“THE SCORPION RULES,” by Erin Bow, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Sept. 22, 2015, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
In recent years, “The Hunger Games” has become the standard by which all the dystopian novels that followed it are judged. Sometimes, they fall flat, other times, they soar, and many feel like copycats. In the case of “The Scorpion Rules” none of the above hold true.
“Scorpion Rules” takes place after many of the world super powers have destroyed each other. The world is now overseen by Talis, an AI who was tasked with bringing peace, but in order to bring peace, he first brought destruction. And once Talis caught everyone’s attention, he required the ultimate sacrifice — children.
Talis makes sure the world’s leaders understand that declaring war is costly. He makes things personal by taking their children hostage as Children of Peace. If war is declared, the lives of both nations’ hostages are forfeit.
Greta Gustafson Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederation, has spent most of her life at Precepture Four. Like most of the Children of Peace, she knows to follow the rules even with her country on the brink of war. The same cannot be said of Elián Palnik the newest member of their group. He’d rather quote Spartacus than Talis. When an unexpected act of war pits Elián and Greta’s respective lands against each other, the two find themselves challenging rules and expectations.
“Scorpion Rules” starts out strong. A cast of diverse characters and an intriguing plot quickly draws you in. In fact, “Scorpion Rules” is a page-turner for about 2/3 of the book, and then suddenly, it just falls flat. I found myself wanting to finish but not really looking forward to it. I’m not sure if it was the pacing or sudden plot shift that brought about this loss of excitement, but it was certainly jarring. Waning interest does not bode well for the end of a book, and while I found the ending somewhat satisfying, I ended up feeling ambivalent toward it overall.
“Scorpion Rules” is an intense, oft-times dark book. Death, torture and sex (nothing too detailed) all play important roles. I recommend ages 15 and up for this one.
