Review of Long Way Down

 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Genre/Category

Long Way Down is a novel in verse that also contains fantasy elements. The category I am reviewing for is 6th-12th Grade Printz Winner or Honor Book.

Target Age Group

Long Way Down is suitable for readers aged 13 and up. This novel contains themes of violence, smoking, and drug use. 

Summary

Long Way Down follows the story of Will, a young teenage boy whose just lost his brother to gang violence and now feels that he must follow “the rules” that when someone you love is killed, you must kill the person who did it. On his way to carry out this deed, he encounters the ghosts of past friends and family members who, in some capacity, also lost their lives to gang violence and “the rules” who attempt to help Will break this cycle of violence where no one ever wins.

Justification

Jason Reynolds is an author with many recognitions to his name for titles such as Stamped, All American Boys, Ghost, and many more. Long Way Down was not only awarded a Printz Honor, but also a Newberry Honor, Coretta Scott King Honor, and has been recognized by many other organizations. It’s a great title that asks readers to consider one’s values in the face of injustice. 

Evaluation

I have chosen to evaluate the figurative language, characterization, and pacing of Long Way Down.

Figurative Language

Each poem in this novel in verse is well crafted and spoken by Will which highlights both the perspective of a scared, teenage boy, and the tough persona he feels he must portray. Some unique recurring poems are the anagrams that Will throws in such as “Cool = Loco” or “Cinema = Iceman.” These anagrams help the reader understand how Will sees the world. There are also striking metaphors sprinkled throughout, giving the reader tangible equivalents to the events mentioned, such as when Will equates cough syrup with blood. The title itself is an important piece of figurative language. Not only does Will have a long way down to go on his elevator ride toward the man he intends to kill for revenge, but following “the rules” creates a long way down for anyone to ever come back up from.

Characterization

Throughout the novel, Will encounters many different scenarios and conversations with the ghosts who meet him in the elevator that develop his character. To avenge his brother, he believes he must become a killer. He believes he must follow “the rules.” However, as he encounters ghosts of his past who also felt this way or were victims of others having this mentality, it becomes clear to him that he is scared, he is a kid, and he just misses his brother. An interesting aspect of Will’s character to consider is whether he is a reliable narrator or not. Is he actually being visited by these ghosts? Or, throughout his elevator ride that seems like an eternity, is he having an internal battle with his conscience? Toward the end of the novel, he goes from believing he must follow the rules, to questioning them, and admitting he is scared. Though the ending is ambiguous, it is more likely that, due to this internal struggle, he has found clarity to break the cycles of violence he has experienced.

Pacing

The pacing of this novel is effective in that the first quarter or so is dedicated to establishing Will’s character, his brother’s death, and the mission he feels he must now carry out to avenge his brother, even if it means he may be someone’s next target. As he reaches the elevator on his way to carry out the killing, the story develops with each floor the elevator descends. A new ghost gets on the elevator at each floor, all telling their story to Will, until they have all reached the bottom together and give Will the opportunity to change his fate. With each new floor, he learns a new lesson and becomes closer to accepting that revenge may not be the answer, as it continues to cause pain indefinitely. 

Reference

Reynolds, J. (2017). Long Way Down. Atheneum Books.