Good or Bad?

 Author's Note: A book with no clear good or bad side can propose many questions for a reader


Have you ever read a book that made you think which side is good and which side is bad? Has a book ever had 2 sides that are both good and bad? Well, the book Divine Madness, by Robert Muchamore, it can be hard to designate a good and bad side. Muchamore uses realism and a common problem shared by many to make both sides seem good and bad.

In Divine Madness the Australian version of the F.B.I, A.S.I.S, and the “terrorist group”, Help Earth are the two sides presented to you in the book. Throughout the book there are minor conflicts between revolving around pollution; mainly around gasoline and finding a cleaning fuel. For many adult and young adult readers this book will probably remind them of the news at night because it discusses pollution and oil prices. By using these commonly shared problems; Muchamore makes it difficult to point out good and bad sides.

With the commonly shared problems; Muchamore just isn’t making the book a simple read. In the first encounter between the two sides, Help Earth aims for an empty group of oil tankers to destroy the trade route of one of the most unhealthy fuels. This immediately suggests Help Earth is the “bad side”. But later in the book A.S.I.S. bombs a small town thinking that they will disable  one Help Earth’s recruiting facilities; but instead just end up killing many innocent people. This new info can have the effect on readers that perhaps A.S.I.S. just isn’t thinking clearly and may designate them as the “bad side. Realism also backs up a commonly shared problem making the choice even more difficult.

Realism is the bee that pollinates the flower of a commonly shared problem. The realism when oil tankers are targeted by a so called “terrorist group” make adult readers make text to world connections and younger readers think about why this has to happen and how it possibly can be put to an end. However this can also be a downside to the book; making adult readers stressed thinking about all the world is going through and perhaps making the younger readers find it boring instead of satisfying. At that point making a decision on who is good or bad may not even matter to them and they might just want to put the book down or rush through reading it.

Thinking about which side is good or bad in a book can be an interesting read for many readers. Muchamore obviously makes it clear that he doesn’t want people just skimming through his books without caring but reading them with deep thought and make a reader’s mind conjure many questions.

The Creation of Suspense

 Author's Note:Some great ideas for creating suspense in writing pieces.

Imagine a book that was so suspenseful you couldn’t stop reading it. Something you couldn’t put down even if your life depended on it. In the book The Killing, by Robert Muchamore, the author creates much suspense you will never want to put the book down. Muchamore creates suspense in his novels using realism,  imagery, and cooperation.

Realism is the fabric used in the blanket of suspense. Bringing realism into his novels, Muchamore creates a colossal amount of suspense in every page. Real life conversations between FBI agents and demonstrating inside jobs makes you feel as if you were an undercover agent yourself. With the realism of the government floating around in the air, it would seem as if you were watching the six o’ clock news report. Imagery also plays an important part in the way Muchamore creates suspense.

Imagery is the thread in the woven blanket of suspense. The way Muchamore pictures the sturdy, grumpy FBI agents and the victims who are paralyzed with fear makes the book all the more suspenseful. How the crime and hit-and-run scenes are captured are astonishing and will make you regret ever putting this book down. Every little detail in this book is captured to perfection for readers who are interested to see the suspense included in every day lives. Cooperation created throughout the book by the characters adds even more suspense to the novel.

Cooperation is the needle used to put the blanket together. When characters rely on each other in tough situations it creates even more suspense in the book. When there’s a double agent who has been trusted with important documents or an argument about whether the evidence is right or not brings much suspense into the book. Relying on others thinking there your friends but really are evil makes you turn page after page in this book.

Cooperation, imagery, and realism are tools that Robert Muchamore uses to conjure suspense in his novels. In The Killing the suspense is of such colossal amount that it can be hard to put the book down. With the use of these tools, Muchamore has created a woven blanket of suspense.