Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds follows a story about a 15-year-old boy, Will. When Will’s brother, Shawn, is shot, everything turns downhill. Will’s father also died, so all he has is his mother; who is devoured in grief after the death of his son. But Will has no time to grieve; he must stick to the rules:
Rule #1: NO CRYING
Rule #2: NO SNITCHING
Rule #3: TAKE REVENGE
Basically, Will decides to kill Shawn’s shooter with a gun. He’s scared, terrified, angry, and confused. But he must stick to the rules and take revenge - it’s what Shawn taught him. Will hasa suspect to who murdered Shawn - it has to be, right? With a gun loaded, he goes down the elevator in his apartment. During the elevator ride, Will “meets” people, and every second he learns something new that connects back to Shawn’s death. When I quote “meets,” I mean that Will talks to ghosts - or people who have already died.
This was one of the quickest reads I have read in a while; quite honestly, I thought it was an okay book. During reading, nothing completely intrigued my interest - instead, it was just monotonous for me. I wished something dramatic happened during the elevator ride down (maybe that’s just the fantasy lover inside me speaking). Realistically speaking, I think this book made me connect back to the world, and the shootings that have consecutively taken place this year. I also would like to point out how Jason Reynolds wrote this book. It is obvious that each arrangement, page, and word has a deep meaning in it, which I thought was really creative. Overall, I prefer more fast-paced and thrilling novels; however, I think this novel may be great for realistic fiction lovers! I rate this book 3/5 stars.