Long Way Down

Starred review from July 31, 2017
Will, 15, is following his neighborhood’s well-established rules—don’t cry, don’t snitch, but do get revenge “if someone you love/ gets killed”—when he leaves his apartment, intent on killing whoever murdered his older brother, Shawn. He’s emboldened by the gun tucked into his waistband: “I put my hand behind my back/ felt the imprint/ of the piece, like/ another piece/ of me/ an extra vertebra,/ some more/ backbone.” As Will makes his way to the ground floor of his building, the elevator stops to accept passengers, each an important figure from his past, all victims of gun violence. Are these ghosts? Or is it Will’s subconscious at work, forcing him to think about what he intends to do and what it will accomplish? The story unfolds in the time it takes for the elevator to descend, and it ends with a two-word question that hits like a punch to the gut. Written entirely in spare verse, this is a tour de force from a writer who continues to demonstrate his skill as an exceptionally perceptive chronicler of what it means to be a black teen in America. Ages 12–up. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties.

September 1, 2020
After Will's older brother, Shawn, is shot and killed, Will knows he has to follow the rules: Don't cry, don't snitch, get revenge. The rules are so old it's hard to know where they came from, but Will knows they are not meant to be broken. He gets Shawn's gun and heads downstairs in the elevator to shoot Riggs, his brother's former friend, who he is convinced is responsible. As the elevator door opens on each floor, Will is confronted by people from his past who were also victims of gun violence. They question Will's plan and motivation, and although Will was certain it was Riggs when he first got into the elevator, at some point he isn't so sure. 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. Based on Reynolds' 2017 award-winning verse novel of the same name, this full-color graphic adaptation will pull in both old and new readers. Novgorodoff's ink-and-watercolor images bring a softness to the text that contrasts with the violent deaths and the stark choice Will faces. Reynolds' fans will be pleased to see some of the original dialogue and narration remain, though edited to keep the story emotion-packed and the pace as swift as the elevator ride. Characters are Black. A moving rendition that stands on its own. (Graphic fiction.12-18)

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Starred review from October 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-After witnessing the fatal shooting of his older brother Shawn, 15-year-old Will Holloman must decide whether to follow the rules of his neighborhood that require revenge. Armed with a gun from Shawn's dresser, Will boards his building's elevator and as it descends weighs the gravity of what he is considering doing, the loss that preceded Shawn's death, and the repercussions. At each floor, a new, deceased individual enters and tells their story. Smoky watercolors with rough edges bleed and blend into each other and into unblemished empty spaces in this graphic adaptation of the novel in verse. The all-Black cast of characters is given complexity and nuance, even as they try to live by a code that is figuratively black and white. A denim-blue and white palette depicts those who have passed, while inky black and grays illustrate both the oppressiveness of the neighborhood's rules and the weight of the anguish they inflict upon the community. Pops of color-red for blood and fear, the yellow of a grocery bag smiley face, police tape, and Will's T-shirt-are used sparingly but consistently, as reminders of life and obstacles that carry on past death. Much of the text is internal dialogue, including the conversations between Will and the elevator's occupants. Guns and death are depicted through a fallen body and the spread of blood. No curse words are used. VERDICT Reynolds's words paint pictures of their own in this tragic yet poignant illustrated tale that offers no answers to the seemingly impossible choices some communities face.-Alea Perez, Elmhurst P.L., IL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2020
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* Reynolds' award-winning novel in verse, a spare, lyrical exploration of the reverberating effects of gun violence on one community, gets a compelling new look in this graphic adaptation. After Will's brother, Shawn, is killed in a shooting, Will vows to follow the long-standing rules: no crying; no snitching; get revenge. But as he descends in his building's elevator one morning on his way to fulfill the final rule?shooting the kid he's pretty sure shot his brother?a new ghost appears at each floor and makes him question what he's doing, even the rules themselves. Novgorodoff uses loose, aqueous watercolors in a rich palette to deftly complement the emotional, ghostly atmosphere of Reynolds' story: letters partly washed away suggest tears; splashes of dusky blues signify snapshot-like memories; emotional facial expressions zoom front and center; and thoughtfully placed negative space poignantly evokes the devastating absence gun violence leaves in its wake. Far more than just an illustration of the events of the novel, Novgorodoff's iteration powerfully cultivates the tone and mood of its source material, demonstrating just how effective and artful comics can be. This can easily stand on its own, but read in concert with Reynolds' novel, it will illuminate the story and its important themes with even more depth and empathy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2021
Reynolds has skillfully edited and rearranged his original verse novel (Long Way Down, rev. 7/17) to create room for Novgorodoff's impressionistic ink and watercolor illustrations to flourish, resulting in an adaptation that feels authentic to its new comics format. Fifteen-year-old Will's older brother, Shawn, is murdered. According to "The Rules," Will must not cry or snitch, but must seek revenge. Soon after the murder, Will leaves his apartment with his brother's gun and a resolve to kill. As Will descends in the building's elevator, he is inexplicably confronted by a deceased victim of gun violence at each floor, from old friends to the father he can barely remember. Each encounter further shakes Will's confidence in "The Rules" and in his deadly plans, leading to an open-ended conclusion. Novgorodoff's cartooning is never static; at times she opts for clearly defined panels and figures, and at others she forgoes panels entirely and leaves characters abstracted or incomplete. These artful decisions offer readers insight into Will's emotional state at any given moment. The layered, fragmented layouts found across many spreads have potent impact, along with stylistic touches such as Polaroid photos, video screens, and storyboards seamlessly substituted for panels. Scenes of violence are starkly portrayed, including a double-page image of Shawn's dead body; however, the complex and unjust reality of Will's position remains front and center, in sharp focus. Patrick Gall

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)