Plain and simple, this book is as amazing you expected it to be. Jason Reynolds writes in graphic novel form just takes this story to a whole new level. I felt like I was in the elevator. Absolutely stunning and incredible.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I am a huge fan of Jason Reynolds and Long Way Down is one I share almost weekly with my students. It is a go to book to recommend. Students also love graphic novels, so when I saw there was an adaptation, I was so excited. This GN version is so powerful. The words are powerful anyway and combined with the illustrations...this book is just amazing. It is a must read. It will break you. And we all need it.

The visual representation of Jason Reynolds hit novel Long Way Down was visually stimulating.  It did not disappoint!  This book will be amazing for young adults that struggle to read and need the story to come alive on the printed page.  Every thing Jason Reynolds writes and touches has such a heart to the deeper story that adolescents struggle with.  He gave the story life and breath with came will beautiful illustrations.

Danica Novgorodoff has adapted Jason Reynolds' masterpiece, Long Way Down, as a graphic novel. It is a beautiful piece of art. Watercolors create a stormy background for the somber tone of the story. Flashbacks are done in shades of moody blue and white. The emotions and the details and the personalities of each character are tangible. The illustrations bring the story to life.

On the down side, the beauty of Jason's words are not the focus of the book. His words are exquisite and impactful in the original. Words you want to remember. In the graphic novel, the words just don't stand out as much. The graphic novel is again, beautiful and powerful, but does not take the place of the original.

Any fan of Jason Reynolds will adore this book as will graphic novel lovers.

This is the graphic novel version of the book, Long Way Down. This story follows Will and his older brother Shawn as they battle through their difficult lives in the inner city. One day when Will is playing basketball with his friend, his brother Shawn stops by to talk to him. All of a sudden, Shawn is shot and killed by an unknown assailant. Will purposes in his heart to follow the rules handed down to him from his male family members and go after the man he thinks killed Shawn. When Will gets on the elevator with a gun in his pocket, ready to fulfill the rules of the streets, several visitors come to visit him, one for each floor. These visitors tell the stories of their acts of revenge and how they were also killed. Will has a decision to make - will he follow in their footsteps, or will he choose a different path?

This colorfully illustrated graphic novel packs an emotional and realistic punch. The cycle of violence is unapologetically and graphically portrayed through the choppy narrative and bright, chaotic illustrations. Though short, this book carries a powerful message that people would do well to listen to. I didn't care for the language used and the ending was inconclusive, but this important book is one not to be missed, and I recommend it to those who are able to read about the subject matter.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

When I first read the original Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, I thought I couldn't love it any more. Now that I've read this graphic novel adaptation, I do!  The illustrations in this beautiful adaptation are gorgeously painted and help to tell the story of Will, whose brother Shawn has been killed in a drive-by shooting.  The next day, Will grabs his brother's gun, intent on taking revenge by killing the boy that he is sure killed Shawn.  On the elevator ride down from his apartment, Will meets a new person on each floor. However, these people aren't real -they're the ghosts of people he knows that have died by gunfire. As Will interacts with each individual, he begins to rethink his decision.  What will he do? 

Read this book! It deals with hard issues, but in a way that even upper elementary and middle school kids can handle. This is a great read about loyalty, family, and love.

Jason Reynolds always has my heart. I loved the original story of Long Way Down so much, but seeing the verses translated into a graphic novel brought the story to life in such a heart wrenching way. The watercolor illustrations were so beautiful and complemented the story perfectly.

Anyone who knows me just a little knows exactly how I feel about Long Way Down. I read it for the first time this year and it was AMAZING. Reynolds utilizes this story to capture the discussion around cyclical violence. I think that it's easy to judge people especially youth that are victims of violence when you don't take the opportunity to really learn and understand how they get there in the first place. Both the graphic novel and the book focus on Will's attempt to get revenge for his brother's death. When Will attempts to get revenge he ends up meeting a series of people who are also victims of the cycle of violence. I love that Reynolds leaves the ending as a mystery. We don't necessarily know whether will goes through with it or not. This is all about empathy and how we shouldn't force labels on people especially youth. The graphic novel adaptation was so good and I'm happy about the way it turned out. The water color drawings with the defining of the black ink were absolutely beautiful and I feel like the images I had in my mind the first time I read Long Way Down were captured so well in this adaption. I heard through the grapevine that there is supposed to be either a TV show or movie adaptation of this book. I CANNOT WAIT!

