The Scorpion Rules: Prisoners of Peace, Book 1
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Scorpion Rules is the first book in the Prisoners of Peace science fiction series, set in a future where the children of government leaders are held as hostages in order to prevent the outbreak of war. Violence scenes include torture and death by cider press. Misbehaving hostages receive electric shocks. A student is fatally shot in the throat. A major city is wiped out by orbital weapons. Strong language includes a few uses of "s--t" and "f--k," as well as more frequent employment of "damn," "hell," "bastard," "goddamned," and "dammit." Sexual content is understated, although it's made clear that some of the Children of Peace slip out at night to have sex. Greta and Xie share a kiss early on, and later the girls spend the night together and presumably make love.
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What's the Story?
Sometime in the future, a global computer intelligence named Talis attempts to prevent another world war by holding hostage the children of various world leaders. If a war breaks out, the future rulers of the participating nations are killed in some mysterious fashion. Greta, a duchess and a crown princess, is sure her turn will come soon. When a new hostage, Elian, arrives at the Precepture and resists the orders of the robots who run the place, his disobedience causes Greta to reassess her predicament and the power wielded by her captors.
Is It Any Good?
Starting from a clever premise that guarantees growing suspense, this futuristic tale of survival reads like a brainier version of The Hunger Games. THE SCORPION RULES boasts an engaging and formidable protagonist, a sarcastic and seemingly invincible antagonist, and a colorful and well-defined supporting cast. Halfway through, the plot takes a fascinating turn, opening up a host of new possibilities, and the ending will leave readers gasping for more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about methods of preventing war. What strategies do modern governments use to deal with aggression by other countries?
Why are books about robots so popular? What others have you liked?
Do you think Artificial Intelligences will ever be able to control humanity? How is a computer program different from a human mind?
Book Details
- Author: Erin Bow
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models, Robots
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: McElderry Books
- Publication date: September 22, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 18
- Number of pages: 384
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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