Long Way Down (which is also available as a graphic novel) was the winner of The Newbery Book of Honor, The Walter Dean Meyers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature and the Coretta Scott King Award for Non-Violent Social Change. Once I got my mind back in one piece, I read it again – all in the same day. It won’t be a problem to read this book twice. Jason Reynolds has a gifted command of literary devices and there are so many tiny details added that you can miss on the first read. In fact I would suggest reading this book twice – first for the story, the second for the format. The format and spacing of the verses on the pages tell a story just as much as the actual words.

Indeed, some pages only have four lines but can send jolts down your spine more effectively than an entire chapter of prose. He chose to tell Will’s journey in free verse, packing the most story into as few words as possible. Every line in this book is brilliantly crafted together for maximum impact. By the time the elevator reaches its destination Will is faced with a decision.Īuthor Jason Reynolds is a true writer. All of them had their lives cut short by gun violence. Each person is a figure from Will’s past. As the elevator descends it stops at each floor and a different person walks on. In his world there are only three rules of conduct when a family member is shot: don’t cry, don’t snitch and always get revenge. His mind is set on avenging his brother’s murder. One minute is all it takes to create a story that’s so powerful that you won’t soon forget it.įifteen-year-old Will steps on to the elevator with a gun tucked in the back of his pants. The story takes place in a sixty second time frame – the length of one elevator ride. It feels about as heavy as an infant, and Will knows that with it, he can follow Rule No.

After I finished it I just sat staring into oblivion trying to rearrange the pieces of my shattered mind. Reynolds uses connotation to reveal the grievance of Will after going through the loss of a loved one. Long Way Down is easily one of the most powerful books I’ve ever had the privilege of reading. In Jason Reynolds’ anti-gun novel, Long Way Down, written in verse, he explicitly emphasizes the effects of the acts of revenge in Will’s society to evoke the adverse consequences of a gun violence. But I’ve read very few books that have completely blown my mind.

Author of long way down