Long Way Down

There is no fitting way that I can think of to describe a book of this caliber. I cannot even admit that I have completely understood the full magnitude that this story carries.Long Way Down takes place in a span of one minute.Sixty seconds.It is set in an elevator, in which a young, angry boy gets on and begins his long journey down.7654321A moment.An instant. That is all it takes. An elevator ride down, seven floors.In one minute, Jason Reynolds changes your perception of everything.In that one minute, you are blindsided.In that one minute, he leaves you reeling.In a single minute, the book outlines the life of this young man, Will, the day after his brother, Shawn, was found shot dead. Will knows the rules. He lives by the rules.1. You don’t cry2. You don’t snitch3. You seek revengeWill is absolutely certain he knows the man behind the murder, and he is out for vengeance. After a long sleepless night, he wakes up knowing exactly how his day is going to go. He finds his brother’s gun and leaves the house with the intention of going after the person responsible for his brother’s death. He steps onto the elevator, but it keeps stopping at every floor, forcing Will to confront his fears, his doubts and most importantly, his beliefs.Long Way Down is written in verse-form, and although this style is usually not my preferred style, Jason Reynolds set a completely new standard with his writing, eloquence and articulation. He manages to deliver clear, distinct and important messages with just a few words. In fact, the book will not take you more than 30 minutes to read, but the impact left afterwards is powerful and long lasting. In an interview I read, Jason Reynolds says:“I need my young brothers who are living in these environments, and the kids who are not living in these environments to have no excuses not to read the book. The truth of the matter is that I recognize that I write prose, and I love prose, and I want everybody to read prose, but I would never, sort of, deny the fact that like, literacy in America is not the highest, especially amongst young men, and especially amongst young men of color. It's something that we've all been working very hard on, and my job is not to critique or judge that. My job is to do something to help that, and to know you can finish this in 45 minutes means the world to me, so that we can get more young people reading it and thinking and then having discussions on what this book is actually about.”He also explains that he set the story in an elevator, because he wanted to mimic the feelings of anger, pain and helplessness. To him, these feel claustrophobic, like you are wound up tight.“It feels like tightness and coldness, steel, jagged movements and vertigo. All the things that an elevator brings, is what it feels like to be that angry.”One of the reasons Reynolds was able to convey these feelings so accurately was because of his own past experiences struggling with those same feelings of anger and pain when his best friend was killed, and his first impulse was to end the life of the person responsible. He also wanted to change the perception that people who commit these crimes are fearless or without emotion.“The truth is that everyone who has ever been around anyone who has been in these environments knows that the people who pull the triggers are terrified.”Long Way Down really pushes boundaries, questions your thoughts and beliefs and does not shy away from treading on important topics, such as race and gun violence. Getting a glimpse, albeit a very brief one, of Reynolds’ way of thinking makes you look at things differently and go, “Ahh, yes. I see now.”

I've read every Jason Reynolds book published (except for the Spiderman one which I'll get to next). This is the most powerful one yet. The poetry is tight, not a word wasted. I found myself reading lines outline over and over to hear them roll off the tongue. The plot is clever and refreshingly different. The message, the voices, the themes are powerful. The whole world should read this tale and learn how violence begets more violence and swallows us up not whole but very broken. I wanted to get in the elevator with Will, hold him like his mother would have, cry with him, and lead him away from the tragic tradition that he felt compelled to continue. Thank you, Jason Reynolds, for your wisdom and the voices you create! The world needs this book. And PLEASE keep writing!

Jason Reynolds is truly a gift to the world. I love this book and believe everyone, young and old, should read this profoundly human story. Jason brilliantly sets the stage in an elevator to metaphorically represent the feelings of being entrapped by the notions we create in our head - the perceived rules, assumptions, expectations of society, and the swiftness for which we believe we must respond to those thoughts. And, consequently, how our lives (and the lives of others) can change in an instant. In this scenario, it’s the 60 seconds it takes Will, the protagonist, to travel from the seventh to the ground floor.Written beautifully and artistically in verse, Long Way Down conveys a powerful message of introspection and self-reflection. Of mindfulness and emotional intelligence - particularly with respect to self-awareness and self-regulation.Long Way Down raises the awareness of Victor Frankl's teachings from his incredibly important and timeless book, Man's Search for Meaning: "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

How do you begin to describe Jason Reynolds' Long Way Down? Although some have understandably called this tale a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and to some extent it is, but it is much more than that. Literature teachers will certainly delight in the many lessons that are taught throughout this creative tale, readers are simply drawn in by the delight it is to read. Although there are a few profanities scattered in the telling, they do not draw attention away from the story and in fact, Mr. Reynolds uses them to add appropriate realism to his characters. Written for teens, this novel is enjoyable for both adults and teens, as evident by the fact our entire family read it and have had many animated conversations over dinner on the meaning of the ending. Highly recommend Long Way Down and look forward to reading more of Jason Reynolds in the very near future.

