Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

THEN THE YELLOW TAPE

that says DO NOT CROSS
gets put up, and there's nothing
left to do but go home.

That tape lets people know
that this is a murder scene,
as if we ain't already know that.

The crowd backs its way into
buildings and down blocks
until nothing is left but the tape.

Shawn was zipped into a bag
and rolled away, his blood added
to the pavement galaxy of

bubblegum stars. The tape
framed it like it was art. And the next
day, kids would play mummy with it.

This book left me speechless. I devoured it, wanted to cry, and then read it again immediately. Written in verse, and making for a fast, but powerful read, Long Way Down is now one of my favourite books.

Will has a gun, and he plans on using it. See, Will’s brother Shawn was killed, and Will was raised by the rules - ‘No crying. No snitching. Revenge’. He gets into the elevator on the seventh floor, but as it goes the Long Way Down, ghosts from Will and Shawn’s past get into the elevator. At each floor is a new ghost, and before he gets to the ground level everything will have changed.

Jason Reynolds (jasonwritesbooks.com) is so talented at picking his words, using as few as he can to create amazing works of verse that make such a powerful impact. Read this book. Read more of his books. And if you are someone with a teenage boy (who hates reading because books are boring) then try to get him to read one of Jason Reynolds books as well.

I want to leave you with the second half of the ‘about’ section from his website:

“Here's what I know: I know there are a lot — A LOT — of young people who hate reading. I know that many of these book haters are boys. I know that many of these book-hating boys, don't actually hate books, they hate boredom. If you are reading this, and you happen to be one of these boys, first of all, you're reading this so my master plan is already working (muahahahahahaha) and second of all, know that I feel you. I REALLY do. Because even though I'm a writer, I hate reading boring books too.

Here's what I plan to do: NOT WRITE BORING BOOKS.
That's it, and that's all.”

Posted by Sas

Catalogue link: Long Way Down