The House of the Scorpion
Nancy Farmer
(Reviewer - D. H. BROWN)
2002 A Richard Jackson Book
ISBN: 0689852223

For most people, Matt is not a boy, he is a beast.

At his coming-of-age party, Matteo Alacrán asks El Patrón's bodyguard when is his real birthday & how old is he. Tam Lin reminds Matt, “You were harvested. You were grown in that poor cow ... and then you were cut out of her.”

Most people think Matt is only worth a room with the chicken litter & the roaches. El Patrón, lord of little poppy-growing country between the U.S. & what once was called Mexico, has different ideas & different feelings, after all, Matt & he share the same DNA.

Sr. Staff Reviewer D. H. BROWN writes:

The House of the Scorpion is hard science fiction without too much of the “hard” & a whole lot of great fiction. It's what science fiction can be when a real master of the language tells a story, where the science is incidental & the story is everything.

The House of the Scorpion is about good & evil. Where evil people do good things, & good people do evil things. & when the two mix they make great literature.

It made me laugh, sniffle, chuckle, & cry. The complexity & the simplicity together gives The House of the Scorpion a song all of its own.

It's about discovery in a journey that begins with the making & ends with the making of a human. & human-ness is what makes for a really good story. I like my characters to discover that which makes them human & when they find that not only do I, but the character understands the why of it.

The pleasure I derived from reading The House of the Scorpion & of Matteo Alacrán's journey of discovery into becoming human was something I will not soon forget. From the question “How old am I? I know I don't have a birthday like humans, but I was born..”. to the realization that being born is not what makes you human.

Without a doubt The House of the Scorpion is one of the best books I have laid my hands on of late.

A memorable read. Open the cover & you won't be disappointed.

More from Nancy Farmer:
For children:
A Girl Named Disaster
Do You Know Me
The Ear, the Eye and the Arm & more.
(04/11/04)

D. H. BROWN
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Staff Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries.  In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow.  During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN).  While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.

D. H. BROWN has worked as a Logistics and Weapons Specialist in Viet Nam; day laborer; Director of Security; Armored Car Driver; Police Officer; Professional Hunting Guide; Trapper; Dog Sledder; Homesteader; Truck Driver; General Contractor; Minister; Editor; Writer; Speaker; Restaurateur; Movie Producer; Antique Restoration Specialist; Personal Care Worker; PC Repair Specialist; Computer Instructor; Webmaster and Web Designer. "I write about what I know."

He lives deep in the Pacific Northwest rainforest with his wife, author and editor Rebecca and Buddy Dog, working on his next book.
Visit him at: www.dhbrownbooks.com