I genuinely believe that YA fiction is opening up conversations about difficult topics to an age group who are on the cusp of forming their own opinions about society. When I was younger, the YA fiction was soft; it skirted around issues and acted like teenagers were too delicate or were unable to discuss difficult topics. Not anymore; the world of literature is a better place for it.Jason Reynolds discusses knife crime in the book Long Way Down. It is the story of Will who has just seen his brother shot and killed due to gang crime. It is time for him to take his brother’s place on the street. He knows it. He also knows who has killed his brother and he is out for vengeance.Told entirely in verse, we track Will as he goes to avenge his brother’s murder. We watch as people try to talk him out of his actions. We watch as those people – who are not who you would expect – reveal how gun and gang crime have impacted their own lives.Long Way Down is hard hitting but it needs to be. It doesn’t paint a happy picture; it is gritty and it is realistic. Long Way Down is, for want of a better word, brilliant.Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is available now.

Wow! Where to begin with this novel? I read this in just an hour. The author has developed his own style of writing and this I absolutely LOVED. I have a great respect for author’s who choose to write in their own unique style and make zero apologies for it! So straight away, that was a ‘Go Jason!’ from me!The novel is YA, I am 34 years old! My days of being a YA are long behind me. But I firmly believe YA is for everyone! Therefore, I have continued to support YA novels on my blog as often as I can. The novel also has illustrations within it’s pages. They are amazing, accurate to the emotions and themes and I only wish I owned a physical copy now!The illustrator Chris Priestley has done a phenomenal job!The novel opens with William Holloman (Will to his friends). In the aftermath of his brother Shawn’s shooting. Will is 15 years old, his brother just four years older. I immediately started asking myself, Why did this young life, have to end so soon? As Will describes his pain and grief at the loss of his brother. You begin to realise the pain of bereavement is deeply painful for everyone, regardless of age. It just resonates with each individual differently. In that split second, Will knows what he must do………….“If the blood inside you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them”Will talks us through the local neighbourhood people. What happens when a crime like this takes place and most importantly of all the rules!The rules: No crying, no snitching and revenge!As a mother, reading Will’s words, I really began to worry for his future and where the path of vengeance would take him.“Gun shots make everybody deaf and blind especially when they make somebody dead”“If someone you love gets killed, find the person who killed them and kill them”The novel briefly describes Will and Shawn’s mother’s pain. Her worries that Shawn stay out of jail, not get his girlfriend pregnant and not die!We also hear Will describe his relationship with Shawn. His favourite brother, his only brother. It is with that in mind, he grabs Shawn’s gun and decides to get revenge.What happens once Will enters the elevator, is the true beauty of this novel. He will be met with a variety of characters, all known personally to him. Well at least until they died…..They offer their words of wisdom, each taking a turn to show Will the consequences, his future actions could have!“Might as well relax, it’s a long way down” - BuckThe writing is poetic and beautiful. I had so many quotes written in my reading journal. Jason Reynolds has proven, without a shadow of a doubt, He is a master wordsmith!The novel depicts the cycle of violence and gang culture. But in a way, I have NEVER read before.I can see the huge appeal to YA readers, as the novel really is written to them. But the novel still manages to be unique and moving to the older adult reader also. Which cannot, be an easy writing endeavour.

This is the first book I've read that was written in verse and I really really enjoyed it. Very very quick read, and the story pulled me right in. The imagery that was created was powerful and I liked how everything was connected. The characters though process jumped around a lot like it usually does when grief is still very fresh and raw...still in shock almost, and this kept it very real, and easy to resonate with, although it took me a minute to get into the flow, only because I'm not used to this particular way of writing but It was a new experience i enjpyed. It was an interesting story and although I was put off at the idea that this was written in verse, I'm glad I picked it up and next time I come across a book written in verse, I won't turn my nose up at it so easily.

This is the best book I have read this year! I have to admit I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about starting this book. It is written in free verse, which is something which has never really appealed to me….however, I loved this book!It is a short book, and quick to read. The rhythm of the verse and the tense, emotional story propels you to the end of the book. It has such a strong, raw, message that the impact stayed with me, long after the book had been finished.The overall theme of the book is one of revenge, passed down through generations and strengthened through the community they live in.Will, the protagonist of the story, sets out from his flat. He plans to kill someone in revenge for his brothers’ death – he know ‘the rules’. He lives on the 7th floor and the entire book is set in the lift as it travels from his floor to the ground. As it descends, pivotal characters enter the lift on each floor. These characters are all ghosts from Will’s past and it is a sad reflection on a young man’s life that violent crime has had such a huge impact. He has a chance to step out of the cycle of revenge but the reader can see how hard a decision it is for Will as he descends.As I have already mentioned, this book is a quick read, but the emotional impact it has, is phenomenal. I would highly recommend reading this book.

I finished reading a couple of days ago and can't stop thinking about this.. Absolutely recommend. Could not put this dowm