Blog Entry #6: The Review.

Opium is a drug controlled country between Mexico and the United States. It is filled with hundreds of Opium fields and is ruled over by the dictator, El Patron. Opium is no normal country though, here in Opium clones are at the same social level as animals. They are only a piece of the original person and are to be eliminated from society after they serve their purpose. Matt is the clone of the notorious El Patron. El Patron treats him with the utmost respect and luxury but throughout the book we see Matt’s true story unfold. How Matt’s life isn’t filled with luxuries and respect, but more torture and distraught. As he slowly learns the truth, he sees the only solution of his troubles is to get away. 

House of the Scorpion follows the trouble of a young boy named, Matt. Matt lives in a small shack trapped out in the poppy fields. Without a father or mother figure, Matt is taken care of by a woman named Celia. She tends to all of Matt’s needs but warns him to never leave the Poppy Fields or else. As she goes to work during the day, Matt hears voices around him. Due to his curiosity, Matt decides to jump outs of the window of the shack only to be greeted by two girls and a single boy. His injuries require assistance so the children carry him to the Alacran Estate, where he is immediately thrown out onto the grass and left to die. Matt is no human, he is a clone. This was his first experience with the outside world.

House of the Scorpion was definitely a great read. The book had three main themes: perseverance, don’t let others define you, and set the bar high. Since Matt was a clone, everyone had extremely low expectations of him. He was suppose to be brain dead and unable to communicate properly to everyone but Maria shows him otherwise. Maria was a extremely well developed character who shows Matt the positive side of the world. She showed him that some people do care about him, and want to see him succeed. Now, because of Maria’s presence Matt was constantly trying, and trying to prove everyone wrong. That he was not some brain dead clone, rather an actual human being. Since, everyone thought so low of him Matt would always set his goals extremely high. For example, he studied music and wanted to be better than his teacher, Mr. Ortega. In the end, he actually managed this feat. He studied literature and wanted to be smarter than everyone else, he was quite successful. Overall, Matt showed that if you try to succeed and ignore your disadvantages or what others says, you will succeed.  

There were some clear downfalls of the story, the plot. What Farmer was trying to do with the plot was very creative and innovative, but the way she portrayed it did not come out properly. The story built up to such a climax, but suddenly just dropped. This ending was so abrupt that it left you questioning yourself whether or not it had just ended. For such a high build up, the ending was not fit. A lot of the time it felt as though Farmer was trying to actually drag the book on. It would become extremely slow, then fast, and then back to slow. The overall tempo of the book was very inconsistent. Such as, during the Plankton Lab it felt extremely slow. Then suddenly they were in a Mexican Village which was extremely quick. Then Matt is back in Opium just like that, and then the book is over. Once thing that I really appreciated was the twists Farmer put it. At some points you felt as though you could predict what was going to happen, but suddenly Farmer would surprise you. Such as, Celia’s tricks. You believed that Matt was actually going to die, and that he would become the spare parts for El Patron. Instead, Celia decided to make sure otherwise and that Matt would not just be some else’s spare parts. Another thing I really enjoyed was how each detail that Farmer put in were extremely crucial. Every decision that Tam Lin made from start to finish were important into developing Matt as a stronger human being. Tam Lin actually gave Matt the book, “History of the Opium” to show the real truth of El Patron. From there, Matt would learn about Esperanza and who she really was. Each detail all linked together to finally lead to the ending, which was too abrupt.

The book did actually apply to the Grade Nine curriculum because it showed a side of illegal immigration which is unheard of, from the immigrants. We heard from Celia why she actually illegally immigrated. Usually, people are quick to judge upon the idea of illegal immigration but readers could actually understand what Celia was going through and that she was in the end a protector of Matt. Farmer also brought up an interesting idea of clones, are they people? If we were to make clones today, in the real world, are they to be considered people? Or are they just spare parts like in Opium? Or could they be used for things like Eejits? The possibility of something like Eejits happening now is quite probable. Soon, we will have created the technology to implant chips into people’s brains to control each action, word, and movement that they make. Eejits could actually improve manufacturing speeds by a lot and overall boost the economy, but is it humane to do such a thing? The most important issue that Farmer brought in the book House of the Scorpion was, drugs. The possibility of drugs controlling a country is very high and that is what the government today is trying to stop, but what if the government where the people controlling the drugs? Society would be extremely corrupt. We already have an issue of drug wars on a smaller scale but if the whole country was manufacturing and distributing drugs it would be complete chaos because the people would start using the drugs. It would actually disrupt families and create a massive anarchy across the country because everyone would be too high out of their minds. This is a scary fact which, could turn into reality if we do not stop drugs.

