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A review by jennifermreads
People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins
4.0
Which of the teens purchased the gun sold through the classifieds? Was it Rand, the young man with dreams of being a police officer? Or his wife Cami who is growing bored of staying at home with their little boy? Or is it instead Silas or Ashlyn, who are deeply enmeshed in a youth white supremacist group? Or has Noelle, who lost everything after being a victim of gun violence, decided to join the rank of gun owners? Or is it Daniel who is living on the streets but is clinging frantically to the love of his life Grace? After a week filled with tense moments, one person will pull the trigger. One person will die.
In an interesting twist to her normal novel-in-verse style, Ellen Hopkins shares a timely story using a combination of verse and prose. A unique voice narrates. Is it Violence? Is it Death? Whoever is leading us down the path to the last page, I pictured the little evil devil whispering in your ear urging you to do what is so obviously wrong.
The characters are diverse and rich. Each has their own problems and challenges, as well as varying viewpoints on current politics. The multiple perspectives gives readers fresh glimpses into the minds of the players while also urging readers to see the motivations for each choice they make.
I finished reading this just a day and a half after yet another mass shooting. {May those touched by the violence in Thousand Oaks be protected as they move through their grief.} Ellen Hopkins notes that she wrote her acknowledgements after yet another school shooting (I’m guessing probably the Stoneman Douglas school shooting). The sad part? Even if you read this a year or two after publication, I imagine the same things will be happening. A solution to gun violence is illusive, complicated, and will be multi--faceted. This book took a highly political topic and weaved a narrative that explored so many sides and views. It was artfully done.
The title says it all: People Kill People. The gun? It is a tool that makes it so much easier.
In an interesting twist to her normal novel-in-verse style, Ellen Hopkins shares a timely story using a combination of verse and prose. A unique voice narrates. Is it Violence? Is it Death? Whoever is leading us down the path to the last page, I pictured the little evil devil whispering in your ear urging you to do what is so obviously wrong.
The characters are diverse and rich. Each has their own problems and challenges, as well as varying viewpoints on current politics. The multiple perspectives gives readers fresh glimpses into the minds of the players while also urging readers to see the motivations for each choice they make.
I finished reading this just a day and a half after yet another mass shooting. {May those touched by the violence in Thousand Oaks be protected as they move through their grief.} Ellen Hopkins notes that she wrote her acknowledgements after yet another school shooting (I’m guessing probably the Stoneman Douglas school shooting). The sad part? Even if you read this a year or two after publication, I imagine the same things will be happening. A solution to gun violence is illusive, complicated, and will be multi--faceted. This book took a highly political topic and weaved a narrative that explored so many sides and views. It was artfully done.
The title says it all: People Kill People. The gun? It is a tool that makes it so much easier.