I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.com

First line: Don't nobody believe nothing these days, which is why I haven't told nobody the story I'm about to tell you.

Summary: A young black man witnesses his brother shot by a gang member. He goes out to avenge his death, only to be met by the ghosts of his past in a long elevator ride down.

My Thoughts: So powerful. I haven't read the actual book this graphic novel is based on, and now I want to. Books like these are important. They don't sensationalize what happens during and after a gang killing. Instead they bring to light the harsh reality and the thoughts that pass through the heads of those involved.

FYI: Obvious triggers: shooting, gun, smoking.

Reynolds' original novel was a marvel. I didn't think it could be any better than the words on a page. It was sparse, lyrical, and moving. But now that I've experienced the graphic novel, this is how I think everyone should read the book. Somehow adding pictures elevated the book into a new artform and improved upon what was already perfection.

I've read and listened to Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down and I thought it could not get any better. I was wrong. The graphic novel made it a thousand times better. The only words I can find to describe this book is PURE PERFECTION.

Jason Reynolds' "Long Way Down" is an incredibly poignant and haunting piece of fiction. This graphic novel adaptation is no different. The words on often overlapped with the images in many panels which merges the text with images seamlessly. This is a definite buy for any classroom or school library collection.

Wow. What a brilliant, harrowing coming of age tale that tells a story which many people unfortunately know all too well. We've all heard stories on the news and crime shows about victims of gun violence, but this book walks readers through what happens in the aftermath of the violence. It forces us to ponder questions like: "What happens to the families?" and "What comes of those who seek to avenge their dead?". 

When we talk about gun violence being a "vicious circle" one must ask "Who exactly is a part of that circle?" and "What makes that circle continue?"  Jason Reynolds's "Long Way Down" challenges readers to ask themselves that question as he captures what happens in the life of a young man after his brother is shot and killed.

Wonderfully illustrated and masterfully written. Reynolds's poetic use of language is a real standout throughout the book. Notable phrases: "Just remember, when you're walking in the nighttime, make sure the nighttime ain't walking into you." and "... if the blood inside you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them."

What's most admirable about Long Way Down is that it was a practical, raw, cautionary tale about manhood and gun violence without being preachy or corny. A great graphic novel and and a great intro to Reynolds's work for me.

This graphic novel adaptation of Jason Reynolds's A Long Way Down matched the tone of the original perfectly. Danica Novgorodoff's illustrations read like a movie in your mind and add depth to the text. A highly recommended read that is as strong as my recommendation for the original novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Long Way Down (the novel in verse) is one of my favorite books. I have handed it to many students and even done it as a read aloud. I am happy that there is a graphic novel version. Unfortunately, my eArc did not download well to my Kindle app on my iPad and the text/photos were not lined up correctly making it nearly impossible to read. I still plan on buying a hard copy for my classroom library. The illustrations that I saw as I flipped through were wonderful.

Beautiful artwork paired with a emotional story. Although I was captivated more by art than the words, it still was a thought-provoking story that needed to be told. Now I'm just going to read the original story to maybe get the real feeling of the story.

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.

This was an excellent adaptation of the a book that I loved. I loved the art style and the way that the story unfolded thought the pictures. I definitely will be sharing this with people.

I didn’t think Long Way Down could be improved. I thought it was perfection. Then I read this graphic version and discovered just how wrong I was. The beautiful artwork in this edition makes Reynolds’s words even more powerful and meaningful. It’s a must read.

I absolutely loved the original story, but the graphic novel adds an incredible element. The artwork is amazing and so well done. It adds depth and so much more emotion to the story. I could feel the emotion pulsing through the novel, but to see the actual facial expressions and the drawing of events as they played out just made it that much more powerful. Highly recommend.

Having read this story before, I knew what to expect going in. What I wasn’t ready for, was the way this story paired with art would make me feel. And trust me, it’s pretty heavy.

Since this is a book I’ve already reviewed in a way, I’m going to mostly talk about the art. In short, I loved it. I loved the kind of muted color scheme of Black, Blue, Gold, and grays. I thought the red words were bold and were meant to stand out and it did exactly that. And I thought that the watercolor effect the art has is brilliant.

As for the story, I still had the same likes and dislikes. I LOVE the writing style. (Jason Reynolds is a BEAST.) And I still LOVE the way it’s told in 60 seconds. I don’t know that anyone else could have written a book like this. And last but not least, the ending. I still want to know what he decides. If he goes back upstairs or if he decides to follow through no matter what they’ve said. I still wonder if that’s what made him write it like this. Like is it up to the reader to decide? I’m too indecisive for that. I go back and forth and back and forth trying to make the decision that works best for me lol

This book is still a tear-jerker and still one of my favorites from Reynolds. I was so happy when I saw there was a graphic novel, and I hope that everyone else is as excited as me. You still have time to pre-order this one! Trust me, this isn’t one you want to miss.

The art in this book is absolutely STUNNING. A graphic novel's format is the perfect add on to this story, enhancing it that much more. It was already a poignant story; this just boosted it even more! 

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for letting me read this one! I loved how this story came to life.

This is an amazing visualization of Reynolds’ thought-provoking novel in verse. The style perfectly matches the story and adds another element to its impact.

This book is heartbreaking and is a must-read! Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give and Dear Justyce, I think this should be in every classroom. It's one of the best graphic novels I've ever read.

We meet William during a basketball game in his neighborhood. During the game, shots ring out and his brother Shawn is shot and killed. For the rest of the graphic novel, we follow William on his journey coming to grips with his brother's death, the gun violence in his neighborhood and whether or not he should seek revenge for what has happened. All of this takes place on the elevator ride from his apartment to the ground floor, the long way down, and along the way he is confronted by visions of his past to help him decide what to do.

This was so powerful. Gun violence is something that effects so many people, but especially the Black community. Too often we're caught up in "The Rules": don't snitch, Black men don't cry, get revenge for you and yours. Violence leads to more violence and suddenly things have gotten so out of hand that innocent lives are being claimed and there seems to be no one is able to stop it. All of that is tackled in this book and to say that it's an emotional read is an understatement. I truly enjoyed it and encourage everyone to give it a read.

This book I’ve read a couple of times and the colors and art work fits the book so amazing. And it fits so so well.

Sometimes you read a book that just shakes you to your core & this is it. I wasn't sure how this book would translate to the graphic format, but wow. Just wow. The watercolor style is gorgeous and everything about this moved me. I am left feeling emotionally devastated. This book is needed.

For libraries: Buy it!

I still think the original (especially in audio book format) is amazing. This is a great remake into graphic novel form and I hope it will reach more readers with it's powerful message. The artwork can really make or break a graphic novel and this is spot on in my opinion.