Long Way Down

1. Bibliography
Reynolds, J. 2017. Long Way Down. New York, NY: Atheneum. ISBN 9781481438261

2. Summary
Will, William Holloman, wants nothing more than vengeance. Living in a poor neighborhood, where crime, drug dealing, and murder is almost inevitable, Will seeks to revenge with one goal in mind: murder the man who killed his brother, Shawn. In his hasty decision to use the gun Shawn kept locked away from his little brother, Will decides to take the gun. However, his path is cut short during his elevator ride down to the lobby of the apartment complex when he has an unique experience in the elevator; Will sees the ghosts of his lost family and friends. After hearing the advice and experiences with death from his loved ones, Will’s otherwise-short descendance down the elevator becomes an experience that will forever change his life before he changes his.

3. Discussion
As the book was completely written in verse, I found the story a bit difficult to follow. I am not a fan of poetry, so I felt disconnected with the story as a whole. However, once I was able to get used to the verse writing, I was able to fully understand and comprehend what I was reading.

Ultimately, as the book highlights the struggle of life in the ghetto, gun violence, and faith, and I think this book would be great for people who experience these things at home. Not everyone is fortunate enough to live in a safe environment, so I would definitely advocate this book for any reader who needs more insight in how to deal and cope with loss, fear, and faith.

While this book may be difficult to read as a story because of its writing style, I think that most readers would be able to follow along. The vocabulary is very simple, so I can see middle school students reading this book. However, the content is a bit too graphic for younger students, so I would mainly focus on older students, being in the high school level, who are willing to read about Will’s experience in the ghetto neighborhood.

4. Connections
As I mentioned before, the content may be too graphic for younger students, but the verse style of writing would be a great topic to cover in a reading/writing class in both middle and high schools. Teachers can also recommend this book to students who are interested in poetry, simple reads, or a captivating story.