What It Means To Be Human: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

*This review contains spoilers. *

My Personal Rating:

The House of the Scorpion is a multi-award-winning science futuristic novel written by Nancy Farmer. It has some dystopian elements and carefully tread on sensitive concepts of slavery, abuse, and cloning with imposing ethical, moral, and social dilemma in an emotionally impactful manner like no other novels before it has done.

I’ve tried my best to draft a review in a neutral, no-spoiler way, but there is no going around it, that is if I wanted anyone to comprehend what I’m rambling on about.

The story is set mostly in a country called Opium, named, of course, after its main product, nestled between the United States and Aztlan (old Mexico). The earlier you remember this fact, the better it will be for your reading experience.

The narrative begins as life would for the novel’s protagonist, Matt – in a laboratory. And though this opening chapter ought to bore most readers, it was recounted in a very intriguing, mysterious way. Then, the rest of the story is told from Matt’s perspective, an eight-year-old clone of a powerful drug lord who owns the Opium empire.

What makes the book a masterful, riveting novel is how the author captured the point-blank innocence and world view of a child; his emotion, knowledge, and language are age-appropriate and understandable. Because the readers see through Matt’s eyes, it creates a better world-building. Everything is new and curious. Vivid experiences are exciting, open to new possibilities, and mysterious. A sense of danger is there but somehow dulled, as children normally aren’t wary of the danger and bigger repercussions of things. 

One of the most rousing chapters of The House of the Scorpion for me was the part where Matt was jailed in a room devoid of the outside view, human interaction, and sensory stimulation to the point that his most treasured possessions are rotting food and his best friends are bugs and worms. This act effectively shows how abuse by neglect hurts as deeply as physical and verbal abuse does, how rooted is the distrust it creates, and the expense to undo it. 

Another pivotal scene for me was when Matt was thrown into the chasm of bones and skulls. I liked how a single thought, a memory, a reminder of a better time gave him hope and drove him to claw his way to safety. It reflects children’s innate resilience and optimism, regardless of what they had and is going through.

I loved every moment of Matt’s journey to freedom. Each step is suspenseful; a seemingly safe haven could turn easily into a trap, or a dark time could turn into an alluring respite. 

The novel ended in a satisfying conclusion, almost like poetic justice. If there is anything that I don’t like about this novel, it’s the terrible book hangover I felt as I turned the last few pages. I needed a day or two to recover. 

If you are a fan of Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist or Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, then surely The House of the Scorpion is for you! Don’t forget to have a pint of ice cream at hand or your favorite blanket to soothe your heartache away.