The Lord of Opium - (The House of the Scorpion) by Nancy Farmer (Paperback)

About the Book

As the teenage ruler of his own country, Matt must cope with clones and cartels in this riveting sequel to the modern classic "House of the Scorpion, " winner of the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, and a Printz Honor.

Book Synopsis

In the riveting sequel to the acclaimed bestseller The House of the Scorpion, Matt reels from the change in status quo and struggles to do the right thing; find out his story's end in this new edition with a reimagined cover!Matt Alacrán is a fourteen-year-old drug lord. Until recently, Matt was just a clone grown from a strip of El Patrón's skin. Now he is lord of the land of Opium, on the one-time US-Mexico border, and rules over an army of microchipped, zombielike workers who are programmed to produce the drugs that are Opium's main export. El Patrón kept the air and water in Opium clean, but the rest of the world is a polluted wasteland. Matt is sure that, in his new position, he can find a way to break the cycle of violence and destruction--but it will only be possible if he chooses the right people to trust.

Review Quotes

* "Farmer's near-future world offers an electric blend of horrors and beauty. Lyrically written and filled with well-rounded, sometimes thorny characters. . . . [a] superb novel." - Publishers Weekly, starred review