Genre
Fiction Novel
Setting and Context
The novel is set in 2011 in Colorado, Rafael's hometown and Hills Village Middle School.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrative
Tone and Mood
The tone is chatty, and the mood is anxious.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The central character is Rafael, and the antagonist is Miller, the Killer.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is between Rafael and Miller, the Killer. Miller is a bully and most feared in school, and he steals Rafael's R.A.F.E. Notebook. Miller thinks Rafael is using the notebook to undermine his authority.
Climax
The climax comes when Rafael gets the courage to fight Miller.
Foreshadowing
The boring school assemblies foreshadow Rafael's invention of R.A.F.E (Rules Aren't for Everyone).
Understatement
There is an understatement when Rafael says Ms. Donatello is a soft teacher.
Allusions
The story alludes to Nathan Maynard's story "Hacking School Discipline," which talks about the importance of eliminating traditional punishment and prioritizing counseling students who break school rules.
Imagery
The narrator’s description on how Miller intimidates him appeals to the sense of sight. The narrator says, "Miller put one of his XXXL paws around my neck and started lifting me like a hundred-pound dumbbell."
Paradox
The main paradox is that Leonardo the Silent encourages Rafael to break school rules. On the contrary, Leonardo follows all school rules strictly.
Parallelism
n/a
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
Rafael personifies his notebook when he says it reminds him of which rule to break the next day.
