How far would you take revenge if you were raised on it? As many sophomores at Lincoln High School know after summer reading season, Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds addresses that question. Fifteen-year-old Will Holloman has just witnessed the murder of his beloved older brother, Shawn, in their neighborhood where gang violence is the norm. The next morning, Will gets on the elevator in his apartment building, ready to seek revenge. Then, seven ghosts from Will’s past enter the elevator one by one, each with a message that makes Will question the rules of his loyalty. Long Way Down is a deeply meaningful, layered story of a community caught in a loop of pain and whether one boy will begin to end it.Reynolds’ plot has so much more to it than meets the eye, and there’s a lot that meets the eye: murder, revenge, and ghosts, namely. The book flies by thanks to its engaging, fast pace and its structure. Each page is a short poem exploring Will’s thoughts or conversations. Nevertheless, take the time to observe how the layout of each page contributes to its content, as is typical of novels in verse. For instance, the seemingly simple lines “I’M SURE / you / know / where / this / is / going” (184) convey the dark descent of time that Will speaks of here. Similarly, Long Way Down is steeped with symbols that are not to be missed: the gun, the smoke, and Will himself, to name a few. The traditional elements are perfect, too, from Will’s character development to Shawn’s from beyond the grave. Even the nonspecific setting feels intentional, reminding readers that gang violence occurs in every state, not just wherever Will is. Oh, and the ending . . . I just cannot do it justice here, so you will have to read it!If I had to pick a favorite aspect of this riveting novel, though, it might be the complex humanity of the characters, especially the ghosts. Violence is the norm in this community, so almost every character has been both the perpetrator and the victim. Beyond that, after the ghosts have each entered the elevator and spoken to Will, it is mentioned that Will’s friend, Buck, robbed houses and his Uncle Marc dealt drugs. These crimes are not defining characteristics of the Buck and Uncle Marc whatsoever. They are just people, who were once caught in the same violent cycle as the other characters, now advising Will to break it in one way or another. Even for readers who do not relate to these circumstances, it’s easy to feel empathy for them. To see humanity in another is always a beautiful, powerful thing.Maybe the better question is, how far would you tae revenge if you were raised on the pain it caused? If you did not read Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds this summer, you missed out, no matter how fascinating the other summer reading choice, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Michaelson, is. You won’t be able to put down Reynolds’ story of guns, ghosts, and grief’s influence on us all.
