Reynolds, Jason. Long Way Down. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books; 2019. ISBN 978-1481438261
Plot summary.
Main character is Will, a fifteen year old boy who is grieving the loss of his brother from murder. He is saddened by his brother's death, yet not surprised being that violence is endemic in the community that Will and his family live in. The Though Will is disoriented and sad about Shawn’s death, he isn’t exactly surprised. There are rules that he learned limiting expression, and communication in addition to revenge seeking being one. He feel trapped yet moved/influenced by these rules that his brother followed and many in the neighborhood he calls home. He wants to seek revenge and takes hold of a gun and puts it inside his pants and proceeds to take out the person that killed his brother. The story unfolds as Will enters the elevator of the 8th floor apartment he and his family live in and in each floor he meets ghosts from his past, all who have died from gun violence. He is then interrogated on his intention to seek revenge and is learning more about his past with each ghosts he speaks with.
Critical Evaluation:
Story holds rich imagery of the community and life that Will is immersed in. You learn intricate details of his history, what happened to Shawn's friend, an uncle and others in his life. The reader is riveted to find out what will take place, whether Will, follows through with his desire to seek justice in his own hands, following The Rules. There is a magical realism theme with the meeting of the ghosts, there is conversations with people who have been murdered. Although one can see why this is an important element in the story to learn about Will's community and intergenerational trauma, a reader that is not into paranormal activity may not find this part of the book digestible. At points there are many characters that Will meets, and one must deduce who are they in relation and why they are important. This part may be difficult for younger readers.
Reader's Annotation
Young African American man from an inner city dealing with community gun violence and questioning strict notions of masculinity (The Rules).
Author
Was born in Washington, DC and raised in neighboring Oxon Hill, Maryland. As a child he found inspiration in rap and started writing poetry at nine years old. He focused on poetry for approximately the next two decades, only reading a novel cover to cover for the first time at age 17 and publishing several poetry collections before he published his own first novel in 2014. He is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and has published sixteen books. He is the is the 2020-2021 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (Jason Reynolds, nd)
Genre:
In verse
Booktalking Ideas
Will speaking with the ghost of his uncle, when uncle says "You will never survive in prison, nephew."
Reading Level/Interest Age
Gr. 9 - 12
Challenge Issues
Violence. Defense would be Library Bill of Rights and this review by Publisher's Weekly.
Why I Chose This Book
Main character is a young African American teen, in an inner city, questioning "rules" and dealing with grief in a community wrought with intense community violence.
Ref: About (n.d.) Jason Reynolds. Retrieved, November 30, 2021, from https://www.jasonwritesbooks.com/
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