New Book!

So my new outside reading book is called The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer. Apparently its the 7th grade outside reading book now, so that really boosts my self confidence in terms of reading level...but those are enriched students, so they're smart. Right?

Anyways, the book so far is really good. Its about Matt, a young boy growing up in Opium, a small strip of land between the United States and Mexico. The story takes place in the future, and the small strip of land between the two countries was established to stop the flow of illegal immigrants going both ways across the border. Matt is a clone, created from a piece of skin from the drug lord El Patrón. El Patrón is 140-something years old, and is one of the only people on earth who loves Matt.

In the future established by this book, clones are seen and treated as animals, and Matt is no exception. For example, Matt leaves his house in a field for the first time when he is six years old, to play with the kids that find his house. He jumps out the window and lands on glass. The children take him to the Big House (where El Patrón and the other servants live). One of the maids, Rosa, immediately begins to pluck the glass out of his foot, trying to help him. The father of the children comes in the room and sees Matt, and announces that he is a clone. As soon as she hears, Rosa backs away from Matt like he is on fire, and leaves the room. Matt is thrown out of the house and left there until he is taken to a room in the basement of the Big House, where he is kept and treated like an animal for three years.

Where I am in the book now, which is not very far, Matt has been saved from his prison in the basement, and is living with his original caregiver, Celia in her apartment. Celia is the head cook for the household, and loves Matt more than anything, affectionately calling him "mi vida", or "my life". Matt is given a bodyguard, Tam Lin, by El Patrón, and lives with him as well. Tam Lin and Matt have a relationship of mutual liking. Tam Lin still sees Matt as a clone, but he treats him like a human, and is kind to him.

Other important characters so far are Tom and Maria. I can't really tell if they are siblings, although I don't believe they are. Tom and Matt hate each other, and are cruel together. Glaring contests are the favorite activity of these two enemies. Maria is the fourth person who actually likes Matt. She first met Matt when he jumped out of the window three or four years earlier. The two have an interesting relationship. Maria looks down upon Matt for being a clone [it is what she has been taught], but she still enjoys his company and likes talking with him. They have a funny relationship, Maria is the only person Matt doesn't mind making fun of him, because he knows she doesn't know any better, and I think that he fancies her.

That is the summary/introduction of/to my book so far. I'm enjoying it, and I guess I'll keep you posted (in order to get my 14 posts in).