You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by mrs_a_is_a_book_nerd
People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins
5.0
Wow. Just wow.
First, I loved this book because it was the only book I've ever read aside from The Book Thief that is narrated by a personified "idea," in this case, violence.
Violence begins the story by chronicling the long history s/he and humankind have made more "intimate," so to speak, by the advent of weapons...most notably the gun.
Following this introduction, we are introduced to Zane, the first owner of a specific gun, who then sells it to an unidentified young person following an incident which leaves him wanting to be rid of it.
From there, we get the alternating stories of 6 young people, each of whom is connected in some way to at least one of the others, and each of whom has strong personal reasons for wanting a gun. As we step in and out of each young person's skin, we learn a bit more about his/her story, and his/her desire for the "power" a gun will provide--for revenge, for protection, for malice/violence, for self-harm... All the while, Violence interjects in each person's story, "whispering" into his/her ear, so to speak, fanning the flames of their emotional desire for a weapon.
In the end, one character dies at the hand of the gun we saw at the start, we learn which of the characters had bought it from Zane, and what the repercussions of that choice became.
This novel was INCREDIBLE!
Alternating between conventional narrative and free verse, told from shifting points of view, and interweaving varied stances on timely issues including gun rights, immigration, white nationalism, and more, this was a powerhouse of a novel.
First, I loved this book because it was the only book I've ever read aside from The Book Thief that is narrated by a personified "idea," in this case, violence.
Violence begins the story by chronicling the long history s/he and humankind have made more "intimate," so to speak, by the advent of weapons...most notably the gun.
Following this introduction, we are introduced to Zane, the first owner of a specific gun, who then sells it to an unidentified young person following an incident which leaves him wanting to be rid of it.
From there, we get the alternating stories of 6 young people, each of whom is connected in some way to at least one of the others, and each of whom has strong personal reasons for wanting a gun. As we step in and out of each young person's skin, we learn a bit more about his/her story, and his/her desire for the "power" a gun will provide--for revenge, for protection, for malice/violence, for self-harm... All the while, Violence interjects in each person's story, "whispering" into his/her ear, so to speak, fanning the flames of their emotional desire for a weapon.
In the end, one character dies at the hand of the gun we saw at the start, we learn which of the characters had bought it from Zane, and what the repercussions of that choice became.
This novel was INCREDIBLE!
Alternating between conventional narrative and free verse, told from shifting points of view, and interweaving varied stances on timely issues including gun rights, immigration, white nationalism, and more, this was a powerhouse of a novel.