The House of the Scorpion

…To most people around him, Matt is not a boy, but a beast…But for El Patron, lord of a country called Opium-a strip of poppy fields lying between the U.S. and what was once called Mexico-Matt is a guarantee of eternal life. El Patron loves Matt as he loves himself for Matt is himself. They share identical DNA.

As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister, grasping cast of characters, including El Patron’s power-hungry family. He is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards and by the mindless slaves of Opium, brain-deadened eejits who toil in the poppy fields.

And escape from the Alacran Estate is no guarantee of freedom because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn’t even suspect… (from book jacket)

As I read this book over a long period of time, this review might not be totally accurate on how I felt but anyway…

Overall, I felt this book was decent. It didn’t have action around every corner, but it was interesting how the plot was progressing. Slowly, but not too slow I felt that I was about to fall asleep or throw the book across the room screaming ‘I GIVE UP’

The plot and the idea of the whole thing doesn’t seem too unique. I myself haven’t read much books about clones, but I am sure that plenty are out there. If you are looking for uniqueness, there isn’t much in the House of the Scorpion. Clones, mindless slaves…I am pretty sure that many have already read about those before.

Farmer’s way of writing wasn’t too amazing either. Okayish yes, but making me be interested in every page? No. I never really felt any connection to the book or involved. Everything seemed like I was looking through a foggy window. It was happening, but as a reader, I couldn’t realize it was happening. It’s similar to thinking, ‘Is this really happening?’ but in a more blurry feeling…

However, the characters were engaging. The characters could have really stood out, but hadn’t due to the way they were written. I thought that they were well thought out. Our main character, Matt, isn’t even a goody two shoes like protagonists are usually are. If only the author had made a way of writing…emotionally?

This book was not downright awful…and I would recommend it to readers who don’t like to get or do not want to get too invested on a book.

3/5 pancakes