Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Goodreads Choice Award

Nominee for Readers' Favorite Poetry (2017)

A cannon. A strap.

A piece. A biscuit.

A burner. A heater.

A chopper. A gat.

A hammer

A tool

for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun.

And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.

My Review

The novel is written in poetry/ verse and also takes place in 60 seconds. How does it take place in such a short time period? You’ll have to read this one to find out! 

As mentioned, Will’s brother was shot dead and he wants revenge. He seeks out revenge by going to kill his brother’s killer. He gets on an elevator with a gun (which he has never shot)… and then things start happening. 

The numbered chapters in Long Way Down descend as the elevator reaches a new floor level, which adds to the urgency of the situation. 

I first read this book several years ago and I thought it was amazing. Someone told me recently that I should listen to the audiobook and so I did. And WOW!! The audiobook is narrated by the author himself, Jason Reynolds. No one other than Reynolds could have accomplished what he intended; and even in the brief author interview, Reynold explains why only he could narrate this novel.

Long Way Down is a short yet incredibly powerful novel that leaves you thinking about so much after you have finished it.  This is one that will stay with you.   The audiobook is just one hour and 45 minutes long and deserves a full listen to in one sitting.

This is so good. Seriously, give it a listen. This is a solid 5 stars for me.