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“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…)
From Lukov With Love follows Jasmine, a 26-year-old ice skater that was just dumped by her pairs partner and has been unable to find another, thus unable to skate competitively. She has shifted her life semi away from ice skating towards her familiar and working instead, but her passion and dreams to win are still there. She’s given the chance to partner with her fiercest rival, but can the two ever learn how to work together?
One of my reading resolutions for 2019 is to read more contemporary and romance, as there are so many amazing novels in the genres that I’ve been missing out on with my focus on fantasy! From Lukov With Love is my first Zapata novel, an author that has been highly recommended by all of my friends in The Book Coven, and it proved that my new focused attention on romance was a good idea.
I freaking LOVED this book.
I mainly read it in the early morning hours, as a way to convince myself to fall back asleep, but we all know how well that works out when a book grips you and doesn’t let you go. If I wanted a book to lull myself back to sleep, I should’ve picked something way less exciting, interesting, and adorable.
More on that last adjective, Lukov was so cute most of the time, and so so wholesome. It’s not what I was expecting at all from an adult romance, especially not with a main character who always says what she’s thinking and curses almost every other line. It’s also not often what you expect from a haters to lovers/enemies to friends trope, as generally that progresses thanks to a whole lot of sexual tension. And while that exists here, sort of, the relationship mainly just progresses due to a whole lot of adoration, admiration, and straight up love for each other. It was just so cute and there were some points I just couldn’t handle it.
Jasmine’s story, on its own, is also extremely interesting to read. I don’t read a lot of sports books since I never really have interest in the sports as a whole, but for some reason, I always love the stories behind the athlete, whether it be as a movie, book, etc. Jasmine’s story was no different, as it was one of passion and determination, causing the reader to cheer her on. Lukov balances being an athlete’s story and a romance perfectly, meaning fans of either genre/trope can love the book.
I do have to be honest though, I did have a hard time getting into the book at first, and I kind of have to blame that on Jasmine. She’s a tough person to love right away, mainly due to how honest and direct she is, as well as her dislike of other people (which we do learn is extremely justified). While you grow to love these parts of her, it is hard to like her at first, especially when you don’t know her backstory. However, these worries only lasted 15-20%, and by a quarter in, I was entirely hooked.
From what I’ve heard, the rest of Zapata’s novels are all almost just as fantastic as this one, and while I may not be able to fit another one into my January TBR, you can definitely see me reading more of her work in the near future!
(A lot of Zapata’s works are available through Kindle Unlimited, including Lukov, and all the rest are incredibly cheap for kindle! If you love ice skating, cute romances, haters to lovers, or just a good book, I highly recommend giving this book a try! You won’t regret it)
One of my reading resolutions for 2019 is to read more contemporary and romance, as there are so many amazing novels in the genres that I’ve been missing out on with my focus on fantasy! From Lukov With Love is my first Zapata novel, an author that has been highly recommended by all of my friends in The Book Coven, and it proved that my new focused attention on romance was a good idea.
I freaking LOVED this book.
I mainly read it in the early morning hours, as a way to convince myself to fall back asleep, but we all know how well that works out when a book grips you and doesn’t let you go. If I wanted a book to lull myself back to sleep, I should’ve picked something way less exciting, interesting, and adorable.
More on that last adjective, Lukov was so cute most of the time, and so so wholesome. It’s not what I was expecting at all from an adult romance, especially not with a main character who always says what she’s thinking and curses almost every other line. It’s also not often what you expect from a haters to lovers/enemies to friends trope, as generally that progresses thanks to a whole lot of sexual tension. And while that exists here, sort of, the relationship mainly just progresses due to a whole lot of adoration, admiration, and straight up love for each other. It was just so cute and there were some points I just couldn’t handle it.
Jasmine’s story, on its own, is also extremely interesting to read. I don’t read a lot of sports books since I never really have interest in the sports as a whole, but for some reason, I always love the stories behind the athlete, whether it be as a movie, book, etc. Jasmine’s story was no different, as it was one of passion and determination, causing the reader to cheer her on. Lukov balances being an athlete’s story and a romance perfectly, meaning fans of either genre/trope can love the book.
I do have to be honest though, I did have a hard time getting into the book at first, and I kind of have to blame that on Jasmine. She’s a tough person to love right away, mainly due to how honest and direct she is, as well as her dislike of other people (which we do learn is extremely justified). While you grow to love these parts of her, it is hard to like her at first, especially when you don’t know her backstory. However, these worries only lasted 15-20%, and by a quarter in, I was entirely hooked.
