Jason Reynolds - Long Way Down
Book Excerpt
Book Review
School Library Journal starred (October 1, 2020):
After witnessing the fatal shooting of his older brother Shawn, 15-year-old Will Holloman must decide whether to follow the rules of his neighborhood that require revenge. Armed with a gun from Shawn's dresser, Will boards his building's elevator and as it descends weighs the gravity of what he is considering doing, the loss that preceded Shawn's death, and the repercussions. At each floor, a new, deceased individual enters and tells their story. Smoky watercolors with rough edges bleed and blend into each other and into unblemished empty spaces in this graphic adaptation of the novel in verse. The all-Black cast of characters is given complexity and nuance, even as they try to live by a code that is figuratively black and white. A denim-blue and white palette depicts those who have passed, while inky black and grays illustrate both the oppressiveness of the neighborhood's rules and the weight of the anguish they inflict upon the community. Pops of color-red for blood and fear, the yellow of a grocery bag smiley face, police tape, and Will's T-shirt-are used sparingly but consistently, as reminders of life and obstacles that carry on past death. Much of the text is internal dialogue, including the conversations between Will and the elevator's occupants.
Summary
Will's older brother, Shawn, has been shot.
Dead.
Will feels a sadness so great, he can't explain it. But in his neighborhood, there are THE RULES:
No. 1: Crying.
Don't.
No matter what.
No. 2: Snitching
Don't.
No matter what.
No. 3: Revenge
Do.
No matter what.
But bullets miss. You can get the wrong guy. And there's always someone else who knows to follow the rules...
Driven by the secrets and vengeance that mark his street culture, 15-year-old Will contemplates over the course of 60 psychologically suspenseful seconds whether or not he is going to murder the person who killed his brother.
Read a few lines...
