Post 11 A Tough Cookie

In The House of the Scorpion, which character do you think could best be described as tough?

Tam Lin is Matt's body guard and is one of the biggest, meanest guys you could imagine. "[He was] thick-necked and brutal, with [a] flaghtened nose and scars wandering across [his] arms and face."(Farmer 63) This shows that the bodygaurd is a real rough and tough guy.

Farmer, Nancy. the house of the scorpion. First Simon Pulse. New York: Nancy Farmer, 2002.

Post 10 Conflicts Galore

What are the problems that your protagonist faces in The House of the Scorpion?

All of Matt's life people have never really liked him. In fact, most everyone he has ever known has detested him (with very few exceptions). "No one, except Maria, seemed to be pleased to see him, but they all pretended to be."(Farmer 62) Because of this dislike from most, he becomes very close with the people that accept him.

Farmer, Nancy. the house of the scorpion. First Simon Pulse. New York: Nancy Farmer, 2002.

Post 9 A Title By Choice

Do you think that "The House of the Scorpion" is a good title?

The title of the story fits because the Alacran family are bad people. Celia says,"They're all scorpions. Boy, did El Patron have it right when he picked the name." (Farmer 123) This shows that the Alacrian family are like the scorpions because the way they are holds the same negative conotation as the creatures.

Farmer, Nancy. the house of the scorpion. First Simon Pulse. New York: Nancy Farmer, 2002.

Post 8 The House of the Scorpion

Matt, a young boy who lives in a desolate area in a locked down shack with his over protective gaurdian, has never interacted with other children. One day, three young kids come up to his window and in his excitement to go out and play with the children, he breakes the window. This results in his injury so the other three children carry him off to their house, a huge house about 2 miles away. When they get there, Matt is treated with a brutal unkindness as soon as they figure out what he is... A Clone. Little did Mat know how important the person he was cloned after is. That mans importance is probably the only thing that has kept him alive.

No Pay

Pay no attention to those who talk behind your back.
It simply means that your two steps ahead.


{this concludes Maximum Ride posts!}

The End and the Dynamic Protagonist

At The beginning of Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment, Max was comfortably ignorant of everything she didn't want to know. She has learned so much since then and has made many mistakes, even though it was only a month ago when they set off on their journey. The flock is a tightly knitted family but they have grown even closer over that month because of the struggles they face, making everyone of them individually stronger. At one point Max realizes that without complete trust of the flock and without them completely trusting her, there would be no Maximum Ride. She is becoming aware of the fact that she is a small part of something much greater, that her life "might be a huge, sick, important game. And [she] ha[s] been cast as a major player."(Patterson 350)
It's slightly frustrating (as the reader) to figure out more than the character does. Though it does add a nice pinch of suspense. I LoVe this book. It is just the style I like, and it keeps me interested. I'm started on the second book in the Maximum Ride series, and it's just as fantastic as the first. As for recommending it, I already have.

Patterson, James. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. New York: SueJack, Inc., 2005.

The Round Protagonist

Max learned pretty much all she knows from her former father figure Jeb, but he never really taught her or the rest of the flock about how or why they were genetically mutated. They do want to find out though and that's what they think they are fighting to do, besides running for their lives. Through all the struggles they go through, Max learns the most responsibility, as her leadership grows. She also has a sort of instinct for being a leader, she has the right attitude for it. She wants to help people, like when they foung other muiton kids, she says, "I'm supposed to save the whole world, remember? Well, I'm gonna start with these guys."(Patterson 390) And she does save them all.

Patterson, James. Maximum Ride . The Angel Experiment. New York: SueJack, Inc., 2005.