Genre
Science fiction, young adult, contemporary
Setting and Context
Present-day Peru and Tuvalu
Narrator and Point of View
First-person limited POV from the perspective of Michael Vey, one of the electric teenagers trying to save the world.
Tone and Mood
Apprehensive, efficient prose; alternately humorous and serious moods
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Michael Vey, an electric teenager trying to save the world from the Elgen. Antagonist: Dr. Hatch, a madman with electric students and megalomaniac qualities.
Major Conflict
The Elgen partner with the Peruvian army to hunt down the Electroclan, who is also trying to pursue and stop Dr. Hatch from enacting his evil schemes.
Climax
Dr. Hatch once again confronts the Electroclan using the PA system of his home base, this time a vessel floating off the coast of Tuvalu (the Ampere). After the Watt explodes, our heroes blow up the Ampere and escape.
Foreshadowing
When Meihwa tears up as Michael leaves the Amacarra tribe in Chapter 3, it foreshadows the greater sorrow of their massacre at the hands of the Peruvian army.
Understatement
“Quentin, take out all communications. I don’t want an SOS going out to any other ships in the fleet.” - Dr. Hatch (Ch. 12)
Allusions
“This is like Frankenstein; the monster has turned on its creator.” - Chairman Schema (Prologue)
Imagery
The imagery of a storm representing both the characters' powers and the dramatic climax recur throughout the novel. In Chapter 11, entitled "An Electrical Storm," the loyal Glows storm the ship's brig and rescue Hatch by using their powers to take out the guards. Before they do so, Hatch tells the guards that he believes an electrical storm is coming. Zeus's power, throwing lightning bolts, is also evocative of storms.
Paradox
The Peruvian army doesn't know how to use the Elgen technology, so it seems like they would be less ruthless with it, but their ineptitude causes them to accidentally misuse the RESATs, causing incredible pain for several of the Electroclan.
Parallelism
The way the Electroclan tracks down and destroys the Ampere parallels the Elgen's location and subsequent destruction of Jack's house in the second novel. The Electroclan has returned the favor.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"We still need to float this tub." - Hatch, Ch. 12, referring to the large and luxurious ship
Personification
"...[the pipe] just drops you out in the middle of the jungle with a lot of snakes and stuff." - Tessa, Ch. 2
