Rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars

Genre: Sci-Fi

Age Recommended: 11 and up

The House Of The Scorpion was a fast-paced book that I couldn’t put down. We had a project in my english class which involved creating a book trailer. When the class presented their book trailers, I thought that this book was the most appealing and decided to read it. I loved it and I hope to read the sequel, The Lord Of Opium, soon.

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My name is Matt. I am a clone. I have a stamp on my foot to prove it. The stamp says “Property Of Alacran Estate.” I’ve never been let out of the estate and I’m not sure I want to leave either. The people on the other side of the door call me a monster, a beast.

I wasn’t born. I was harvested.

The people say that I am a clone of the Lord of Opium, El Patron himself. They say it is a great honor. I see no honor. I am merely a clone. A clone who can be recycled and forgotten. I am only created so that when El Patron is dying, I may stabilize him and donate organs to him if needed. Other than that, I am just a useless, worthless, clone.

My caretaker, Celia, says otherwise. She cares for me as if I were her own son. But I am not. And I never will be.

Celia leaves me everyday to go work and I am alone. Everyday is the same. Except today. I find myself looking out the window, wondering how it would feel to run around like the rest of the kids. How it would feel to be normal.

I see a face on the other side of the window. I am shocked to see that some kids have come to see me. I am usually forgotten. I want to go outside because it looks like they are calling me. The door and windows are boarded shut so I have only one option.

There is broken glass all over the grass. My foot hurts and the kids are staring at me, probably wondering what to do. I can’t talk because of the shock.

They carry me to their house. I am treated like dirt. One of the kids that comes to see me, Tom, throws things at me everyday. Finally, Celia comes to my rescue and we are reunited.

Maria, one of the kids who came to my house, is one who I have become fond of. She is very nice but cries at the drop of a hat. Maria approaches me as if I were a beast but soon we are friends.

One day, Maria and I are running away from some evil guards after El Patron’s 149th birthday party when they catch me. I am taken to a camp. In this camp, we are fed only plankton for 3 meals a day, and caning is not a rare occurrence.

I want to find Maria but I have no idea where she is.

I don’t want to rot in this filthy camp. I don’t know what to do. Only one thought runs in my head over and over again. Escape…