Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel

Jason Reynolds?s Newbery Honor, Printz Honor, and Coretta Scott King Honor-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel Long Way Down is now a gripping, galvanizing graphic novel, with haunting artwork by Danica Novgorodoff.Will?s older brother, Shawn, has been shot. Dead. Will feels a sadness so great, he can?t explain it. But in his neighborhood, there are THE RULES:No. 1: Crying. Don?t. No matter what.No. 2: Snitching Don?t. No matter what.No. 3: Revenge Do. No matter what.But bullets miss. You can get the wrong guy. And there?s always someone else who knows to follow the rules?From School Library JournalGr 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?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Review*"A moving rendition that stands on its own." -- Kirkus, starred review*"Novgorodoff?s watercolors, which bleed at the edges like pavement stains, match the text in mood and fluency, and by putting faces to characters, they tacitly untangle the web of revenge killings and mistaken identities foundational to the plot." -- BCCB, starred review*"Reynolds?s words paint pictures of their own in this tragic yet poignant illustrated tale that offers no answers to the seemingly ?mpossible choices some communities face." -- School Library Journal, starred review*"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." -- Booklist, starred reviewAbout the AuthorJason Reynolds is a #1ew York Times?estselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a Kirkus Award winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. Reynolds is also the 2020-2021 National Ambassador for Young People?s Literature. His many books include?hen I Was the Greatest, The Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys?cowritten with Brendan Kiely),?s Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series (Ghost,Patina,Sunny, andLu),?ook Both Ways, and?ong Way Down, which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. You can find his ramblings at JasonWritesBooks.co