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The novel Acceleration by Graham McNamee explores the theme of redemption and how it can drive someone to extreme measures. The protagonist, Duncan, finds a psychopath's diary and becomes determined to find the killer himself. He sees it as a second chance to redeem himself after not being able to save a girl named Maya. Duncan is willing to sacrifice relationships and engage in illegal activities in his pursuit of redemption. This theme is universal and can be seen in other stories and poems, such as "Don't Quit" by Edgar A. Guest. Duncan's relentless pursuit of redemption is highlighted throughout the story, showing that people will go to great lengths to redeem themselves, even if it means sacrificing certain things. Hello, welcome to the book club where we will be discussing the novel Acceleration by Graham McNamee. In a very important theme, the novel reveals the search for redemption can cause one to stop at nothing. My name is Dominic Bullock and I'm here with my co-hosts Andrew, Jory, and Ryan. So let's get right into today's discussion about Acceleration. Acceleration tells the story of a 17-year-old Duncan who had many mistakes in his life. He worked at a subway and found a psychopath's diary. The diary belongs to a killer who goes by the name Roach and now Duncan is determined to find the psychopath himself. With all of Duncan's experiences in the novel, it is clear that Graham McNamee is hoping to reveal that the search for redemption can cause one to stop at nothing. So the first place we can see this theme develop is on page 59 when Duncan is aware that there is a killer on the loose, he says, maybe I'm supposed to find him, this is my second chance. Duncan thinks he will find redemption for what happened in the past. So what actually happened in the past? Duncan couldn't save this girl who was drowning, named Maya. Duncan wants to see his second chance to save people because he was not able to save Maya from drowning. Duncan is consistently thinking about using the search for the killer to redeem himself even if it means sacrificing relationships. Let's take a look at the way Duncan will stop at nothing on his search for redemption. Another place we can see this theme develop is on page 174 when Duncan calls Wayne, his friend, asking for a favor. Wayne then says an illegal favor. From then on, Duncan and Wayne had an argument on the phone because Wayne thinks Duncan only called him to do illegal activities. From this example, it's easy to see how the theme of redemption and how he is willing to stop at nothing is revealed because in this example, he's sacrificing his friendship and relationship with Wayne to just try to redeem himself. The theme we are exploring in this novel can be seen in many other places, which is why we consider the theme universal. This means they relate to a bunch of different stories in novels, films, blogs, and even poetry. In fact, the poem, Don't Quit by Edgar A. Guest, has a strong thematic connection to the theme we are exploring today. The poem discusses if you are going through some rough times, that you have to keep going. One stanza that reveals the theme of redemption is when the speaker says, When the road you're trudging seems all okay, when the funds are low but the debts are high, and all you want to do is smile, but you have to sigh. When care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don't you quit. Again, it's clear that the theme of the search for redemption can cause one to stop at nothing is evident because like the speaker in the poem says, even when things get rough and you are feeling lost, you have to keep on going and not give up. Just like in the novel, when Duncan started losing his friends trying to find the killer, he was making major sacrifices in order to redeem himself. When the poem says when times are rough, that's the time when you have to keep on going and not give up. This is exactly what Duncan does. As you can see, the theme of redemption and stopping at nothing is one that can be found in different texts. Through this theme and the reading of Acceleration, we have learned that people will do whatever it takes to try to redeem themselves, even if they have to sacrifice some things. Duncan keeps going and is very persistent with the problem. He won't stop no matter what. Throughout the story, he always thinks about trying to redeem himself after the incident by trying to uncover the stalker and stop him. If you enjoyed listening to our show, be sure to subscribe, follow us on Instagram, and stay tuned for more episodes. Until next time, keep reading.