Scan barcode
xlindsreadsx's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book I liked the writing style half poetry and half in normal text. I also liked the idea of this book showing that u don't need a gun to kill people x
amberjackonski's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Antisemitism, and Racism
el_wheel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this is an important topic to talk about but I won't pretend it's easy to read from the perspective of someone like Silas. He really got on my bad side. Daniel turned out way worse than I expected. The ending really points to the need we have for better gun control and safety.
I will also say Rand's assault was put into grotesque, and dare I say, very unnecessary, detail.
I will also say Rand's assault was put into grotesque, and dare I say, very unnecessary, detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Drug use, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, and Violence
Minor: Ableism
katscribefever's review against another edition
4.0
Ellen Hopkins masterfully crafts a novel in verse about something that is impacting (arguably) every American life without forcing a specific agenda down the throat of the reader. This book is intended to make you think about the proliferation of guns in the United States, and whether you truly think the current ways in which guns are managed nationwide aligns with the way the Second Amendment intended to preserve the right to bear arms.
bakersmom's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book as an ARC from Goodreads. I have read a few of Ellen Hopkins work before, but I was a little surprised with how sexually graphic this was. Also, there were a lot of characters and interactions that if I waited too long between reading I lost track of who was who. Overall, it was an okay book and should be read only by a mature mind.
paragraphsandpages's review against another edition
4.0
“It doesn’t matter how the gun
fell into the wrong hands.
It only matters that it did.”
People Kill People follows the story of the essence of violence and a gun, and how these two work to affect the lives of 6 distinct people. Told in a combination of verse and second person prose, Hopkins manages to weave a tale that both grips you and frightens you, all while discussing the truth of violence and weapons.
I’ve been reading Hopkins’s books for a few years now and while you would think I would have gotten used to the depth and darkness in each of her novels, each one continues to both surprise and frighten me. The combination of topic, characters, and writing style always work to reveal dark truths in our society in a way that truly affects the reader, at least in my opinion. People Kill People is not a deviation from this trend, though I must admit it’s not her strongest work, despite my high hopes for it. Additionally, Hopkins moves away from writing only in verse to also bring in second person prose, and this combination draws in the reader even more than other novels.
My favorite part of this novel has to be the contrast of voices and style it is written in. The story is brought to us by this “essence” of violence, or the urge within humans to be violent and hurt each other. Hopkins personifies this urge and gives it a voice, and this voice is who guides us between the main human characters of the novel. It is this essence/urge that speaks in verse and narrates the introductions of the characters, as well as commenting on the events after we’ve heard part of the story from a certain character. The characters themselves are written in second person, and it works to literally insert us “into the characters’ skins”. While this is often off putting, as second person prose is hard to do well, Hopkins use of it only strengthens the novel. Part of the purpose of this book is to show that everyone and anyone is capable of violence, that it’s an innate part of us, and this second person perspective highlights this by putting you in the shoes of people considering violence. It brings you closer to the subject and more understanding of their actions or almost actions, an understanding which sometimes scares you. All in all, the writing style works extremely well with the story Hopkins told and the effect she wanted to have.
In terms of character and story, there isn’t all that much for me to comment on. Not all the characters were likable, if even any were, but that also wasn’t the point. You were still able to understand their motives and where they were coming from, most of the time. The story was also interesting, but the specific events that happened weren’t always important, just how they pushed the character further and further to violence.
My only issue with the book is that, compared to Hopkins’s other books, the ending fell flat. Like the synopsis and beginning of the book says, someone dies and someone else was the killer, and while I was definitely surprised by who filled each role, the impact of this death/kill seemed to be little, mostly due to how the rest of the book was written. We continue to see the rest of the characters after this death, from how it impacted them personally to where they end up later. However, it seemed like, in the end, this death didn’t even matter and had no lasting consequences for any of the characters we see. It made the ending so much weaker and I find myself now wishing that the book had ended just after the death, rather than giving us this longer, more explained ending. It just worked to weaken the story overall.
In the end, I really liked this novel and I cannot wait to see what Hopkins writes next! (Though there are still quite a few of her novels I need to catch up on…)
fell into the wrong hands.
It only matters that it did.”
People Kill People follows the story of the essence of violence and a gun, and how these two work to affect the lives of 6 distinct people. Told in a combination of verse and second person prose, Hopkins manages to weave a tale that both grips you and frightens you, all while discussing the truth of violence and weapons.
I’ve been reading Hopkins’s books for a few years now and while you would think I would have gotten used to the depth and darkness in each of her novels, each one continues to both surprise and frighten me. The combination of topic, characters, and writing style always work to reveal dark truths in our society in a way that truly affects the reader, at least in my opinion. People Kill People is not a deviation from this trend, though I must admit it’s not her strongest work, despite my high hopes for it. Additionally, Hopkins moves away from writing only in verse to also bring in second person prose, and this combination draws in the reader even more than other novels.
