The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

The House of the Scorpion was one of the first dystopian YA novels I ever read. I remember bringing it everywhere with me in seventh grade, constantly talking about it to my friends and family, who politely nodded. I was amazed and disturbed by the world Nancy Farmer created in equal measure. The setting and the characters were richly realized. I recently picked up The House of the Scorpion again, and remembered why I had liked it so much.

The House of the Scorpion takes place in a futuristic part of Mexico called Opium, between the United States and Aztlan. The main character, Matteo Alacran, at first seems like a typical young boy, naïve about the world around him, but curious to know more. Matteo is bright, he is kind and he is playful. He is also a clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old drug dealer who runs Opium. Matteo's only purpose is to provide El Patron with an even longer life though harvestation of his organs. For his short life, he is given an education, possessions and a luxurious upbringing. Matteo thinks this means El Patron loves him as a son and cares about him.  But when the time comes, El Patron plans to use Matteo the way he used all his other clones: as a life force.

The themes covered in The House of the Scorpion are quite deep, in some ways deeper than more popular dystopian novels. The novel addresses the concept of a soul, what makes a person an individual, and much more. Matteo wonders if he is destined to be just like El Patron because he has all of the same DNA. The concept of drug dealing and drug lords is also very present in the novel, which is not usually addressed in many other dystopian novels. (El Patron is allowed to expand his drug empire by the United States, who fear that if they try to stop him, drug trafficking will overtake America as well.)

The House of the Scorpion is written on a middle-grade reading level, but deals with some disturbing themes. I think it is a great choice for anyone interested in the idea of cloning and what it might mean for a future society. If cloning was a real option to extend life, who would consider using it? I'm not sure we would want to know.