Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Fri, 04/27/2018 - 3:19pm -- BHanley

Fifteen-year-old Will steps onto the elevator, gun in his waistband, and anger in his veins. His brother was recently gunned down by a gangster. Will is determined to uphold the Rules, essentially an honor code. Once on the elevator he pushes the button for the lobby. The doors close, then open on floor 7, only for Buck to step on. Only problem is: Buck is dead. Will panics internally and questions his sanity. Is Buck real? Is he a ghost? Why is the elevator taking forever to get down to the lobby? Written in verse, Long Way Down is a unique approach to telling Will’s story. Short burst statements are interspersed with dialogue (both internal and external), arranged in verse. Reynolds’ novel reads fast, yet it packs a punch, and will leave you wondering if our ghosts – real or imagined –affect our decisions. Recommended for poetry and/or mixed genre readers, and to readers of Angie Thomas, Stephen Chbosky, and Walter Dean Myers.

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