Michael Vey: Storm of Lightning Book 5 Literary Elements

Science fiction, young adult, contemporary

Modern-day Mexico, Idaho, and Tuvalu

First-person limited POV from the perspective of Michael Vey, one of the electric teenagers trying to save the world.

Occasionally anxious but usually concise and efficient prose; usually either serious or relaxed mood

Protagonist: Michael Vey, an electric teenager trying to save the world from the Elgen (more specifically, the schemes of Dr. Hatch). Antagonist: Dr. Hatch, a madman with electric students and megalomaniac qualities attempting to take over the world, first through the forceful occupation of the island nation of Tuvalu.

In this novel, the fifth of the series, the conflict revolves around Dr. Hatch’s plan to take over the island nation of Tuvalu. The Electroclan must regroup after his attack on the ranch and attempt to stop him.

Hatch discovers Quentin’s treachery and locks him up, leading to the development of a plan by the resistance. At the very end, Schema is taken and brought before the leader of another shadowy organization.

Quentin’s explanation of the “life as chess” metaphor foreshadows his realization of Hatch’s nature and his rebellion against his authority.

“[My hand is] sparking, which, if you don’t know anything about me, might sound a little weird.” (15)

In Chapter 16, Quentin (pretending to be Hatch) makes a reference to 1984, to which the present situation has many similarities: an option given to a prisoner to condemn another prisoner to escape death by rats.

The message of The Once and Future King is also used in the dialogue and is a clue by which Quentin discovers Hatch’s deception.

Hatch uses a monkey cage to present his opponents in humiliating imagery; he forces the former prime minister (now “Prime Monkey”) of Tuvalu to live in the monkey cage in a public place to demonstrate his power and the absurdity of opposing him.

Hatch wants world domination for the Glows, but he also wants world domination for himself. As a non-electric human, this is hypocritical, and his plans are paradoxical.

The situation of Welch in the prison cell, being asked to choose either himself or Quentin to be fed to the rats, parallels the same situation from Orwell’s classic novel 1984.

“Nichelle saved our bacon.” (139)

“There must be hundreds [of land mines]. The place is jumping.” (4)