This is my first time reading a graphic novel that did not have to do with superheroes or fantastic creatures, therefore I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Long Way Down. From a handful of reviews I had need on YouTube it seemed like a powerful story to those that had read it, but the reviewers that spoke about it had not been own voices reviewers, therefore I took it with a grain of salt.

Long Way Down follows William, a fifteen year old kid growing up in the projects with his older brother, Sean, and their mother. When Sean is killed, Will must follow the rules of the neighborhood and seek revenge for his brothers death. However, in each floor of his building on the way to the lobby he meets someone that might change his mind.

The subject matter hits close to home, having grown up in a disenfranchised neighborhood, with kids who have been murdered over bruised egos or for living on the wrong side of town. I enjoyed watching Will having to confront the repercussions of what his revenge would mean. That the rules just created a cycle of violence that would not end.

I believe that the story being told as a graphic novel would make it more palatable to those that don’t enjoy reading novels, which makes it more accessible to those that may need to read this. I would like to see this placed in all school libraries or even be required reading. I certainly wish it would have been around when I was in school.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, Netgalley and Hear Our Voices Book Tours for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes included may change in final publication.

"The Rules weren't meant to be broken. They were meant for the broken to follow."

Long Way Down was one of my favorite reads last year and my second experience with books written in verse. Although it felt like it went by pretty fast, Will's story has stayed with me ever since. When I found out it was being adapted into a graphic novel I got excited because I wanted to see how it would be brought to life from the words on the page.

Will's story is a very important one, in that is such a relatable subject for so many people, including kids his age. The first time I read it, one of the things I admired was how much development could take place in the span of a minute. The conversations with each ghost that he comes in contact with relevant in a different way and I thought that was a creative way to convey what his thought process might have been had he been alone on his way down or if he were able to have these talks in person. Ultimately, I thought Reynolds did a great job in such a short amount of time and I didn't mind the open ending as realistically everyone makes different decisions and it lets the reader decide how Will's story ends.

As if I didn't love the story enough, the illustrations in this adaptation only enhanced it. I'm new to the graphic novel world, but I've always admired watercolor for what it can communicate in terms of emotion, which is exactly what I love about seeing the story brought to life in this manner. Everything that happens in the present tense is done in such vivid color, while all of the flashbacks are covered in a blue wash which definitely gives off the somber mood of what's being discussed. I always see images in my head when I read, but the pain (and even joy in some places) on display here was is so beautifully haunting and compliments the original work very well.

If you've read the story in verse, this graphic novel adaptation is a great companion piece. If you haven't and this is your first encounter with Will and his trip down the elevator, definitely give that a try as well.

I listened to the audio book of this title over the summer and it haunted me for a very long time. Reading it a few months later as a graphic novel made the story even more powerful and impactful. The illustrations were really good and it was hard not to tear up seeing the pain on certain characters faces. I normally don’t read graphic novels but I highly recommend checking this one out. This story will stay with you for a long time.

Jason Reynold’s Long Way Down takes you from loss and death, to a desire for revenge, and then questioning if that makes you any better than the killer. His writing and creativity encourage deeper thought and the graphic novel develops a closer connection to the hurt, anger, and thought as Will contemplates his next move. Students check out every copy of the original and rarely is a copy available. Now, I believe the messages within this treasure will reach more of our youth, as the world tries to find peace..

A beautiful complement to an amazing verse novel! The artwork is especially compelling against such super strong writing!

"but if the blood
inside you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them."
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This novel is written in verse which, for me, added to Reynold's powerful message. I read Long Way Down earlier this year, and jumped at the opportunity to read the graphic novel. The illustrations GREATLY enhanced this beautiful story.
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Will is grieving his brother, Shawn, who was just shot to death outside their home. Will has to follow the rules: 1. he can't cry 2. he can't snitch and 3. he has to get even. He grabs a gun and gets on the elevator, ready to avenge his brother's killer, and on the way down, he is visited by six ghosts, all with an important purpose.
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It's going to take me a while to unpack this story. It's so well-written, raw, emotional, intense, and beautiful. I read it very fast and because it is so fast, I think it's actually a good idea to read it more than once. Long Way Down hurt to read, but it is important and I think everyone should definitely consider this novel. And even more so, the graphic novel edition because it is amazing! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher!