House of the Scorpion was definitely a great read, but I don’t think I would have read it if I was given the choice. I quite enjoyed how the smallest things all accounted for making the plot stronger, and Matt stronger. It really added to the overall product. Although, not everything was perfect such as the tempo of the story. It was too inconsistent and made it difficult to read at times. Not only that, but the ending was also extremely abrupt and was not suited if Farmer were to create a second story. Such as, if Tom had actually survived instead it would be a war of who would be the leader of Opium. I rate the book a 4 out of 5 stars for its tempo and inability to finish properly.

#6: The 11th Review of Grade 9.

In our near future, a boy named Matt lives. A boy who was born through the womb of a cow, whose mother doesn’t exist and whose father is himself. He is a clone. During this time, clones are despised and treated like animals. They are altered to be brain dead and not react to the things around them. The reason for their existence is to be the extra organs for the ones who are rich enough to form a complete replica of themselves. However, young Matt is an unaltered clone owned by the almighty drug lord, ruler of the country Opium; El Patron. Being the clone of the supreme leader, Matt faces different levels of treatment. He either intimidates the people around him with the inevitable power he possesses, or is treated like just another filthy clone. As Matt continues to grow, his curiosity for the real reasoning behind his existence starts to lead him into answers that no clone or boy would ever want to find. Matt soon faces the inescapable consequence of being a El Patron’s clone and becomes reconciled with the real truth behind his surroundings.

House of the Scorpions by Nancy Farmer was an original and inventive book which contained an extremely unique science fiction storyline that definitely had it’s ups and downs, but was overall a fabulous read. I was very impressed by Farmer’s imagination to come up with many unconventional predictions on our world’s future. Things like the History Of Opium, the idea of eejits, and the Five Principles of Good Citizenship and the Four Attitudes Leading to Right Mindfulness were only a few of the creative concepts that Farmer was able to incorporate into her book. All characters were very well developed with just the perfect information about each individual, t setting constantly changed, which was effective to how the story was written and incredible foreshadowing was seen in almost every chapter.
There was, however, there was one major flaw that really affected the quality of the book; the plot. Although the novel starts off compelling and intriguing, there was a certain point in the novel where Farmer was unable to continue to capture the reader’s attention. I felt Farmer was unable to decipher what was important and what wasn’t. There were many parts in the novel that were pointlessly dragged on, which left the readers weary. Yet, there were also many parts of the story where things happened way too quickly and were rushed into the next component of the story. In addition, the book had an anticlimactic ending. I was so hyped up to reveal the last few pages, but when I did, I wasn’t impressed. Farmer started the ending with a series of riveting and captivating events, yet she ended off with such a unsatisfying conclusion.

Overall, House of the Scorpions by Nancy Farmer is definitely a great and interesting read. Although the book had its’ flaws, there were also countless aspects which blew me away. I would surely recommend this book to as many people as I could.

Blog Post #6 - Review of HofS

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In the world of Opium, a strip of land between America and Mexico, clones are not people. They are nothing more than animals; only replicas of the original person and disposable after serving their purpose. Matt happens to be a clone of the notorious El Patron. This means he is able to enjoy a comfortable oblivion while at the same time, is treated with contempt and torture. Matt continuously yearns to be acknowledged by those around him and later on, for freedom. As he matures and becomes more aware of his surroundings, Matt gradually learns the truth. The only option now is escape.

House of the Scorpion was a completely thought provoking, original, and utterly unique story. It would have placed quite high on any list of greatest young adult books had there not been the deadliest of all faults to have in a novel; an anti-climatic ending. The pace of the novel was very, very slow, causing me to lose interest quickly. It wasn’t until the first half of the story was finished before things began to pick up. Farmer kept building every event and each small detail, raising so much excitement and expectancy for the resolution only to leave readers with an abrupt conclusion. In other words, it was a terrible let down and disappointment.

