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Long Way Down Jason Reynolds Books

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Long Way Down Jason Reynolds Books

There is no fitting way that I can think of to describe a book of this caliber. I cannot even admit that I have completely understood the full magnitude that this story carries.

Long Way Down takes place in a span of one minute.

Sixty seconds.

It is set in an elevator, in which a young, angry boy gets on and begins his long journey down.

7
6
5
4
3
2
1

A moment.
An instant. That is all it takes. An elevator ride down, seven floors.

In one minute, Jason Reynolds changes your perception of everything.
In that one minute, you are blindsided.
In that one minute, he leaves you reeling.

In a single minute, the book outlines the life of this young man, Will, the day after his brother, Shawn, was found shot dead. Will knows the rules. He lives by the rules.

1. You don’t cry
2. You don’t snitch
3. You seek revenge

Will is absolutely certain he knows the man behind the murder, and he is out for vengeance. After a long sleepless night, he wakes up knowing exactly how his day is going to go. He finds his brother’s gun and leaves the house with the intention of going after the person responsible for his brother’s death. He steps onto the elevator, but it keeps stopping at every floor, forcing Will to confront his fears, his doubts and most importantly, his beliefs.

Long Way Down is written in verse-form, and although this style is usually not my preferred style, Jason Reynolds set a completely new standard with his writing, eloquence and articulation. He manages to deliver clear, distinct and important messages with just a few words. In fact, the book will not take you more than 30 minutes to read, but the impact left afterwards is powerful and long lasting. In an interview I read, Jason Reynolds says:

“I need my young brothers who are living in these environments, and the kids who are not living in these environments to have no excuses not to read the book. The truth of the matter is that I recognize that I write prose, and I love prose, and I want everybody to read prose, but I would never, sort of, deny the fact that like, literacy in America is not the highest, especially amongst young men, and especially amongst young men of color. It's something that we've all been working very hard on, and my job is not to critique or judge that. My job is to do something to help that, and to know you can finish this in 45 minutes means the world to me, so that we can get more young people reading it and thinking and then having discussions on what this book is actually about.”

He also explains that he set the story in an elevator, because he wanted to mimic the feelings of anger, pain and helplessness. To him, these feel claustrophobic, like you are wound up tight.

“It feels like tightness and coldness, steel, jagged movements and vertigo. All the things that an elevator brings, is what it feels like to be that angry.”

One of the reasons Reynolds was able to convey these feelings so accurately was because of his own past experiences struggling with those same feelings of anger and pain when his best friend was killed, and his first impulse was to end the life of the person responsible. He also wanted to change the perception that people who commit these crimes are fearless or without emotion.

“The truth is that everyone who has ever been around anyone who has been in these environments knows that the people who pull the triggers are terrified.”

Long Way Down really pushes boundaries, questions your thoughts and beliefs and does not shy away from treading on important topics, such as race and gun violence. Getting a glimpse, albeit a very brief one, of Reynolds’ way of thinking makes you look at things differently and go, “Ahh, yes. I see now.”


Tags : Amazon.com: Long Way Down (9781481438254): Jason Reynolds: Books,Jason Reynolds,Long Way Down,AtheneumCaitlyn Dlouhy Books,1481438255,Family - Siblings,Social Themes - Violence,Brothers,Conduct of life,Ghost stories,Ghosts,Murder,Murder;Fiction.,Novels in verse,Novels in verse.,Revenge,Revenge;Fiction.,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fiction-Coming of Age,JUVENILE,Jason Reynolds; All American Boys; gun violence; gangs; gang violence; books in verse; National Book Award longlist; poetry; diversity; National Book Award Finalist; Monster; Ghost; urban reads; urban lit; books for black teens,Jason Reynolds; All American Boys; gun violence; gangs; gang violence; books in verse; poetry; diversity; National Book Award Finalist; Monster; Ghost; urban reads; urban lit; books for black teens; National Book Award longlist,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,TEEN'S FICTION - COMING OF AGE,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family General (see also headings under Social Themes),YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family Siblings,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Novels in Verse,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Violence,Young Adult FictionFamily - General (see also headings under Social Themes),Young Adult FictionGhost Stories,Young Adult FictionNovels in Verse,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family General (see also headings under Social Themes),YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family Siblings,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Novels in Verse,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Violence,Young Adult FictionFamily - General (see also headings under Social Themes),Young Adult FictionGhost Stories,Young Adult FictionNovels in Verse,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)

Long Way Down Jason Reynolds Books Reviews

Jason Reynolds is truly a gift to the world. I love this book and believe everyone, young and old, should read this profoundly human story. Jason brilliantly sets the stage in an elevator to metaphorically represent the feelings of being entrapped by the notions we create in our head - the perceived rules, assumptions, expectations of society, and the swiftness for which we believe we must respond to those thoughts. And, consequently, how our lives (and the lives of others) can change in an instant. In this scenario, it’s the 60 seconds it takes Will, the protagonist, to travel from the seventh to the ground floor.