My favorite part of this novel has to be the contrast of voices and style it is written in. The story is brought to us by this “essence” of violence, or the urge within humans to be violent and hurt each other. Hopkins personifies this urge and gives it a voice, and this voice is who guides us between the main human characters of the novel. It is this essence/urge that speaks in verse and narrates the introductions of the characters, as well as commenting on the events after we’ve heard part of the story from a certain character. The characters themselves are written in second person, and it works to literally insert us “into the characters’ skins”. While this is often off putting, as second person prose is hard to do well, Hopkins use of it only strengthens the novel. Part of the purpose of this book is to show that everyone and anyone is capable of violence, that it’s an innate part of us, and this second person perspective highlights this by putting you in the shoes of people considering violence. It brings you closer to the subject and more understanding of their actions or almost actions, an understanding which sometimes scares you. All in all, the writing style works extremely well with the story Hopkins told and the effect she wanted to have.
In terms of character and story, there isn’t all that much for me to comment on. Not all the characters were likable, if even any were, but that also wasn’t the point. You were still able to understand their motives and where they were coming from, most of the time. The story was also interesting, but the specific events that happened weren’t always important, just how they pushed the character further and further to violence.
My only issue with the book is that, compared to Hopkins’s other books, the ending fell flat. Like the synopsis and beginning of the book says, someone dies and someone else was the killer, and while I was definitely surprised by who filled each role, the impact of this death/kill seemed to be little, mostly due to how the rest of the book was written. We continue to see the rest of the characters after this death, from how it impacted them personally to where they end up later. However, it seemed like, in the end, this death didn’t even matter and had no lasting consequences for any of the characters we see. It made the ending so much weaker and I find myself now wishing that the book had ended just after the death, rather than giving us this longer, more explained ending. It just worked to weaken the story overall.
In the end, I really liked this novel and I cannot wait to see what Hopkins writes next! (Though there are still quite a few of her novels I need to catch up on…)
kayladbruns's review against another edition
ARC provided via Edelweiss for an honest review.
“See, I’ve got this theory.
Given the right circumstances,
any person could kill someone.
Even you.”
Rating this book was hard but trying to come up with a review was so much harder. I didn't rate this book and I honestly don’t even think that this review will make that much sense, but here goes.
I wanted to read this book because it’s about gun violence and that’s something going on in America today. This book is more interactive in a way. You get to take a walk in their shoes all the while, you are trying to figure out the ending. Who was the one who pulled the trigger?
Its told between two formats. One that’s almost like poetry and then the POV of the characters. I honestly wasn’t a fan of the poetry format. It features topics about stereotypes, racism, hatred, and violence. Also, the second amendment is very talked about here.
The main reason my rating is so low is because there is a ton of offensive content here! I can understand why it was written, but I’m not the person who likes that in my books. Especially to that degree.
While I did get the point of the book, it has some offensive content that I don’t really think I would be able to get over. This is about important issues so I do think people should read it, just take the content into consideration.
** Quote was taken from an ARC and is subject to change upon publication.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter
“See, I’ve got this theory.
Given the right circumstances,
any person could kill someone.
Even you.”
Rating this book was hard but trying to come up with a review was so much harder. I didn't rate this book and I honestly don’t even think that this review will make that much sense, but here goes.
I wanted to read this book because it’s about gun violence and that’s something going on in America today. This book is more interactive in a way. You get to take a walk in their shoes all the while, you are trying to figure out the ending. Who was the one who pulled the trigger?
Its told between two formats. One that’s almost like poetry and then the POV of the characters. I honestly wasn’t a fan of the poetry format. It features topics about stereotypes, racism, hatred, and violence. Also, the second amendment is very talked about here.
The main reason my rating is so low is because there is a ton of offensive content here! I can understand why it was written, but I’m not the person who likes that in my books. Especially to that degree.
While I did get the point of the book, it has some offensive content that I don’t really think I would be able to get over. This is about important issues so I do think people should read it, just take the content into consideration.
** Quote was taken from an ARC and is subject to change upon publication.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter
mkiyxxmi's review against another edition
4.0
3.5? 3.75? This book was really good, although I did have to set it down multiple times for multiple days due to some triggering topics. It was very engaging though, and the ending !! I didn’t see it coming until it was too late ;-; Definitely recommend, but look up the tws first
emirany's review against another edition
5.0
This was written in a different style than Hopkin’s typical, but I still found myself immensely engrossed in the story, especially considering the fact that this wound on the American People is so raw. Definitely recommend.
evlinee's review against another edition
5.0
Another super strong novel by Ellen Hopkins.
Ellen Hopkins never ceases to amaze me. This book definitely didn't stop that streak. I read the whole thing in one day, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm basically convinced at this point that Hopkins booms are meant to be consumed in one sitting. It's like one of those jumbo bags of m&ms. The bag says two servings, but you KNOW that they're just lying to themselves.
The story of People Kill People is a brave, interesting, and incredibly important political commentary with a surprising twist that really drives the point home.
I think this book should be read by everyone with a brain, and I will define revisit it in the future.
Ellen Hopkins never ceases to amaze me. This book definitely didn't stop that streak. I read the whole thing in one day, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm basically convinced at this point that Hopkins booms are meant to be consumed in one sitting. It's like one of those jumbo bags of m&ms. The bag says two servings, but you KNOW that they're just lying to themselves.
The story of People Kill People is a brave, interesting, and incredibly important political commentary with a surprising twist that really drives the point home.
I think this book should be read by everyone with a brain, and I will define revisit it in the future.