Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
If you haven’t read anything by Jason Reynolds yet, you need to simply because he is an amazing writer. A great place to start is with Long Way Down, his newest book.
In Long Way Down, we meet Will, a 15 year old whose brother, Shawn, was just murdered on the street. Will has been raised to believe in 3 rules: no crying, no snitching and getting revenge. He tucks a gun into his pants and steps into an elevator to go and find Shawn’s killer. During the ride down, where the majority of the book takes place, Will “meets” people from his past and must decide whether to avenge his brother’s death or break the rules he has been taught to respect.
The entire book is written in verse and Reynold’s sentences are powerful and direct. Because of this, this book is accessible to so many readers, including reluctant ones. (more…)