From what I’ve heard, the rest of Zapata’s novels are all almost just as fantastic as this one, and while I may not be able to fit another one into my January TBR, you can definitely see me reading more of her work in the near future!
(A lot of Zapata’s works are available through Kindle Unlimited, including Lukov, and all the rest are incredibly cheap for kindle! If you love ice skating, cute romances, haters to lovers, or just a good book, I highly recommend giving this book a try! You won’t regret it)
“Do I think they found mermaids? Yes. Of course I do. And I think the mermaids ate them all.”
Into The Drowning Deep follows humanity’s endless curiosity and greed, and what happens when it meets the hidden mysteries of the deep, dark sea. One ship has already been lost to the myth of mermaids, found floating with no crew left in site, and now Imagine, an entertainment company, is planning on sending another. The Melusine is said to be the perfect boat for the quest, but can it protect its passengers from the truly unknown?
2018 was filled with a bunch of mermaid-related disappointment for me. Almost every book I tried or wanted to try ended up being a disappointment, either not doing the lovely ladies of the sea justice or promising mermaids when really delivering something else. Into the Drowning Deep was my latest in a long line of attempts to find a mermaid/siren book I actually enjoyed, and I’m happy to report that it was my first success! This book does everything right when it comes to bringing this myth to life, and I could not have been more frightened by how it was.
Into The Drowning Deep perfectly blends science fiction and horror, using one to enhance the existence of the other. This is especially obvious in the first 50-60% of the tale, where most of the build-up occurs. It’s also where most of the scientific background and explanation happens, where we learn the existing theories behind the footage from the Atargatis, and for the existence of mermaids in general. In most situations, this wouldn’t necessarily be all that scary, rather boring actually. However, the way Grant gives us this information as well as the constant interjections of foreboding foreshadowing grips the reader and forces them to pay attention. The reader knows all these facts will later be the difference between life and death, the difference between success and a repeat of the Atargatis disaster.
Additionally, the way the story is written, through a constantly changing group of characters, really added to the overall experience. We had the perspective of a variety of passengers, from the bloodthirsty hunters hired to kill the mermaids when they found the ship to the mechanics tasked with fixing a failing a security system. We also had the perspective of a large cast of scientists, all with different focuses and motives behind them being on the Melusine, giving a fairly broad image of the scientific community that would be impacted by this discovery. Additionally, we weren’t made to like and appreciate all characters, with most being flawed and fully three-dimensional characters. We might even wish for the death of a few here and there, for some of the more, disgusting, characters to be taken by the mermaids as a snack. This also compliments the horror/sci-fi mix of the book, as the characters being realistic works to make the story itself feel more real, and thus more horrifying.
My only issue with the book was its ending, as I feel it came and went waaay too fast for all the build-up that preceded it. While the final “twist,” or rather revelation, was fascinating and deserved the build-up, the tying up of ends felt weak and underdone. Now I normally don’t need/want a book to resolve everything in the end, but it felt like there was too much ignored, too much left unsaid. It made the ending feel unsatisfying, and while my mind keeps coming back to Into the Drowning Deep after having finished it, it’s mainly due to me feeling like there’s still more left to be said, not any thought-provoking feeling it left behind.
All in all, I still loved this book. The sub-par ending was more than made up for by the journey to it. I found myself constantly surprised by both the characters and the mermaids, and while I won’t say this book made me afraid to turn the lights off at night, I will admit that I’ll be a bit warier next time I’m looking out upon the deep, dark blue.
Into The Drowning Deep follows humanity’s endless curiosity and greed, and what happens when it meets the hidden mysteries of the deep, dark sea. One ship has already been lost to the myth of mermaids, found floating with no crew left in site, and now Imagine, an entertainment company, is planning on sending another. The Melusine is said to be the perfect boat for the quest, but can it protect its passengers from the truly unknown?
2018 was filled with a bunch of mermaid-related disappointment for me. Almost every book I tried or wanted to try ended up being a disappointment, either not doing the lovely ladies of the sea justice or promising mermaids when really delivering something else. Into the Drowning Deep was my latest in a long line of attempts to find a mermaid/siren book I actually enjoyed, and I’m happy to report that it was my first success! This book does everything right when it comes to bringing this myth to life, and I could not have been more frightened by how it was.
