Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel

This graphic novel is adapted from Jason Reynolds' award-winning verse novel and is beautifully illustrated by Novgorodoff. It captures the juxtaposition of softness and violence in Will's heart-wrenching decision while preserving the intensity of emotions that Will experiences. The story follows Will in the aftermath of his brother Shawn's tragic death. Will feels bound to the unwritten rules: no tears, no snitching, and seek revenge.

As the elevator opens on each floor, Will encounters ghosts from his past, victims of gun violence, who challenge his plan and motives, causing doubt to creep in. This is an absolutely compelling story and the original version was a Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, and Coretta Scott King Honor book.

Long Way Down is a compelling, heartbreaking glimpse into the reality of life for too many teenagers today. This beautifully-illustrated graphic novel tells the story of Will, a young teenager who has just lost his brother to gun violence. But instead of planning a funeral and grieving with his family, Will is ready to follow the rules. To seek revenge. Intent to kill the man who killed his brother, Will enters his apartment elevator armed with a gun and a need for justice. This elevator ride turns out to be more than Will bargained for, though, when ghosts from his past (including his uncle, his childhood friend, and even his own father) enter the elevator, sharing their stories with him, floor by floor until Will decides his own show more fate.

I read the novel initially and was obsessed with it. I read it twice in two nights: once on speed read, and once to slow down and enjoy the free verse poetry and beauty of Reynolds' style. I was happy to see, then, that the graphic novel kept the free verse format, keeping lines and stanzas grouped as they were on the initial pages. The illustrator, Danica Novgorodoff, does an amazing job matching the tone and mood of the book to her visuals. Seeing Shawn (Will's brother) in their mother's arms creates an extra layer of heartbreak, but I did find myself more distracted from the words in this format. I was paying so much attention to the pictures and colors, that I don't feel like the words had as much of an impact as they did in the novel. That being said, it's still a beautiful story that I would highly recommend in any format! show less

After witnessing the fatal shooting of his older brother Shawn, 15-year-old Will Holloman must decide whether if he will follow the rules of his neighborhood which demands revenge. Armed with a gun from Shawn’s dresser, Will boards his building’s elevator and it slowly descends as his mind is bombarded with thoughts of what he is considering doing. As Shawn reaches each floor on the way down, a new, deceased individual enters and tells their story. It has to be real, he can feel the hugs, see and smell the cigarette smoke.

The artist uses smoky watercolors with rough edges that bleed and blend into each other in this very serious novel in verse. A denim-blue and white mix of color depicts those who have died. Much of the text is show more internal dialogue, including the conversations between Will and the deceased elevator’s occupants. Guns and death are depicted through a fallen body and the spread of blood. The ones who have lost their lives question Will’s plan and motivation. The ghosts, their truths, and the fact that he has never held a gun before make the decision to enact revenge that much more frightening.

This graphic novel is based on Reynolds’ 2017 award-winning verse novel of the same name. I do recommend you read the 2017 novel before reading the graphic novel version for a more complete picture of a bitter and sad story. Reynolds incorporates some of the original dialogue and narration, though edited to keep the story emotion-packed and the pace swift. show less

It’s good. A combination of confronting death and serious decision-making coupled with hard street life (y’know, snitches get stitches type of stuff). Our main character Will is consumed with revenge after his brother is shot and killed, and some ghosts of his past try to seriously reason with him. I’m starting to get a soft spot for books written in verse. I liked the watercolor artwork and thought it worked as well. Still, if this were not in graphic novel form, I would not have read this. There’s some merit to adding illustrations to heavier stories because it invites new readers.

This is no slight on the Long Way Down, but I’m exhausted with these types of stories. I would never discredit the harsh realities some of us show more face, but there needs to be more variety/escapism. I’m tired of these struggle life stories. Can you say draining? show less

Will wakes up in the bedroom he used to share with his older brother Shawn. He knows where Shawn kept his gun, and now that Shawn has been shot and killed, Will knows what he has to do. He doesn’t go to the police. He plans to take care of this himself, like so many others have done before him. So he takes Shawn’s gun for the first time and gets in the elevator of his building to go down and outside to to find Shawn’s killer.The elevator stops one floor down and someone gets on. Then it stops again. And again. The elevator stops at each floor, and fills up slowly with people Will used to know, each of them telling him something new. When the elevator finally reaches the ground floor, what is Will going to do?
I am a huge fan of show more graphic novels, but I was skeptical about adapting Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds to a graphic novel because the original novel in verse was so powerful already. It turns out this graphic novel version is powerful in its own way. I highly recommend both this and the original version of Long Way down. show less

As Will, fifteen, sets out to avenge his brother Shawn's fatal shooting, seven ghosts who knew Shawn board the elevator and reveal truths Will needs to know. A poignant story about choices and stopping the cycle of violence.

It’s good. A combination of confronting death and serious decision-making coupled with hard street life (y’know, snitches get stitches type of stuff). Our main character Will is consumed with revenge after his brother is shot and killed, and some ghosts of his past try to seriously reason with him. I’m starting to get a soft spot for books written in verse. I liked the watercolor artwork and thought it worked as well. Still, if this were not in graphic novel form, I would not have read this. There’s some merit to adding illustrations to heavier stories because it invites new readers.

This is no slight on the Long Way Down, but I’m exhausted with these types of stories. I would never discredit the harsh realities some of us show more face, but there needs to be more variety/escapism. I’m tired of these struggle life stories. Can you say draining? show less