Long Way Down

Reynolds, Jason. (2017). Long way down. New York: Antheneum.

Will's brother Shawn is shot dead in front of him. Now according to "The Rules", Will must get revenge. He takes his brother's gun from the middle drawer, leaves the apartment, and gets on the elevator to go find the guy who shot Shawn. At each floor, a person from Will's past gets on; each one a victim of gun violence and "The Rules". As they share their stories about how they were killed, Will begins to question if he is sure he knows who killed Shawn and if he can really do it. The last one to enter the elevator is Shawn himself, who only speaks two words as the elevator reaches the lobby. The ending leaves the reader wondering if Will will go through with it or not.

I was once told that poetry is a conservation of words, so each one must be used wisely. Jason Reynolds does just that. His verse is short but powerful as he shares the cycle of gun violence in Will's world. I also enjoyed the use of the anagrams that Will loves. His choices were a strong reflection of what was happening in the story.

This was a quick read and would make a great companion book to The Hate U Give. Both books take a powerful look at violence in and towards the African American community, which is such an important issue right now.