This is one of those books I am really excited to pass along – particularly to youth that I know will see themselves reflected in this.Â Long Way Down was a worthy read to start the year with. And well, I find myself still wondering what choice Will ends up making and just so profoundly impacted. It was everywhere and all mixed up in everything, and the only people who said it wasn’t, and the only people who said, Don’t talk about it were white. In Jason Reynolds novel Long Way Down, published in 2017, a young man seeking revenge for his brothers death is visited by ghosts during an elevator ride. The violence is show to be cyclical but also nonsensical in this book. Because racism was alive and real as shit. Particularly when you have the rules to follow like Will does. I found myself thinking about the trauma and childhood ACEs people who live in these neighborhoods experience – particularly seeing the news about deaths due to gun violence so consistently. As many of you know I live in a suburb of Syracuse which is no stranger to gun and gang violence. Reynolds’ story has me thinking about where I live. I am, of course, astounded byÂ Long Way Down. With each verse Reynolds added more tension and more suspense, each line, each person gave so much to the story and made an impact that made me hold my. Does Will continue the cycle of violence or will he disrupt it? Your guess is as good as mine, honestly. Each person is someone Will knows who died due to gun violence. As Will goes to the correct floor, different people get onto the elevator with him – people from Will’s past. As the book opens, Will is getting on an elevator to shoot this guy, Riggs, who he believed killed Shawn. The rules are: No Crying, No Snitching, Get Revenge. Will’s brother Shawn just died and so, Will must follow the rules.

Long Way Down is a short free verse book about fifteen year old Will Holloman. I am so glad, however, that I saved this book to begin my 2021 reading as it was just spectacular. Finally, several months later, I have gotten to it. Whether he is writing in long form, interconnected short stories, or free verse, the final product will be excellent.Â Long Way Down is a free verse book that I purchased during the campaign to Black Out The Best Seller list. Seriously, everything he writes is just golden.

Author of long way down