Long Way Down

October 12, 2020

Long Way Down

I'm super excited to share my review for what I will call, a very good read. Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds and Danica Novgorodoff has been very enjoyable as this is the graphic version of one my all time favorite novels. I have previously reviewed Long Way Down, and I loved it, therefore I was so excited to be reviewing the graphic version of the novel. It absolutely lived up to my expectations. This book is impactful and amazing because of the moral lessons it teaches through our main character, Will. I would highly recommend this graphic novel. Thank you Hear Our Voices Book Tours for choosing me to be a part of this tour.

Book: Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel

Author: Jason Reynolds

Illustrator: Danica Novgorodoff

Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Release Date: October 13, 2020

Genre: Graphic Novels/ Teen Fiction

Book Synopsis

Jason Reynolds’s Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, and Coretta Scott King Honor–winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel Long Way Down is now a gripping, galvanizing graphic novel, with haunting artwork by Danica Novgorodoff.

Will’s older brother, Shawn, has been shot.

Dead.

Will feels a sadness so great, he can’t explain it. But in his neighborhood, there are THE RULES:

No. 1: Crying.

Don’t.

No matter what.

No. 2: Snitching

Don’t.

No matter what.

No. 3: Revenge

Do.

No matter what.

But bullets miss. You can get the wrong guy. And there’s always someone else who knows to follow the rules…

Summary

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel follows Will whose brother was killed as a result of gun violence. After this tragic incident, Will decides to comply with the unwritten rule of the community he was born and raised in. He has no choice but to follow the "tradition" that was past down to him from his brother and generations before, revenge. On his mission to kill the person he thinks murdered his brother, Will enters an elevator that, on the way down, he is taught a valuable lesson.

Review

I love Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel. The story is amazing because it teaches the readers an important lesson about a current issue that has negatively affected many families. It is very important to have books that contain subjects that are impactful, relatable and address current issues in our society and this this graphic novel does just that. The author tells an amazing story through the eyes of a hardened and troubled youth, Will. Unfortunately, it is because of Will's loss that we are taught an equally amazing moral. The writing is realistic, authentic and relatable which makes the novel's theme even easier to grasp.

Moreover, the illustrations were amazing. They perfectly captured the feeling of the scenes, and added so much to the story. I loved the visual effects, and how I was able to see what was happening while reading about it. I even found myself comparing the illustrations of the graphic novel to the images I developed in my on mind when I read the original novel.

My Rating

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel is amazing, so I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I love the writing, the art, and I would highly recommend.

Favorite Quotes

"Couldn’t see any of their reflections. Just mine."

"It’s never the end. Never."

"I know you're young, gotta get it out, but just remember, when you're walking in the nighttime, make sure the nighttime ain’t walking into you."

"Smoke like spirit can be thick but ain’t supposed to be nothing solid enough to hold me."

Review in 5 Gifs

via GIPHY

Author Information

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a Kirkus Award winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Reynolds is also the 2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His many books include When I Was the Greatest, The Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), Look Both Ways, and Long Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.com.

Twitter | Instagram | Website | Goodreads

Illustrator Information

Danica Novgorodoff is an artist, writer, graphic designer, and horse wrangler from Louisville, Kentucky, currently living in Brooklyn, New York. Her books include A Late Freeze; Slow Storm; Refresh, Refresh (included in Best American Comics 2011); and The Undertaking of Lily Chen. Her art and writing have been published in Best American Comics, Artforum, Esquire, VQR, Slate, Orion, Seneca Review, Ecotone Journal, and many others. She was awarded a 2015 New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship in Literature, and was named Sarabande Books’ 2016 writer in residence. She has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Blue Mountain Center, VCCA, Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, and Willapa Bay AiR. Visit her online at DanicaNovgorodoff.com.