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Example 3

A final example of the theme shown in this novel is when, after his target is changed, Boy Nobody has to decide whether to kill Samara, the girl he loves, or himself. A quote that shows this struggle is: "I should press the point into myself. That's what I'm thinking. Then I will know how it feels, whether or not it hurts, and Sam will walk away.

The idea gives me peace. Until I think of Mike.

Because this will not stand. Mother will not let it stand."

In conclusion, the theme "the choice between doing what is right and doing what is low-risk can be difficult to make" is shown in the novel "I am the Weapon" by Allen Zadoff.

Explanation 3

This example shows Boy Nobody's struggle to choose whether or not to obey his mission.

Obeying orders would mean killing the girl he has come to love. He cares about Samara, and doesn't want to hurt her. Killing himself with the drugged pen would let Sam go free, but would go against everything he's been trained for. He knows that "Mother will not let it stand" and that disobeying his orders would only cause more trouble for Sam. He also knows that having feelings for a target will not be allowed. He's not supposed to have emotions, but he does. And he has to choose whether or not to act on them.

It's evident that the theme "the choice between doing what is right and doing what is low-risk can be difficult to make" is shown in this scene.

THEME

Example 1

Example 2

Strengths

To begin, the theme is shown when Boy Nobody must choose between joining The Program and dying. An example from the text that demonstrates this theme is "She made it sound exciting. She said it was my choice whether to join. Whatever I decided, my life was no longer my own. I could give up forever and join my parents, or I could join The Program. Twelve years old, and I had to choose between life and death."

Another example of the theme "the choice between doing what is right and doing what is low-risk can be difficult to make" is when Boy Nobody must choose between saving Howard (the school geek) from bullies and ignoring the situation. Several sections from this scene show the theme.

". . . Justin is pushing Howard into the wall, squashing him with a beanbag chair.

Howard is trapped.

The idea causes something uncomfortable to stir inside of me.

It's got nothing to do with me. That's what I tell myself. . . "

". . . Howard's head smacks against the wall with a loud thump.

Sam's not around. Nobody's around.

Except me."

Explanation 1

Explanation 2

This example is a flashback to one of the most difficult choices Boy Nobody has ever had to make. The quote "Whatever I decided, my life was no longer my own" shows how he knew, even though he was only twelve at the time, that this choice would either end his life or change it forever.

He feels that joining The Program, where he will become a soldier and work for the woman referred to as Mother, is the wrong thing to do. After all, these people killed his parents!

But the alternative to joining them is just as unpleasant - death. He struggles greatly between preserving his loyalty to his family (what is right, in his opinion) and his will to live (what is low-risk).

Clearly, this example shows the theme.

This example shows Boy Nobody's internal struggle to make the choice between what is right and what is low-risk.

On one hand, if he ignores the situation and walks away, he won't have to worry about his abilities being revealed to Howard and the bullies. It'll be the easiest thing to do; walk off and not engage in unnecessary conflict.

But on the other hand, ignoring the situation would cause harm to an innocent kid. Boy Nobody wants to ignore it and move on, as he isn't supposed to get involved in anything that could blow his cover, but he can't seem to shake the feeling that if he doesn't help, Howard could get seriously injured, and it would be his fault.

All pieces of literature contain a theme, or a universal message about life. "I am the Weapon", by Allen Zadoff, is no exception. A good theme for this novel is "the choice between doing what is right and doing what is low-risk can be difficult to make." This theme is shown when Boy Nobody must choose between joining The Program and dying, when he must decide whether or not to save Howard from bullies, and when he must choose whether or not to kill Samara.

In my opinion, a strength of this novel is the intriguing characterization of Boy Nobody. Even though many novels make the protagonists extremely relatable so the reader can connect to the character, Allen Zadoff makes Boy Nobody practically emotionless when we're introduced to him, only developing his true feelings as the book goes on. This is a risky move, but the result is captivating.

Boy Nobody is analytical and strategic, a skilled assassin. It's difficult to predict what he'll do next, and how he'll respond to certain situations, so readers are constantly wondering how things will unfold. I think that it's interesting to have Boy Nobody be so different from most YA protagonists. Instead of being completely unrelatable and bland (as some may expect) or predictable and generic, Allen Zadoff has brought a refreshing new character to the table that has readers in constant suspense.