I loved when I listened to the audiobook and, no surprise, I loved the graphic novel! The watercolors were an amazing way to tell this story and the overall artistic style really complemented the high emotions and ghosts. I'd definitely recommend giving this format a read if you loved the book or audiobook format, or even just by itself!

So many emotions ran through me while reading this book. I try to stay away from triggering content but this book had a powerful message. The internal struggle of grappling with Loss of so many people and how to avenge their deaths. In the black community we have faced alot of trauma and I think its particularly hard on
black men. This book could be used in middle and high school classroom to teach the power of writing, reflection, and making connections. This book would be good for students age 13 and up. There is a lesson to be learned.

I loved this adaptation and interpretation of Reynolds’s original text. The drawings serve to bring the topic and emotions of this book that much more to life. The emotions of Will are made more real and relatable, even if one has never been in a similar situation themselves.

This graphic novel was phenomenal! Hands down!
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•Fifteen-year-old William Holloman has three rules to follow, after the death of his brother, 1.No crying, 2.No Snitching, 3.Revenge
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•To follow these rules, Will must follow a cycle of violence that has previously taken away his loved ones.
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• Long Way Down is intensely emotional, important, relevant, and a must-read!
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•The artwork was stunning! It really helped set the tone and it was even more moving because you have the artwork as an aid to the storytelling. Also, I’m a bit of a visual learner so that really helped me out a lot! To see the characters are drawn out, their emotions..... it was very impactful!
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•This is the first time I’ve read a book in verse and wow! I couldn’t have asked for anything better!
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•Issues and discussions that need to be talked about, regarding the Black community, are very important to me, and gun violence, specifically teenage gun violence is one of them!
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•It has to stop! It has to end!
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•The fact that Will’s thoughts, feelings, fears, sadness, resentment, anger, internal struggle, and pain can also be seen in other Black teenagers’ minds tears me up inside!
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•Black teenagers shouldn’t have to carry around this weight, it’s not right and it’s not fair.
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•Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds impacted and moved me in more ways than one! I’ll never forget this graphic novel! I’ve seen what gun violence has done to my family, to the Black community, and what it is capable of, it brings nothing but a constant cycle of grief, resentment, regret, and agony.
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•Thank you to @hearourvoicestours and @simonandschuster for the advanced e-arc!

This is my first time reading a Reynolds book, and now I entirely understand why his writing is so loved. This book does a great job of examining generational trauma, masculinity, gun violence, and how our surroundings influence our behavior. I haven't read the original book of Long Way Down, but I really enjoyed Novgorodoff's art style and think it makes the story accessible for a lot of people. I also don't mind ambiguous endings, so I liked grappling with what I thought the ending meant. This book reminded me of a verse in Lil Baby's song 'The Bigger Picture": "I did what I did 'cause I didn't have no choice or no hope, I was forced to just jump in and go." A lot of the decisions made in this book occurred because of people trying to prescribe to a rigid set of rules and thinking that they had no other options. I think this can apply to a lot more than just gun and gang violence, as society's rules tend to be unattainable and inequitable, especially for Black people. Overall, I think this book leads to a great conversation, and I'm glad that it could be transformed into a graphic novel.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an eArc in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my rating**

The first time I read Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds was in a YA Literature class in 2018. The class had a requirement to read 12 books of our choosing, but the professor also had us read two of hers. She thought this book was important enough that we should all read it.

I'm so glad she felt that way because I loved Long Way Down. It was such a heart wrenching book about grief and the cyclical nature of revenge. The last sentence sends chills down my spine.

It really translates well to a graphic novel form. I think this will help non-readers or new readers pick up this version of the book more readily, which will get this important novel in their hands. I think they did a nice job adapting the text, as well. Book adaptations can be dicey: They're either really well done or they miss the mark with few in betweens. I think this did a nice job of maintaining the spirit of the original and getting that across. The one problem I will say I had was that the off-hand reveal before floor 2 was less impactful than it was reading the print text. I can't say more about that without spoiling it, but if you've read both, it's less of a punch to the gut realization. It's kind of like what I said about the Animal Farm graphic novel adaptation. It's missing the slow tension build. However, I count that to be fairly minor and think it's an excellent adaptation in general.

Danica Novgorodoff did a beautiful job on the artwork for this edition. The watercolors were an interesting choice and give a soft edge to a book that could've easily gone hard and rough. I'm not sure if this was the intention, but that style lent to the feeling of Will's vulnerability for me.