Written beautifully and artistically in verse, Long Way Down conveys a powerful message of introspection and self-reflection. Of mindfulness and emotional intelligence - particularly with respect to self-awareness and self-regulation.

Long Way Down raises the awareness of Victor Frankl's teachings from his incredibly important and timeless book, Man's Search for Meaning "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
How do you begin to describe Jason Reynolds' Long Way Down? Although some have understandably called this tale a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and to some extent it is, but it is much more than that. Literature teachers will certainly delight in the many lessons that are taught throughout this creative tale, readers are simply drawn in by the delight it is to read. Although there are a few profanities scattered in the telling, they do not draw attention away from the story and in fact, Mr. Reynolds uses them to add appropriate realism to his characters. Written for teens, this novel is enjoyable for both adults and teens, as evident by the fact our entire family read it and have had many animated conversations over dinner on the meaning of the ending. Highly recommend Long Way Down and look forward to reading more of Jason Reynolds in the very near future.
I've read every Jason Reynolds book published (except for the Spiderman one which I'll get to next). This is the most powerful one yet. The poetry is tight, not a word wasted. I found myself reading lines outline over and over to hear them roll off the tongue. The plot is clever and refreshingly different. The message, the voices, the themes are powerful. The whole world should read this tale and learn how violence begets more violence and swallows us up not whole but very broken. I wanted to get in the elevator with Will, hold him like his mother would have, cry with him, and lead him away from the tragic tradition that he felt compelled to continue. Thank you, Jason Reynolds, for your wisdom and the voices you create! The world needs this book. And PLEASE keep writing!
There is no fitting way that I can think of to describe a book of this caliber. I cannot even admit that I have completely understood the full magnitude that this story carries.

Long Way Down takes place in a span of one minute.

Sixty seconds.

It is set in an elevator, in which a young, angry boy gets on and begins his long journey down.

7
6
5
4
3
2
1

A moment.
An instant. That is all it takes. An elevator ride down, seven floors.

In one minute, Jason Reynolds changes your perception of everything.
In that one minute, you are blindsided.
In that one minute, he leaves you reeling.

In a single minute, the book outlines the life of this young man, Will, the day after his brother, Shawn, was found shot dead. Will knows the rules. He lives by the rules.

1. You don’t cry
2. You don’t snitch
3. You seek revenge

Will is absolutely certain he knows the man behind the murder, and he is out for vengeance. After a long sleepless night, he wakes up knowing exactly how his day is going to go. He finds his brother’s gun and leaves the house with the intention of going after the person responsible for his brother’s death. He steps onto the elevator, but it keeps stopping at every floor, forcing Will to confront his fears, his doubts and most importantly, his beliefs.

Long Way Down is written in verse-form, and although this style is usually not my preferred style, Jason Reynolds set a completely new standard with his writing, eloquence and articulation. He manages to deliver clear, distinct and important messages with just a few words. In fact, the book will not take you more than 30 minutes to read, but the impact left afterwards is powerful and long lasting. In an interview I read, Jason Reynolds says

“I need my young brothers who are living in these environments, and the kids who are not living in these environments to have no excuses not to read the book. The truth of the matter is that I recognize that I write prose, and I love prose, and I want everybody to read prose, but I would never, sort of, deny the fact that like, literacy in America is not the highest, especially amongst young men, and especially amongst young men of color. It's something that we've all been working very hard on, and my job is not to critique or judge that. My job is to do something to help that, and to know you can finish this in 45 minutes means the world to me, so that we can get more young people reading it and thinking and then having discussions on what this book is actually about.”

He also explains that he set the story in an elevator, because he wanted to mimic the feelings of anger, pain and helplessness. To him, these feel claustrophobic, like you are wound up tight.

“It feels like tightness and coldness, steel, jagged movements and vertigo. All the things that an elevator brings, is what it feels like to be that angry.”

One of the reasons Reynolds was able to convey these feelings so accurately was because of his own past experiences struggling with those same feelings of anger and pain when his best friend was killed, and his first impulse was to end the life of the person responsible. He also wanted to change the perception that people who commit these crimes are fearless or without emotion.

“The truth is that everyone who has ever been around anyone who has been in these environments knows that the people who pull the triggers are terrified.”

Long Way Down really pushes boundaries, questions your thoughts and beliefs and does not shy away from treading on important topics, such as race and gun violence. Getting a glimpse, albeit a very brief one, of Reynolds’ way of thinking makes you look at things differently and go, “Ahh, yes. I see now.”