Recommendations

Weaknesses

At sixteen years old, 'Boy Nobody' has seen more deaths than most people twice his age. And in Allen Zadoff's intense action-thriller novel, "I am the Weapon", we see why; he's the one who causes them.

I would recommend the novel 'I am the Weapon' to people aged 12+ who like action, thrillers, and suspense. Anyone with an interest in spy movies and/or anti-hero protagonists (Jack Sparrow, Sherlock, Deadpool, etc.) would also likely enjoy this book.

There is an abundance of suspense and tight situations in this book, and those who enjoy thrillers and spy movies may be intrigued by the creative ways the protagonist solves problems and fights off those that oppose him.

Fans of Deadpool and similar characters can appreciate the fact that the protagonist isn't a pure, flawless, do-no-wrong type of character, and instead a cunning, occasionally manipulative teen who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty (or bloody).

The main reason I recommend this book for people ages 12 and up is the fact that it contains some references to sexual activity and some foul language. The novel also contains graphic violence at times.

What I liked least about this novel was how short and 'choppy' everything felt. The author includes many short, punch-you-in-the-gut sentences. While there's nothing inherently wrong with this type of sentence, overusing them can lessen their effect. These sentences are meant to make certain words or actions stand out in your mind, but if you use too many of these the words don't stand out as much. Shortened sentences also break up the text, and since there are so many in comparison to lengthier sentences the immersion is often broken with a cluster of short sentences.

Many chapters of this book are also quite short; some being only two to four pages long. It is understandable to want to end chapters on a cliffhanger to keep readers interested, but when almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger it seems forced and often results in our immersion in a scene being interrupted as we change to a different scene. Again, there's nothing inherently wrong with this type of writing, but overuse lessens the enjoyment of the reader in my opinion.

In conclusion, "I am the Weapon" by Allen Zadoff is an interesting, well-thought-out novel with an original protagonist and a captivating story that had me hooked until the end. It's one of those books that left a lasting impression on me, and I'm grateful that there are two more books to enjoy!

Both Ruth and Boy Nobody struggle to contain their emotions and push away their pasts throughout their respective novels. They both believe that emotions will

only cause harm to themselves and those around them, and they are both upset by their memories, so they lock up their feelings and their memories.

This is the text-to-text connection I could make between the novels "I am the Weapon" by Allen Zadoff and "After the War" by Carol Mattas.

In "After the War", Ruth Mendenberg is constantly struggling to contain her emotions. She believes that if she allows herself to feel, she'll get hurt, so she stays in a constant state of "sleep" to protect herself from her feelings. She thinks that feelings are dangerous and will only cause her harm.

Ruth also struggles with memories of her past, of her parents before they died. She keeps having flashbacks to her past, which upset her, so she doesn't want to remember her pain. She thinks that forgetting her past altogether would be the best choice.

In "I am the Weapon", Boy Nobody struggles with his emotions and the remnants of the person he was before The Program killed his parents and trained him to be

an assassin. Boy Nobody doesn't allow himself to attach to anybody, because if he does he could put himself and The Program at risk. If he acknowledges his emotions, he'll endanger The Program, which in turn will endanger him and anyone he grew attached to.

He also frequently has flashbacks to his past. These memories cause him to question the morals of what he does, and could cause him to make bad mistakes while on a mission, so he has learned that pushing away his feelings and memories is the easiest thing to do.

Text-to-Text Connection

I can make a text-to-text connection between "I am the Weapon" by Allen Zadoff and "After the War" by Carol Mattas.

"I am the Weapon" is set in New York City, likely in the early 21st century (2010-2020). While exact locations vary, much of the book takes place in a private school on the Upper-West side of NYC.

The protagonist of this novel can be referred to as 'Boy Nobody'. He has no name, no identity. At least, not now, as he works as an assassin for a shady government organization called 'The Program". He moves from state to state, using his vast amount of training to take out targets (whilst being really cool). This makes him a loner, never attaching to anybody. New mission, new location, new identity.

New York is where his problems start. There he meets a girl named Samara Goldberg, the mayor's daughter, and begins to develop feelings for her - he gets attached.

The problem is, he has to kill her father.

Book Report #1 - I am the Weapon

By: Brooke Simms

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