For the first six years of his life, Matt lived in a little house in a field of poppies with his caretaker, isolated from the rest of the world. One day, when three children appear outside his house, he breaks the window to get out, badly cutting himself. When they carry him to the �big house� for medical care, his life changes and will never be the same.
He is a clone of Matteo Alacran, the master of the House of the Scorpion, and the ruler of the land of Opium. Although despised as a subhuman freak by the household staff, Matt is spoiled and doted on by El Patron, who educates him and provides him with a life befitting royalty. As Matt grows older, he learns that other clones have been sacrified to provide replacement body parts for El Patron, who is over 140 years old. After the old man dies, and Matt is no longer useful for the old man�s diabolical purposes, Matt realizes he must escape or be killed by those who hate him.
He escapes to Aztlan, formerly Mexico, which has evils of its own. Living for a time in a repressive orphanage, Matt leads a rebellion and escapes to the city where his friend Maria lives. He joins a liberation group dedicated to freeing the people of Opium, and he risks his life to put an end to its evil practices.
The setting for this science fiction novel is in the futuristic land of Opium, a fictional strip of poppy fields between what was once Mexico and the U.S. Farmer provides detailed descriptions, both of the physical and social environments, that lend believability to the story. The fields of poppies, stretching all the way to the shadowy hills, are so bright they hurt Matt�s eyes. The �eejits,� who are controlled by computer chips embedded in their brains, show the dehumanization and lack of worth placed on people in that society. The description of the eejit pens are particularly vivid: �It was a compound of rotten fish, excrement, and vomit, with a sweet chemical odor that was worse than the other smells put together.� The contrast between that and El Patron�s lush compound is striking. The home had �lush gardens and red tile roofs,� fountains that �splashed and glittered in the sun,� lawns of �shimmering green,� walls painted �cream and rose and pale green.�
The premise is believable, based on issues that are currently getting attention in the news. Cloning is feared by a segment of society because of its potential for abuse, which is depicted in the extreme in this story. The problem of illegal immigrants flooding into America from Mexico fuels discussion of possible solutions. The creation of a �bumper� country between the two, which profiteers from those trying to cross over, is a believable outcome. Computer technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the concept of controlling humans with a tiny embedded chip is readily believable. The hardest idea to accept is society�s willingness to overlook the dehumanization and slavery of vast numbers of individuals, but our history tells us that is probably the most believable part of the fiction.
The book is less about personal relationships than it is about adventure, so the action is more central to the story than characterization. But the characters are developed sufficiently to make the reader care about the welfare of Matt, his relationship with Maria, and the fate of Celia and Tam Lin. The most vividly depicted characters are the villians in the story: Rosa is unspeakably cruel and Tom is supremely evil. Maria, while sweet, is also volatile and unreliable. El Patron, although he seems to love Matt, has a sinister darkness, and is willing to sacrifice others for his own benefit. Matt grows in depth and complexity as he matures during the course of the story. He changes from an impulsive, self-centered child to a wise young man, willing to risk his own life for the good of others.
The book is fairly long for its target audience and the plot meanders at times. But the action is nonstop, the plot believable, and the characters sympathetic. The fantasy element is ultimately believable and true to the science fiction genre. Young science fiction fans, and even those who are not, will find this book a page-turning adventure.
Related Websites:
Starport:
http://www.starport.com
Kids' Science Fiction Site:
http://chaoskids.com/SITINGS/ksf.html