Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds is an absolute must read book. This title was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and received numerous other awards (Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Honor, Printz Honor, Winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award, Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner and more), plus starred reviews from essentially every major professional reviewing publication. Pretty awesome, right? Especially for a book which takes place in little more than sixty seconds – the length of an elevator ride.  

The main character is fifteen year-old Will, barely visible on the cover, who is contemplating revenge because his older brother, Shawn, has been shot. At each floor as the elevator stops, someone gets on – Shawn’s mentor, or a former classmate who died from gun violence, and so on. These friends and relatives each share a bit of the story, offer a unique perspective and teach Will something new.  Reynolds wrote this novel in narrative verse – which makes this quick read even more powerful and impactful.   

Focusing on gun violence in our society, LONG WAY DOWN was difficult to read at times, but that is an important conversation our country needs to have. Listen, for example, to the students from Parkland, Florida. Here is Emma Gonzalez:

from an article on the BBC reporting on the planned March for Our Lives to be held on March 24 in Washington and around the country.  In the author bio for LONG WAY DOWN Jason Reynolds is described as "tired of being around young people who are tired of feeling invisible." Well, they are taking action and we should be proud that they are speaking up.