Thursday, January 17, 2008

Top Ten!

Top Ten

1st bombing: The first bombing was very alarming. For one how could a sixteen year old boy have gotten such advanced explosives? And also why was he so willing to sacrifice himself just to put terror in the people? This is alarming because the most likely answer to these questions is a new terrorist group. This means that there will be more bombings and many more deaths. They need to stop this and soon before more teenage boys with so much to live for destroy their lives and many other lives.

2nd Bombing: The second bombing happened at a soccer game in Europe. This bombing was done by a teenage Muslim. It was done with the exact same explosives and in the exact same manner as the first one. A young teenage boy walked into the designated area. He was wearing a trench coat with a large amount of explosives in it. Once he reached the middle of the area a slight upward pull of his right hand and “boom” it was over for all of them.

3rd Bombing: In the 3rd and final bombing the plan to blow up the BBC tower was foiled. A child stopped at a news stand to ask for directions. The man working there gave him the directions he asked for but noticed something funny about the way he was acting. For one he was wearing a trench coat and this was a very hot day. For another he looked very nervous and uneasy. He had read about the earlier bombings and put two and two together and realized this could be a third one. When he tried to stop the boy though he made a mistake and they boy blew them both up.

Motif Death: The motif in my book is death. I say this because there are at least four major parts where it revolves around death. Three of these are the bombing of course. Even though only 2 people died in the third bombing it was major because it was still an attempted. The other two were much bloodier and killed many people. This last major death part of the book was when Fergus and Joey were killed in the end.

Danny: The main character in this book is Danny. He has three main characteristics, courage, loyalty, and kindness. He shows courage because on countless amounts of times he lays his life down to save the people he loves. He shows loyalty because he rescued his grandfather from prison and after that stayed right by his side and everyday did exactly what he told him to do. And he shows kindness because he is always looking out for the people around him. He wouldn’t think twice about taking a bullet for his friends.

Elena: In this book Elena comes in about a fourth of the way in. She is a girl that Danny used to go to school with and they kind of had a thing of course with Danny and his father constantly having to run from people trying to kill them in makes it hard for a relationship. But Danny busts her out of the catholic school she is going to and has her come with him and his grandfather. Throughout the book she is very helpful and saves them a number of times.

Fergus: This is Danny’s grandfather. In the begging of the book his is in a government prison that Danny has to free him from. When he was in the army his was framed for betrayal and wrongly put in jail. Danny frees him so that they can go on this mission to find a top secret file that would clear his name. He is very determined throughout the book and even after he gets shot he presses on to complete the mission. In the end he dies but Danny has learned everything he could from his grandfather and will be set for the rest of his life.

Joey: Joey is Elena’s dad although he is only in the book for a little while he plays a very vital role. He is the whole reason why they are able to complete the mission in the end. Before Danny and Fergus brought in Elena she didn’t talk to her dad because he was in jail. But since they needed him and his services and Fergus had known him before they decided to bust him out. In the end he also died but he proved to be a loyal friend and a good father.

Fergus gets shot: In this section of the book Danny and Fergus has a very risky visit with one of Fergus’s old army partners. They need to talk to him because he knows something that is very important for their mission. He still did some army work so he would know exactly where the file was kept in Northwood. During this visit the government group trying to kill them got tipped that they were there and sent one of their men. As Fergus and his buddy were walking on the golf course talking Fergus got shot in the leg but that was the only injury. This is still a major problem because now without being able to go to the hospital Fergus would have to work with a shot and infected leg.

The break in: This is probably the most important part of the book. This is when they put all their planning to the test and try and obtain the top secret file from a high security area known as Northwood. In order to do this they will all need to do exactly as they were taught and make no mistakes. As they go through with it everything goes perfectly until the escape. As they were driving away they were stopped by the police which actually turned out to be one of the government workers after them. She made them tell her where Fergus was and once she got there Fergus saved them all by sacrificing himself and killing her.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Outside reading post 7 B

In this chapter of the book they go through with their plan. Everything goes smoothly until Danny has trouble jumping the fence. He just couldn’t get over the razor wire which I can imagine can’t be easy. So now they had to figure out a way to get Danny to the Northwood building. They came up with smuggling him in through a truck. Elena’s dad had snagged the keys from a guy in the bar so they opened it up and stuck Danny in the back. It was cold dark and lonely back there but as long as Danny would be saving his grandfather. He got into the building and got the file that would clear his grandfather. He sent it to Elena and she began downloading it. All this went with slight complications. But as they were getting away they went back to pick up Danny’s grandfather and there was Deveraux waiting for them. She shot Elena’s dad because he had pulled a gun out. Then she turned to Fergus and the kids. As she raised her gun again for a second kill Fergus realized that the only way to save Danny and Elena was to sacrifice himself. Earlier he had rigged a small bomb in case it was needed, it was now. He yelled for Danny to jump behind a couch and he took Elena with him then there was a white flash and it was over for Fergus and Deveraux.

Outside reading post 7 A

unscrupulous-not scrupulous; unrestrained by scruples; conscienceless; unprincipled. (p. 217)

protegee-a woman under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in her career or welfare. (p. 231)

his eyes had flicked onto the screen like a changing camera shutter. simile because to compares two things using like.

This was starting to feel like home. simile because to compares two things using like.

buzz- onomatopoeia because it is a sound.

"in a few hours time he would be on a plane to Moscow and this nightmare would be behind him." This is important because it says how close they are to being done.

the theme is still survival.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Outside reading post 6 B

In this section of my book the group of Danny, his grandpa, Elena, and her dad have to break into a top secret building called Northwood. This has information about Danny’s grandpa that is necessary to prove his innocents. In order to do this they must sneak into a pub where Elena’s dad will talk up some people in order to gain their trust then he will steal a card key form one of them that is required to get into Northwood. Then he would pass it to Danny through a window in the pub bathroom. Danny would then take the card to Elena to have it copied and the original back to her dad so that he could replace it and no one would notice. After this Danny would have to jump a fence with razor wire on the top and run to the building without the armed guards who will shot him upon sight noticing him. Then he would use the card key that Elena’s dad had required for them. Although this was a very risky plan and was almost crazy it was the only option they had considering Fergus’s leg was only getting worse and every moment he wanted to cry out in agony. It was now or never and if this plan failed there would be no time to try and come up with a plan b.

Outside reading post 6 A

reminiscent-awakening memories of something similar; suggestive. (p. 206)

implicated- to show to be also involved, usually in an incriminating manner. (p. 208)

you stink of drink. Metaphor because it compares his smell to a drink.

ripped apart like a paper bag. simile because it compares to things with like.

he could no more fly to the moon then walk into the pub. Metaphor because it compares flying to the moon to walking into a pub.

"I know how bad that wound is - I've seen it." This quote explains that Fergus had little time left before he needed to get help.

Another emerging theme is survival because Danny his grandfather Elena and her dad are all tying to survive.