Frankenstein
"This like Frankenstein; the monster has turned on its creator." - Chairman Schema, Prologue
At this point, Schema realizes Hatch's error, and how Michael and the other members of the Electroclan have gone rogue and now have turned on the Elgen. He compares this situation to that of Dr. Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's classic novel, having to deal with his own creation wreaking havoc on his life. Both Schema and Dr. Frankenstein have to find a way to control their now-autonomous creations.
The Dream-Catcher
When Michael is describing Meihwa, the young Amacarra girl who cares for him while he recovering in the Peruvian jungle, he says that her dress was "like one of the dream catchers my mother used to hang on her wall" (chapter 2). The imagery conferred by this simile accentuates both the girl's exotic qualities and her mysterious, graceful nature.
Bigfoot
"You're kind of a legend. Like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster." - Tessa, Ch. 2
Michael, one of the only two electric children not yet controlled by Hatch at the beginning of Book 1, apparently became famous at the Elgen Academy (Hatch's school for the Glows), even growing to have a legend. The simile Tessa employs comparing him to such elusive and mythical creatures as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster accentuates his fame, as well as a surreal quality in regarding him in the mind of Tessa.
Snakes in the Soil
"We followed him through a path in the trees that quickly disappeared, overgrown with foliage and snarled tree roots that rose like snakes through the jungle's dark soil." - Ch. 4
In this simile, Michael (the narrator) is emphasizing the wild and dangerous nature of the unknown jungle. Jaime, their guide, is leading them through territory that would be perilous to travel without an experienced leader. The jungle is teeming with wildlife, most of which Michael sees as dangerous and exotic, so it is reasonable that he imagines the tree roots as snakes.
Jacob's Ladder
"It was even sparking between my legs, climbing from my ankles to thighs like a Jacob's ladder." - Ch. 5
In the Old Testament, Jacob had a vision of angels climbing and descending a ladder to heaven over and over to infinity. This vision inspired the popular children's toy, a series of wooden blocks roped together that mimics Jacob's ladder in its movement. With this simile, Michael is both describing the motion of the electricity and bringing in a sense of supernatural power.
