Long Way Down

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Jason Reynolds is masterful in the way he can use such sparse language in these free verse poems for such a powerful and emotional impact. Will’s words are so haunting and broken; he’s lost his big brother, his hero, and now all he wants is to follow the rules – the rules that he’s been taught his whole life. A heartrending and convincing blank verse narrative, with atmospheric mixed-media images by Chris Priestley, about a 15-year-old boy whose brother is shot, "lying there like a piece/of furniture left outside", and who wrestles with the idea of revenge. Scenes of violence are starkly portrayed, including a double-page image of Shawn’s dead body; however, the complex and unjust reality of Will’s position remains front and center, in stark focus. Long Way Down is a 2017 novel by Jason Reynolds that follows main character Will Holloman as he struggles to come to terms with his grief and anger in the aftermath of his brother Shawn’s death due to a gang-related shooting.

I would’ve loved to have seen this story fleshed out a bit more; most of the pages have only 10-20 words printed on them, and I just think that, had this been written like most verse novels, where there was a solid paragraph or two per page, it would’ve carried the impact across so much better and would have meant that much more. Jason’s many works of fiction include When I Was the Greatest, Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), As Brave As You, For Every One, Miles Morales: Spider Man, the Run series ( Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), and Long Way Down, which received both a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor. Written in Sarah Crossan’s pioneering (and now trademark) free verse, it’s a stirring and thought-provoking book about poverty, injustice and love. Or did he heed the cautions from his elevator visitors, sensing the regret, and observing the endless path of destruction torn by bullet after bullet through the ranks of his family and friends?The audio version includes an interview with the author, Jason Reynolds, who also performs the reading of the book. Bear in mind that the themes and language are strong, so this book is best for children aged 14 plus, although a savvy 12-year-old will also relish it. He also reveals that when he was in a similar situation years ago and tried to take revenge, he killed the wrong person, but still furthered the cycle of violence. Having read one of Jason Reynolds previous works on police brutality, ( All American Boys) I was expecting another great novel detailing the personal effects that come with losing someone to another’s violence. I will just tell you that you will most surely understand when you will read it if you didn't already because I don't want to give any kind of spoilers.

For readers who perhaps don’t find reading that fascinating or find it difficult discover books that reflect their surroundings, because there is so little of it.

The layered, fragmented layouts found across many spreads have potent impact, along with stylistic touches such as Polaroid photos, video screens, and storyboards seamlessly substituted for panels. The "an eye for an eye" mentality only serves to perpetuate a cycle of violence in which nothing ever really changes or gets better until someone is brave enough to break the cycle. Yourself and Bob are much cherished in our booky world and I personally really appreciate everything that you do. The award-winning, bestselling verse novel is now a stunning graphic novel with illustrations by Danica Novgorodoff. His vision of art and writing is to see empathy extended, more and more empathy extended, right across all barriers and boundaries.

Although paced extremely well, it was such a quick read that I didn't have time to properly digest what I was reading. Speaking of the moment, he said he and his friends felt "an anger, a pain, like a cancer metastasizing by the second, spreading around [them] and through [them]. In this all too real portrait of survival , Reynolds goes toe-to-toe with where, or even if, love and choice are allowed to exist.They would also only drop off a case of books and leave us to run it – it was so lovely to have you on hand to chat to the children and recommend them books, as well as the small (but appreciated! This was a powerful and unique book , but the reason I’m giving it 3 stars is because it somehow missed the mark for me. Told in short, powerful verse, the novel explores the tenacity of the cycle of violence, the pain of toxic masculinity, and the dangers of repressed grief.