Tuesday, May 5, 2020

People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins

Title: People Kill People
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: September 4, 2018

Format: Hardcover
Price: $19.99
Page Count: 448
ISBN-13: 9781481442930

Reading Level: Grades 10 and up (ages 15+)
Lexile: HL730L
Interest Level: Grades 10 and up (ages 15+)

Annotation: A gun, purchased anonymously for protection. In Tucson, Arizona, six teens are all under pressure. Someone will die.

Plot and Content Summary: Told in a mix of verse and prose, People Kill People follow the perspective of six different teens. A gun used accidentally in a domestic shooting is sold anonymously to one of these teens—we don't know who buys it, but we know every one of them is capable. Everyday, the voices in their heads—that is, violence personified—tempt them to take a life, or take their own. In exploring their stance on gun violence, "immigration[,] and racial superiority" (Kirkus), their true natures are unraveled slowly.

Evaluation: We know someone is going to shoot and we know someone is going to die, but it's difficult to pinpoint who those two people are. Hopkins does this intentionally, exploring the way that each of us just needs that one thing to set us into motion. We are all capable of violence.

"See, there's this thing inside / every one of you, / the collective human call / toward violence. / All it takes is one singular / moment to encourage / it into play / and the lamb / transforms / becomes / the lion." (p. 1)

This is a dark read, obviously because of the subject matter, but it was done really well. The multiple perspectives gave it many layers—we are able to see how each person views things differently and internalizes their issues in different ways. This is not about who's "right" and who's "wrong," but an exploration of how they externalized their thoughts and feelings. Hopkins shows us that anyone could be a killer, "A / gun / just / makes / it / easier" (p. 428).

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Everyone is capable of violence, and those who are feeling this way may find People Kill People relatable. Everyday, there are stresses in our lives that push us closer. How can we address it in a healthy way? This can offer clarity and understanding to those who are in this position and also those who aren't.

Issues Present: This book tackles the issue of gun violence very explicitly, and adults may fear teens are too young to read about it. However, as the media and news so painfully report constantly, high school shootings are becoming all too common. This is a serious issue that is happening to them, and People Kill People offers perspective and an opportunity for discussion.

Book Talk Ideas:
  • Discuss each teen's perspective and pinpoint how they could've been the killer. What of their thoughts lead you to believe they were capable and had the motive?
  • Why do you think Hopkins chose to use a combination of verse and prose?
  • After reading this book, why do you think Hopkins chose to title it "People Kill People?"

Genre/Subgenres: Multiple perspectives; Novels in verse; Realistic fiction

Readalikes: This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp; Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser; Shooter by Walter Dean Myers; How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon

References
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