Long Way Down: Selected & Finished in 24 Hours

Just a copy and paste of my single entry in "Currently Reading" for Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down.

I chose this book via teacher recommendation, and honestly I didn't know what exactly to expect.

The story is written in verse. Poetry. It's a very quick read, but it's also excruciatingly powerful.

I read this 306 page book in less than one day, which I definitely wasn't expecting to do, but in all honesty it was hard to put down.

The book is written in verse, making it a poetry book. It's the first story that author, Jason Reynolds, has written this way, but I do hope he writes more in this style.

Its story follows 15 year old Will, whose brother, Shawn, was just shot and killed in front of his low-down apartment that he shares with his mother. This family lives in the low-income area of town where there is a lot of theft, adolescent pregnancy, drugs, and gang violence.

He discusses "The Rules:"

Don't Cry.

Don't Snitch.

Kill whoever killed your loved one.

Will sets out to kill the man who he believes to be the shooter in his brother's attack, and he enters the elevator of his 7-floor apartment complex with his brother's gun in hand.

At each floor, a ghost from Will's past enters the elevator. They ask him, Why are you doing this? Do you have the guts? Is it what Shawn wants? How exactly will you do this?

Each time the elevator stops, the ghosts each light up a cigarette, clouding the elevator with smoke, as the next one enters.

I won't spoil the ending, but I will say it's quite up to interpretation.

The book focuses on his internal battle, and his discerning of what he's setting out to do. The ghosts of his past force him to ask himself questions that he hadn't thought about, and I'm sure you can guess who the last ghost is.

I HIGHLY recommend this book. It was a 4/5 star read. It's very easy to finish in one sitting, I finished it in less than an hour which is why it's only got one entry on this page. :)

#JasonReynolds #LongWayDown