the war on drugs
and mistreatment of migrant labors. This is a book that should spark discussion. Although this book is published for the YA market, like many of the recent publication in this genre, it is a work of fiction for both the teenager and adults.
Opium is all that young Matt Alacran knows. Raised in a house amid the poppy fields, he doesn't realize he's a clone until he breaks out of isolation to play with neighboring children. After an injury reveals a telltale tattoo on his heel, the Alacran and allied Mendoza families abuse and ignore him.
Unlike some science fiction, Scorpion relies on realistic, sympathetic characters dealing with a different reality, rather than high-tech droid wars or rampaging aliens. Young Matt, in search of a father figure, remains in deep denial that he will eventually be killed for his organs. He learns piano and math, soaks up survival skills from the gruff but caring Tam Lin and tries to win a young woman's heart. All the while, he's trying to make everyone see him as more than a clone.
Scorpion is a cautionary tale that seeps into your mind and settles there. When reading about Colombia ceding huge swaths of land to the narco-backed rebels, Opium will reappear in your mind's eye. When an Italian doctor vows to clone humans, Matt's fears will resurface. Scorpion serves as a reminder of a disturbing future."-- This description taken from a review by Ayesha Court, USA Today.
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