Acceleration

Acceleration

• Genre: Young adult thriller
• Originally Published: 2003
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 670L; young adult (ages 14 and up)
• Structure/Length: Novel divided into chapters; approx. 240 pages; approx. 5 hours and 38 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: Acceleration is a young adult thriller by Graham McNamee. The central conflict revolves around Duncan, a teenage part-time night-shift worker at the Lost and Found section of the Toronto Transit Commission. Duncan discovers a diary belonging to a serial killer who details his crimes in chilling detail. Now, Duncan is faced with a moral dilemma—should he turn the diary over to the police or try to stop the killer himself? The novel explores themes of morality, responsibility, and the consequences of choices. Graham McNamee’s storytelling combines suspenseful elements with psychological tension to create a gripping narrative.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of violence, crime, and moral dilemmas

Graham McNamee, Author

• Bio: Canadian author known for his contributions to young adult literature and his work in the mystery and thriller genres; celebrated for his books, including Bonechiller (2008) and Beyond: A Ghost Story (2013); his novels often feature suspenseful and mysterious elements that engage young adult readers
• Other Works: Sparks (2002); Defender (2016)
• Awards: Winner of the 2004 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Acceleration and Imprisonment
• Second Chances and Cycles of Poverty and Violence
• Guilt, Forgiveness, and Absolution

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the psychological context around serial killers’ aberrant behavior, along with a discussion of POV as a literary device, both of which shape the narrative through Duncan’s pursuit of Roach.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Acceleration and Imprisonment, Second Chances and Cycles of Poverty and Violence, and Guilt, Forgiveness, and Absolution.
• Collaborate in small groups to read, research, and present sketches of students’ own investigative journalism, based on mysteries and/or cases in their own communities—emulating and based around work similar to Duncan’s in the novel.
• Analyze and evaluate plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the function of prisons in the novel, Duncan’s relationship with his mother, and other topics.