Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel
Ratings117
Average rating4.3
This was fantastic! I was hooked from the opening verse and could not put it down. The ending, oh, my gosh...the ending!!!
Haunting, incredibly well written. Knew next to nothing about the story before I began reading it, so it was easy for me to get swept up in the twists and turns that Will goes through. Didn't like the ending so much at first but after a couple minutes, I'm beginning to come around on it.
Beautiful and masterfully done, very effective too.
A story told through poems isn't something I usually go for but for this particular story it just works.
I actually initially listened to the audiobook version of this and didn't even realise they were written in poem (I did note how poetic the writing was and how beautifully each line was crafted). The audiobook (read by the author himself) came with an interview at the end with Jason Reynolds in which he explained why he wrote it all in poems. This made me go back and read the whole thing in its written form.
Reading the poems and listening to them provide 2 very different experiences but I think both are worth doing. If you have the chance to do both I highly recommend it as it really creates a rounded experience of the text, themes, and tones.
One of my favorite books PERIOD!!!!
Reread 《1/14/19》
__________
Y O U C O M I N G
I'm cryING!!!
One of my favorite books PERIOD!!!!
Reread 《1/14/19》
__________
Y O U C O M I N G
I'm cryING!!!
A heartwarming story about a boy out to get revenge. Wasn't expecting the book to be as good.
really powerful and was on edge listening to it. I love being able to broaden my reading and this one was suggested from a reading group i'm in. Glad I picked this up. It was a very quick read too.
I'm not really a fan of novels in verse, but I had to read this one for class. It was really good and all, and I can really see how this could be a perfect “gateway” book, if you will, for encouraging younger readers to get into reading. It's fantastic for what it is and definitely something I'd recommend to young readers and anyone who loves a novel in verse.
Wow. That's a hell of a book.
I feel like Reynolds writes really well for discussions. Look Both Ways is much more hopeful and not in verse, but they have the same sort of constant background unfolding as you go, so you have to reexamine what you were thinking with every page.
so thought provoking!
I always love an open ending and this one didn't disappoint
I did like the story and characters but i think books written in verse aren't really my thing
Brilliant.
Definitely the best novel in verse I've ever read. I recommend the audiobook, read by Jason Reynolds himself.
That ending. So unexpected, threw me off a bit, but WOW so good.
I listened to this in an audiobook and let me tell you that is the WAY to go. The physical copy was hard to get into because of the formatting so the audiobook was SOOO good. This book was really sad and such an interesting concept though. I appreciate what it did, the style, and the thought behind it. However, it lacked the spark I needed for it to be a 5 star read for me.
What a quick and intense read! I finished this one in one sitting and the ending just really made me think about the plot of the story.
This is a beautiful and quick story to read.
The only thing I didn't really like was the writing style. Because this book is written in verse I feel like I didn't get all the information on the initial read. I feel to get the whole story I need to re-read it.
nonetheless, I would recommend 100%
This book is on our list of selections for Teen Battle of the Books this summer. It reads more like a short story or a novella.
It's written in free verse—something I didn't realize until I opened the book on Libby.
The ending of this is a moral question as the whole book about the cycle of violence and our ability to choose whether or not to continue it.
After seeing Jason Reynolds speak at ALA, I knew I needed to read more of his works – something I'm still working on. I decided to listen to this, to save time for me, but also because I heard he narrates it.
Look, this book is amazing. I was hooked. It makes a powerful statement and yet doesn't preach. There is no point where it specifically says challenge what you know or anything, and yet listening to him speak, listening to the words flow, I believe everyone will gain something from this– even if we don't all take away the same message.
This book is beautifully written and Jason Reynolds does a fabulous job narrating it. I was captivated and at times just sat there listening, not playing games or vacuuming, just listening. This is a powerful story and one I'm recommending to everyone.
Will's brother is shot and killed on the streets. Will grabs his brother's gun, in search of revenge. It's only sixty seconds down the elevator, only seven floors and seven stops, but it is time enough for Will to visit with some lost friends and think about life in his world.
A rivetingly powerful story from a contemporary master of young adult writing in America. I will be recommending this book to everyone I meet.
This was a deep, well-written intense book. It is about death and killing but also about grief pain and growth. I really enjoyed the author's poetic writing. The writing was descriptive but not flowery.
This book was very raw, like it felt real as I read on. I thought the writing style was abit wonky but I didn't have a problem with it. It opened up my eyes on how the gang life is like, along with the rules!
Read for my “Issues of Diversity in Youth Literature” class.
Obviously, to say I “enjoyed” this book would be inaccurate, as it is heartbreaking, and not in that good way, like “oh, my favorite character died but they did so in a way that was for the greater good, such a noble sacrifice, this book destroyed me, you have to read it.” It's not like that at all, except in the fact that you definitely have to read it.
But I'm glad I read this book. It was powerful, and devastating, and beautifully written, and I will certainly be checking out more books by Jason Reynolds soon. 5/5 stars