The House of the Scorpion is a 2002 science fiction young adult novel by Nancy Farmer. It is set in the future and mostly takes place in Opium, a country which separates Aztlán (formerly Mexico) and the United States. The main character, Matteo Alacrán, or Matt, is a young clone of a drug lord of the same name, usually called "El Patrón" (Spanish for "The Boss"). Matt struggles to survive as a free individual and understand his personal identity. The book was followed by a sequel, The Lord of Opium, in 2013.

Background

The idea was originally from a short story that Farmer wrote for an anthology, which she withdrew and then expanded after realizing it was too closely tied to her own life. The novel is partly inspired by Farmer's experience of rescuing a Mexican immigrant from dying in the desert,

Farmer based many of the novel's characters on figures from her life, both in childhood and present day.

Coming of Age: As a clone, Matt's value is in the health of his organs, as to prolong the life of his benefactor, El Patrón. Clones share the same status as cattle, and Matt is "regarded as property whose value extends only as far as the usefulness of his body parts." In The House of the Scorpion, coming of age for Matt means "claiming humanity", and rising above his status as livestock. The book centers around Matt's journey to claim independence, self-worth, and sense of purpose in an environment surrounded by hate.

Literary style

Though the novel details moral issues involved with human cloning, in his review for The New York Times, Roger Sutton argued that the novel is only nominally science fiction, and is more often a realistic fiction tale with elements of the adventure story.

Reception

Reviewing the novel in The New York Times, Roger Sutton traced the novel's roots back to Pinocchio, as both novels feature non-human characters desperate to become human. Sutton called the novel "a big, ambitious tale."

Kirkus Reviews, also in a starred review, called The House of the Scorpion "a must-read for SF fans."

Awards

It won the U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature and was named a Newbery Honor Book and a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. In the speculative fiction field, it was a runner-up for the Locus Award in the young adult category and the Mythopoeic Award in the children's category.

  • National Book Award for Young People's Literature (United States), 2002—winner
  • Newbery Honor, 2003—runner-up for Newbery Medal
  • ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2003
  • IRA Young Adults' Choices for 2004
  • Volunteer State Young Adult Book Award, 2004–05
  • Nevada Young Reader's Award in the Young Adult category, 2005
  • Senior Young Readers Choice Award, Pacific Northwest Library Association, 2005
  • Sequoyah Young Adult Award for 2005
  • Grand Canyon Reader Teen Award, 2005
  • South Carolina Association of School Librarians Junior Book Award, 2005–2006
  • Young Hoosier Book Award Middle Grades, 2006

References

Further reading

  • Kerr, R. (2010). "The Father, Son, and the Holy Clone: Revision of Biblical Genesis in The House of the Scorpion.'" The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association, 43(1), 99.