This aside, there were many things that made the novel a wonderful read. Farmer was able to take many topics, such as immigration and clones, and compress them all into one novel. The exploration of each topic and all of its angles was just enough that readers were able to understand Farmer’s standpoint about what would happen in the future in relation to those topics. This was a great strength within the book as it gave more options for readers to connect to. Although House of the Scorpion contained many characters, making confusion for readers very likely, I felt like each character’s role was crucial and enhanced the story. One specific character that I thought was exceptional was Tom. He was the perfect foil, complementing Matt’s character very well. His death should not have occurred; Tom’s existence in the sequel would have made that novel even more interesting.

All in all, House of the Scorpion was an extraordinary novel but left me unsatisfied. It is not something that I would have decided to read had it not been a school assignment. Nonetheless, Farmer blew me away with all the strengths that the novel did contain. I can not wait for the sequel as my curiosity towards how Matt reigns over Opium outdoes the disappointment with Farmer’s ending. Because House of the Scorpion contained themes such as perseverance and exceeding expectations while also covering interesting topics, I would recommend this novel to those 14 years and older.

Round Table Discussion #4 - Over Review of Novel

This is our fourth round table discussion. In this round table we discussed our overall thoughts of the novel.

Blog Entry #5: Expectations, Outcasts and Problems

The future: a time period which is filled with speculation and assumptions. One thing that can be clear between Gattaca and House of the Scorpion is that they are about identity. Your identity is what makes up you as a person. In the film Gattaca, Vincent is performing something called identity theft. This is where you pose to be someone who is not you, and essentially stealing their identity. Through the whole movie we see Vincent trying to cover up all the tracks that lead to his original identity. But Matt and Vincent have three main characteristics in common? They are both outcasts, have expectations, and hide problems.

Matt and Vincent are both outcasts in their society. In Matt’s social circumstance, everyone is natural. No one is modified and if you are, you considered to be at the same level of an animal. Clones are considered disgusting. Matt is constantly isolated and is never treated as if he is a normal person until of course the event of Esperenza. Espenrenza, using law, shows Matt that he is a human being. That his life is worth something and in present day times clones are not to be mistreated. So upon the death of El Patron, Matt takes over Opium. On the other hand, in Vincent’s social circumstance naturals are considered to be faltered. Children who are conceived naturally have too many issues and in this society you must be perfect. Vincent is a natural baby and has a high change of heart failure. The thing that shows Vincent that he isn’t useless are the swimming events against his brother. Vincent and his brother always challenge each other to swimming events but Vincent always loses because he is a natural. Until one day, he finally beats his brother and Vincent proves that naturals can do something. In the end, Matt wanted to hide his issues because he was modified. Vincent wanted to hide his issues because he wasn’t modified. They were both outcasts in their society but both have exceedingly high expectations for themselves.

Since they were both outcasts, Vincent and Matt both felt the need to prove themselves. They felt the need to show everyone that they aren’t irrelevant. Since Matt was a clone, people had extremely low expectations of him but Matt was determined. He was determined to show that he wasn’t just a clone. That he was a human being. That he was smart, he had emotions, and he understood what was around him. Not just some brain dead spare parts that El Patron can manipulate at any will. So he studied music, art, literature all to prove that he was more than what everyone thought he was. Vincent on the other hand had extremely high expectations. He had to be absolutely perfect because his stolen identity was a modified child. Though Vincent had many roadblocks because he was a  natural baby. Every morning he had to scrub every imperfection off his body, fake urine tests, clean his keyboard constantly and place fake hair samples everywhere. He tried so hard to be something that he was not only to meet the expectations that were set for him.


Overall, I found one general theme throughout both the movie and the story which was perseverance. Matt and Vincent endured the struggles of being social outcasts, having expectations and problems but they always stuck to their end goals, to prove everyone wrong. Two characters placed in different social circumstances, but having the same amount of determination.

Blog Post #5 - Perseverance and Success

Genetic modification and a futuristic setting are aspects that are featured in the plots of both the House of the Scorpion and Gattaca. However, the biggest trait that Matt and Vincent, characters of each piece respectively, share is perseverance and the quest for success.

For the duration of the first half of the House of the Scorpion, we see Matt always being mistreated and looked down upon because he is a clone. Matt was created specifically for the purpose of providing healthy organs to El Patron. As such, both the servants and people of higher positions all look at Matt with contempt and see him as nothing more than an animal. Matt goes through many situations including ones where he is framed for a crime he did not commit and others where he is constantly ridiculed and called names. Vincent from Gattaca on the other hand was born a natural baby, a love child. This is highly unacceptable; Gattaca is a society in which babies are created in a petri dish. Their characteristics and traits are chosen by the parents in such a way that the chances of a baby developing a disease or sickness become very low or nearly impossible. In other words, babies must be perfect. Only the best will be able to get anywhere in life. Since Vincent is a natural baby, his chances of accomplishing anything are very low. He is always isolated and kept under careful watch.