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, 306 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL.  Simon & Schuster (Atheneum), 2020. $20.
Language: PG13 (13 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
An evening like any other, fifteen-year-old Will is hanging out with a friend when his brother, Shawn, comes by and teases him a bit. And then they hear it: a gun. Everyone gets down on the ground, but that doesn’t stop the bullet from changing Will’s world.
Readers only get a peak into Will’s life, seeing less than 24 hours of what is going on in his family, his community, and his head. The short time period doesn’t diminish the significance of it, though. Reynolds has written a story of loss, revenge, expectations, and desires, which is coupled with powerful illustrations by Novgorodoff. The mature content rating is for gang activity and drug use, and the violence rating is for gun use and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The artwork adds so much more to the original story and should be read immediately after reading the full text novel

This graphic novel edition of Long Way Down was just as stunning as the original verse novel.  The illustrations were incredible and heart-wrenching.  I would highly recommend this to young adult and adult readers.

Written in verse and from the perspective of Will who is seeking to avenge the death of his brother. Jason Reynolds is so talented and this is an amazing book overall. With the art by Daniga Novgorodoff, however, Long Way Down became a masterpiece! The art does not take away from the lyricism and rhythm of Reynold's original work. The adaptation into a graphic novel allows readers to truly see the anguish Will endures, brings so much power to the narrative, and establishes Will's world concretely.

Long Way Down is an amazing book on its own.  When you add it to the beautiful drawings it makes the book so much intriguing.  The storyline makes the reader think and feel for the main character.  Jason Reynolds is an amazing storyteller who makes his readers think about the world around them.  This story follows the main character whose brother was just killed.  He has to decide if he is going to follow the rules of the street or veer from it.  The story follows him down an elevator ride while he is deciding.

I have read the Long Way Down so I was excited to see the graphic novel. I absolutely loved it!  A young boy trying to figure out how to avenge the loss of his brother and an elevator ride that relives it all.  The way the water color was used made this book a work of art. There are a lot of characters in this novel and I think the artwork really helps keep this story straight and adds to the book. I am a huge fan of the book I recommend it all the time. This one is going on my recommend list. It was really moving.

This is a must read for fans of the novel Long Way Down.  The graphic novel version enhances its predecessor by giving more details and background to all the characters in the novel.  The illustrations alone are breathtaking.  The emotions portrayed through the images show you the struggles Will faces.  It's also fantastic to see the visual representations of the other characters.

Jason Reynolds is one of my favorite YA authors. His books are so easy to recommend to reluctant readers at my library! Long Way Down was my personal favorite of his, so I was really interested in seeing how a graphic novel adaption would look.
The story is wonderfully captured in this format. The story is just as real and raw as it is in the novel. I loved the way the words are arranged to still have the feel of poetry. The illustrations are fantastic. The watercolors are a great choice for the book and helps convey the tone of the story. 
This will be another easy recommendation for teens whether they've read the novel or not.

Absolutely amazing! Long Way Down is a hit in my middle grade library and this graphic novel version does not disappoint! Taking this story and turning it into a graphic version opens the doors to a whole new set of readers. The same amazing story of Will trying to make a possibly life-changing decision on whether or not he will seek revenge for his brother's death is told through the help of amazing illustrations. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of Long Way Down.

The original text was phenomenal. The audio book is exceptional. This graphic novel adaption just takes both of those versions and elevates them even further. The artist skillfully crafted illustrations that add so much dimension to an already deep story. The colors are used sparingly in sections for impact and full panel close-ups of the elevator buttons underscore the plot's development. This is not a light story, but it is a needed one. I cannot wait to purchase multiple copies for my students!

Wow wow wow an absolute work of art! 

First of all, such a gripping story told by Jason Reynolds. A fast-paced exploration of toxic masculinity (Rule 1: Don't Cry), long-standing community distrust of police (Rule 2: Don't Snitch), and the vicious cycle of gun violence (Rule 3: Get Revenge). Yet it is also filled with tender moments that show the beauty of brotherly love.

Secondly, Danica Novgorodoff's illustrations superbly capture the grief, the loyalty, the poignant heartbreak of Long Way Down. The panels matched the staccato rhythm of the writing perfectly, and truly brought the characters to life (well.... as much as ghosts can be brought to life). 

I am now a forever fan of both these artists, and I hope to see more collaborations in the future!

I absolutely loved the original version of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds so I was excited to check out this graphic novel version.  

Like the original, I appreciate the juxtaposition between the beautiful, poetic writing and the harsh, violent topic of the book. The story and lesson learned is incredibly powerful and the adaptation from lyrical poetry to graphic novel makes Long Way Down even more teachable to a young adult audience. The move to graphic novel did not, in any way, diminish the strength or depth of the characters or storyline, which I often fear happens in graphic novel format.