Wow. Wow. Wow. When I read Long Way Down a few years ago, it changed my life. I had never read anything like it before, and it has since stuck with me. In my opinion, the graphic novel does not do quite the justice as reading the novel, but man is it GOOD! The artistry, the perfect amount of speech, and the nuances of the original poetry is just spot on. I predict this book will not be able to stay on shelves for long, and rightfully so, it will be well loved by so many people.

I always recommend books by Jason Reynolds and loved seeing this one as a Graphic Novel.. It is so intense and beautifully illustrated. I would recommend this to tween and teen readers. This book would make for a great teen book club selection. Thanks to Net Galley for the advance reading copy.

The YA book Long Way Down turned into a graphic novel is pure richness on paper. The watercolor artwork allows the reader to dive right into this book. It is a mature themed book, but I love the vivid artwork that conveys such struggles in a young man's life as well as his friends and family members. If you read the YA book, Long Way Down, the graphic novel version takes on a little of it's own interpretation which makes the story even more valuable to the reader. I loved the YA version and now I love the graphic novel version!

Jason Reynolds' novels always tug on my heart strings and cause tears to stream down my cheeks while I devouring his words. This graphic novel is no exception. The illustrations are beautiful and look as though they are done in watercolor. The detail is striking: right into the soul.

The 3 rules are clear: 1. No crying 2. No snitchin' 3. Revenge

Will's brother is shot right in front of him and these three rules suddenly become extra real. He's not supposed to cry about the loss of his brother. He's not supposed to snitch if he knows anything about what happened or who shot him. He's supposed to avenge his brother's death. So Will finds his brother's gun - which is missing a bullet. As he rides the elevator down to confront the man who he thinks killed his brother, he's confronted with ghosts from his past on each floor. By the end, he has to make a choice: get off the elevator and continue the cycle or make a change.

I am going to have to get 5 copies for my graphic novel unit. I think the kids will really love this one!

I don’t know whether I admire the storytelling or am horrified by the story, or both. All the way through the disjointed story, I wanted someone to reach out to the teen and say, “Don’t do it.”

The storytelling is hard to follow at times, but it is riveting.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Long Way Down, the graphic version, by Jason Reynolds.

First off, can I just say that we need to normalize graphic novels, even for adults. First off, there are a bazillion talented artists that could really do stories justice, but I just love how the graphics enhance and almost change the whole taste of a story. I don't think I would want it all the time, but it's especially cool to see the visual perception of a story that I've already read.

Second, what a powerhouse of a book this is. The importance of this story is that it provides a window into a community and life that I have very little exposure to. It was an opportunity for me to empathize with the difficulties of being a man of color who loses a loved one, but is still expected to play by "the rules." But on his ride down an elevator to get revenge, he is visited by so many of his friends and family who had already been killed by gun violence. Through them, he gets support to make the choice that he'll have to live with forever.

The graphics were harrowing, and beautiful. The story is written with a whimsy, and yet with a terrible weight, something that takes real talent.

The cover is what made me want to read this title and a co-worker recommended it to me. The story was told beautifully, and I think will be popular among teens.

This graphic novel adaptation of Jason Reynold's award-winning novel of the same name centers on 15-year-old Will. His older brother, his hero, has just been shot dead, and Will hopes to kill his brother's killer in an act of revenge. He didn't see the shooting happen, but he knows who did it (probably), so he gets on the elevator to leave his apartment and get his revenge. On the way down, though, the ghosts of family and friends Will has lost to gun violence join him on the elevator.

Full disclosure, I did not read the original novel before this graphic adaptation. A graphic novel adaptation of such a text though as some key advantages. Being a faster read, it can be a more 'digestible' way of covering austere topics, and this book is definitely austere. I felt kind of uncomfortable reading it, and rightfully so. The writing, from the plot to the words used is fantastic (who'd expect any less from Jason Reynolds?).

The part that had me less impressed was the art. the art in the graphic novel is watercolor-style for the most part. Each panel was executed beautifully; it's nice artwork, but watercolors are inherently soft and ephemeral. This does work well considering some of the novel's subject matter (ghosts of past, ambiguity, etc.). It also uses a limited or obscured color palette. I think I wanted to see bolder colors or sharper contrasts in the images because that feels more fitting to me, or switching the art more from bold at first and then leaking into the more ephemeral watercolorness. However, the art is very intentional, and I respect that this is the vision the author, artist, and/or publisher wanted to put forth. It is a realized vision for what the were going for.