The House of the Scorpion

I’ve read one book by Nancy Farmer before – that’s The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm - and I’ve always remembered it, even though I just read it once, because it was so unusual. This is another memorable book, just as good. It’s set in the future, in a land which is a strip between Mexico and the US, and which was created to grow and control the opium trade. It’s run by a dictator, who uses mindless slaves to bolster his power. And he’s all-powerful, because he’s ruthless. And he’s 140 years old, because he clones himself and uses pieces of the clones to fix up his body.

The story is told from the perspective of one of his clones (and it’s quite a companion piece to that other great clone book by Kazuo Ishiguro!) Matt is seen as an animal by most people, apart from the maid who takes care of him, and his bodyguard, Tam Lin, who has come from Scotland, who has seen a different world. He grows up and learns (with some pains, which is good writing) to be different from the man whose genes he shares. He learns to idolise that man, and has to suffer in order to find the truth which is all around him – that he’s living in a very evil place.

This is a really fast-paced read, with fantastic characterisation, very realistic settings and totally believable ideas. Farmer balances quite a few big themes, and manages them pretty well. And it’s got one of the best and most unexpected “I love you” scenes I’ve read. A really good, really well-written story.