Title: Long Way Down
Author: Jason Reynolds
ISBN: 9781534444966
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Copyright Date: 2017
Genre: Fiction
Format: Verse Novel
Reading Level/Interest Level: Grades 7-12, Lexile - 720
Awards or Honors:
Edgar Award Winner: Best Young Adult Novel (2018)
John Newbery Medal Winner (2018)
Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book (2018)
Coretta Scott King Book Award Winner (2018)
Plot Summary
Will’s brother, Shawn, has just been gunned down in the street on his way back from buying lotion for his mother. But Will knows what to do. The rules have been embedded into his mind for as long as he can remember: no crying, no snitching, and always get revenge. He has followed the first two so far, and after retrieving the gun from his brother’s drawer in the bedroom they share, is ready to take care of the final one.
When he steps into the elevator that will deliver him to his mission, time seems to slow. In the sixty seconds it takes to reach the bottom floor, Will is visited by the people in his life who have died from gun violence, all the while questioning - this can’t be real, can it? As the clock counts down and Will inches toward the lobby, he is faced with a dilemma: does he truly know who killed his brother, and is he capable of taking a human life?
Author Background
Jason Reynolds has written a multitude of books for young adults, which have won countless awards. Jason earned his B.A. in English from the University of Maryland before moving to Brooklyn. He has made many television appearances and was named a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature at the Library of Congress. His main goal? To write books that inspire young people to read, which are, most of all, not boring (Reynolds, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation
I think I held my breath the entire time I read this book. The words, the use of space on the page, and the flow all worked together to make this work a real piece of art. This story of Will processing his brother’s death and the deaths of so many other Black men and women in his community showcases the cycle of violence in such a raw way. Along with Will, we experience this violence that “the rules” have placed in motion and has forced this series of revenge missions that seem impossible to break away from. It’s heartbreaking that Will is so young, only 15, and has been exposed to such violence in his life and feels that he must participate. The voice of Will is so realistic and honest in his memories of the important people in his life, the time he spent with his brother,
and small anecdotes that seem meaningless but work together to paint a picture of this young man. I think this book has a transcendent quality that appeals to readers of all ages, especially teens. Told from the point of view of a 15-year-old boy who is tasked with an impossible choice, teens in similar or comparable situations will be seen and understood through the telling of this story. I think it also depicts heartbreak that readers who are unfamiliar with this kind of tragedy are sure to empathize with, regardless of their own background.
I wanted to note that this book has been recorded as an audiobook, narrated by the author (which I didn’t find out until after I had already purchased the hardback), which may appeal to audiences who prefer to listen. Long Way Down has also been created into a graphic novel (many of these images are pictured on this blog) to even further the reach of this incredible story. I feel that there are few books that can be spectacular in so many different mediums and this is a unique example of one of those truly captivating stories.
Creative Use for a Library Program
With the help of a community expert or volunteer, run a creative writing workshop for teens to write their own work of verse that takes place within 60 seconds.
Speed-Round Book Talk
Will has 60 seconds to decide whether or not he will avenge his brother’s death and take the life of the man he believes killed him. In that elevator ride that will deliver him to his fate, he is visited by the dead, who begin to cast doubts in his mind. Can Will enact revenge on the man who took his brother’s life?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
Long Way Down was on the ALA’s 2018 Banned & Challenged Books List (ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Staff, 2018). It is unclear if the book was banned or challenged and for what reason, but I imagine that the objections to this book were regarding the gun violence depicted in relation to the age of the intended audience. In response, I believe there is a truth to this story that, although it is a work of fiction, is important for teens to be exposed to. Many teens are not strangers to gun violence, be that in school, at home, or otherwise, and seeing this expression in verse form can help teens work through their experiences.
Reason for Inclusion
I had such a visceral reaction to reading this book that I had to include it in this collection. I think any piece of writing that can make readers feel so deeply is worthy of recommendation, especially a book for teens about a teen of color.
References
ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom Staff. (2019). 2018 banned & challenged books list. Intellectual Freedom Blog. https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/2018-banned-challenged-books-list/
Faber and Faber. (2018, January 3). Jason Reynolds reads from long way down [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF5MRMtpEcI
Novgorodoff, D. (2020). Long way down: The graphic novel [Images]. Retrieved from https://medium.com/making-comics/long-way-down-35df135f262d
Priestly, C. (n.d.). Do not cross [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/jason-reynolds/
Reynolds, J. (n.d.). About. Jason Reynolds. https://www.jasonwritesbooks.com/about
Reynolds, J. (2017). Long way down [Cover image]. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. Retrieved from https://www.jasonwritesbooks.com/books
Σχόλια