Read this when
Long Way Down
Sixty seconds, seven floors, one gun, and every ghost who tried the same thing. 🛗
Who it's for
The entire story takes place in about a minute: fifteen-year-old Will rides an elevator down with his dead brother's gun, and at each floor a ghost from his past gets on.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Jason Reynolds's 2017 young adult novel in verse follows Will Holloman, who rides an elevator down from his eighth-floor apartment intending to avenge the murder of his older brother Shawn. On each floor, someone from his past who has died gets on and shares a story connected to the neighborhood rules he was taught: don't cry, don't snitch, get revenge.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla, where held) and as an audiobook. Not public domain. Graphic novel edition (2020); audiobook read by the author.
Before you start
Heads up: Gun violence and a child's death.
Age: Ages 12+
Do not blame your food because you have no appetite.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 40
