The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

****out of ****

       I guess I kind of have a thing for apocalypse books. The House of the Scorpion, is amazing. And no wonder, because it has received so many awards such as the Newberry Honor award and the National Book award.

        In The House of The Scorpion, Matt is a clone of El Patrón, a powerful drug lord that rules a small strip of a country between what was the U.S. and Mexico, called Opium. He doesn't know what he is at first, and lives happily with Cecilia, his caretaker. But as soon as the family of El Patrón finds out who he really is, he is thrown into a jail, confused, hurt, and refusing to talk. Maria, the daughter of a powerful senator of the United States, which is not as rich as it used to be, coaxes him out. As soon as El Patrón finds out how badly Matt was treated, he quickly showers him with gifts, and teaches him how to rule with power and greed, making empty promises that he can help him rule Opium. Matt soon discovers that things aren't always what they seem, and finds out El Patrón was only using him. Matt is plunged through a journey of escape from Opium, with nowhere to turn to and death is always around the corner.

        So, the House of the Scorpion is the first book given a perfect rating on this blog. I definitely recommend the book, because I think the reader could learn a lesson, and it really wakes you up from the happy little world we live in, and introduces you to a scary, "real" world.

L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad

*** and a 1/2 out of ****

        Lots of actors and actresses hit one point in their career where they will write an autobiography about their life, and it's supposed to reveal everything, and bla bla bla. So I wasn't that interested when I first picked up Lauren Conrad's L.A. Candy. For those of you who don't know Lauren Conrad, she's the reality star from The Hills, a hit MTV series. This book is NOT  an autobiography of Conrad (phew), but it's very similar to her life. However, the novel is very well written, has an interesting plot, and it's something new. I love new things!

        The novel focuses around Jane, a young woman who moved to L.A. with her beautiful best friend Scarlett. Pretty normal right? Except they become reality stars on a brand new reality TV show! But never judge a book by its cover. L.A. Candy isn't as sweet as its name. Jane gets caught in the regular celeb treatment. Paparazzi, scandals, and lots of publicity. And one of her co-stars is green with envy, and will do anything to get her off the show, and put herself on the top.

          I rate L.A. Candy a *** and a 1/2 out of ****, because it was absolutely amazing. It definitely goes on Chanterelle's top 100, so thus, the good rating. It was missing 1/2 a star,  because the writing style could've been less detailed, and could've gotten straight to the point, but nonetheless, I totally recommend this book!