Although each character is faced with his own fair share of scorn, it does not stop either of them from dreaming and developing goals. Vincent wants to become an astronaut and make it to space while Matt wants to help run Opium. The two boys’ determination to exceed expectations and yearn for success are the forces that drive them to be willing to take risks. Vincent’s single-mindedness on becoming an astronaut is so great that he evens impersonates and takes the identity of another person, one who happened to be a modified baby and has the best traits. Matt is so intent on his goal that he tries to learn every subject and everything about the way Opium is run. Not only that, but he excels in each area that he learns. Undertaking piano lessons is no easy task, yet Matt is able to learn the piano and plays so well that he even causes the teacher to close his eyes in pure bliss when listening to Matt play.

Of course, there are many hardships along the way that each character goes through. At Vincent’s workplace, a mission director is killed causing the police to swarm the entire building. There are many incidents where Vincent’s secret is almost discovered. In Matt’s case, he is continuously treated terribly by various characters throughout the entire novel. Not only that, he must escape Opium and later on has to withstand the conditions of the plankton factory and the punishments doled out to him.

However, these are only small obstacles in each character’s way. With perseverance, courage, and large amounts of endurance, Matt and Vincent are able to pull through and accomplish their goals, clinching success. Both become the person they are supposed to be when that person dies. Matt and Vincent are both very strong characters. If they were to exist in real life, they would inarguably be very admirable and outstanding people.

#5: Two complete opposites, yet both so similar.

Matt is a clone who was made within a petri dish. He was formed to be genetically engineered as a specific person. Vincent on the other hand, is a naturally conceived baby who was born to be his own unique person. Yet, the two characters are almost identical.
The stories Gattaca and House Of The Scorpion have two plots that can be easily compared. Both take place in the near future and both are predictions of what the world’s future may end up as. Matt still lives in a world where naturally conceived babies overpopulate. In fact, he lives in a world where naturally conceived babies are the only kind of human. Anything genetically engineered; such as clones, are considered as animals and things that are only used as extra organs. Vincent lives in the opposite world. His life’s future consists of only genetically engineered, perfect babies. People who are made to be flawless and in no risk of dying young. Natural babies are simply mistakes who really can’t do much for this world. Two complete opposites, yet both so similar.
Matt and Vincent are born different amongst the majority of the beings they live with. They are outcasts. Matt is a clone, which inevitably means he is an animal. A scumbag who is an extra body if anything goes wrong with the first one. He is not only treated with disrespect, but he is also underestimated; just like Vincent. Vincent is a “love child”. With that known fact, he is sold short in every scenario. Because he was naturally conceived, Vincent is prone to health issues. These issues decrease the chance of being able to find a meaningful occupation and entering Gattaca. With a little chance of finding a reasonable occupation, Vincent is often not taken seriously and miscalculated.
Vincent dreams big and desires a visit to space; however, only genetically engineered humans can do so. Just like Vincent, Matt also has big goals to achieve. He constantly wants to learn and study for him to be able to run Opium when El Patron no longer can. The two crave for extremes even though they know that it’s almost impossible for them to do so due to their uniqueness. Nonetheless, the two have the strength, courage and perseverance to reach their anticipated goals.
Matt is continuously being attacked by name calling, horrid, disrespectful treatment and secretive actions; still, Matt was able to learn music and remain studying. He is then hunted to be killed; yet, he still have the integrity to escape the Alacran house into the unknown world. Integrity is also something Vincent contains. Although Vincent’s health issues reduce the strength he maintains, he still has the drive and determination to train daily. Furthermore, Vincent finally challenges his perfect brother to a swimming competition and is successful. He remains confident and doesn’t give up even though he is expected to.
In spite of the fact the two are both undervalued, the characters are able to prove their points. Matt is able to prove to everyone be can survive through thick and thin, even without the guidance of El Patron. Vincent is able to prove to his brother that he can, not only be sent out to space, but also beat him in a swimming competition and save him fro drowning.
Two completely different characters, yet so identical.