Into The Drowning Deep perfectly blends science fiction and horror, using one to enhance the existence of the other. This is especially obvious in the first 50-60% of the tale, where most of the build-up occurs. It’s also where most of the scientific background and explanation happens, where we learn the existing theories behind the footage from the Atargatis, and for the existence of mermaids in general. In most situations, this wouldn’t necessarily be all that scary, rather boring actually. However, the way Grant gives us this information as well as the constant interjections of foreboding foreshadowing grips the reader and forces them to pay attention. The reader knows all these facts will later be the difference between life and death, the difference between success and a repeat of the Atargatis disaster.
Additionally, the way the story is written, through a constantly changing group of characters, really added to the overall experience. We had the perspective of a variety of passengers, from the bloodthirsty hunters hired to kill the mermaids when they found the ship to the mechanics tasked with fixing a failing a security system. We also had the perspective of a large cast of scientists, all with different focuses and motives behind them being on the Melusine, giving a fairly broad image of the scientific community that would be impacted by this discovery. Additionally, we weren’t made to like and appreciate all characters, with most being flawed and fully three-dimensional characters. We might even wish for the death of a few here and there, for some of the more, disgusting, characters to be taken by the mermaids as a snack. This also compliments the horror/sci-fi mix of the book, as the characters being realistic works to make the story itself feel more real, and thus more horrifying.
My only issue with the book was its ending, as I feel it came and went waaay too fast for all the build-up that preceded it. While the final “twist,” or rather revelation, was fascinating and deserved the build-up, the tying up of ends felt weak and underdone. Now I normally don’t need/want a book to resolve everything in the end, but it felt like there was too much ignored, too much left unsaid. It made the ending feel unsatisfying, and while my mind keeps coming back to Into the Drowning Deep after having finished it, it’s mainly due to me feeling like there’s still more left to be said, not any thought-provoking feeling it left behind.
All in all, I still loved this book. The sub-par ending was more than made up for by the journey to it. I found myself constantly surprised by both the characters and the mermaids, and while I won’t say this book made me afraid to turn the lights off at night, I will admit that I’ll be a bit warier next time I’m looking out upon the deep, dark blue.
First I would like to thank Netgalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me the chance to read and review this graphic novel.
I wasn't really expecting too much from this, having seen the reviews on Goodreads as well as the intriguing yet simplistic synopsis, but the art style was more than enough to make me want to read it. It's minimalistic yet cute vibe is one I love in my graphic novels, as it usually works well with the textual parts of the story while not being too distracting or too invisible. However, the art style alone isn't enough to support a story.
While the story was nice enough while reading, especially when supported with a nice art style, the ending left me feeling conflicted about the story in its entirety, and the point in reading it. While I understand the story follows a couple going through their first issues, it felt like the reactions of the characters didn't match up with what was happening, and the ending only supports this more so. It was all just rather confusing, and when paired up with the complete lack of background info, it was hard to orient yourself in the story enough to enjoy the simplicity of the plot. I spent too much time trying to figure out who everyone was, and their relationship to each other, that I never got around to caring about what happened, or really feeling anything at all about the characters.
In the end, that's probably my biggest disappointment with this story. I didn't feel anything while reading it, even though I can empathize with the situation of Elena quite a bit (having moved into my boyfriend's family home and all the things that come with that). But instead I felt no connection at all, because I never felt like I actually knew Elena, her story, and her relationships at all. It made the story fall flat, and feel unmemorable.
I wasn't really expecting too much from this, having seen the reviews on Goodreads as well as the intriguing yet simplistic synopsis, but the art style was more than enough to make me want to read it. It's minimalistic yet cute vibe is one I love in my graphic novels, as it usually works well with the textual parts of the story while not being too distracting or too invisible. However, the art style alone isn't enough to support a story.
While the story was nice enough while reading, especially when supported with a nice art style, the ending left me feeling conflicted about the story in its entirety, and the point in reading it. While I understand the story follows a couple going through their first issues, it felt like the reactions of the characters didn't match up with what was happening, and the ending only supports this more so. It was all just rather confusing, and when paired up with the complete lack of background info, it was hard to orient yourself in the story enough to enjoy the simplicity of the plot. I spent too much time trying to figure out who everyone was, and their relationship to each other, that I never got around to caring about what happened, or really feeling anything at all about the characters.
In the end, that's probably my biggest disappointment with this story. I didn't feel anything while reading it, even though I can empathize with the situation of Elena quite a bit (having moved into my boyfriend's family home and all the things that come with that). But instead I felt no connection at all, because I never felt like I actually knew Elena, her story, and her relationships at all. It made the story fall flat, and feel unmemorable.
