This is one of those books where you can”t explain the premise to anyone you just have to live and breath it, my daughter recommended it as she is training to be an English teacher and this book is on the curriculum, I can fully understand why, such powerful imagery and thought provoking way to tell the story, amazing! Your words, like your reviews, bring books to life and give them a voice before the front cover is even turned. Long Way Down is a powerful young adult novel that explores violence in the lives of these young black men. Jason Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audience. Striking ink-and-watercolour illustrations bring the setting to life, while the comic-book layout adds pace and urgency to the narrative.

Some readers may not like having to do the "work" but when the elevator opens and Shawn asks Will, "Are you coming? When he finally chokes out that after pulling out the gun, he shoots, Uncle Mark asks what happens next. Then, Will's father, Mikey, enters and holds a gun to Will's head to show him what it feels like to be a victim. Par exemple si je prenais mon commentaire et que je le détachais en vers, ça donnerait pareil et ça n'a pas toujours grand intérêt. Jason Reynolds is masterful in the way he can use such sparse language in these free verse poems for such a powerful and emotional impact.Most of the ghosts' stories revolve around that third rule, wherein one person died because they killed someone who killed someone connected to their family, creating a continuous cycle of hurt. I haven't charted out my visits for the summer term, but I'm sure there are several in the south) and thanks so much for being so fantastic! Long Way Down is a young adult novel in verse by Jason Reynolds, published October 24, 2017, by Atheneum Books. Will learns how each of the ghosts is connected with the rules, as they express surprise, sadness, skepticism, or regret at Will's plan. The "an eye for an eye" mentality only serves to perpetuate a cycle of violence in which nothing ever really changes or gets better until someone is brave enough to break the cycle.

Since they don't have a father figure, Will looks to Shawn for approval and to learn about the world in which they live.As a mother, reading Will’s words, I really began to worry for his future and where the path of vengeance would take him. A heartrending and convincing blank verse narrative, with atmospheric mixed-media images by Chris Priestley, about a 15-year-old boy whose brother is shot, "lying there like a piece/of furniture left outside", and who wrestles with the idea of revenge. It gave readers plenty of room to think and reflect on the novel as a whole, while still managing to remain a satisfying conclusion. Along the way, he is visited by the ghosts of influential people from his life that seek to guide his decision.

Will knows his mission is probably going to leave him in the same state as his brother, but it’s all he’s equipped to do. She currently teaches 9th grade English, a remedial reading and writing course, and English as a new language to non-native speakers. As with all the novel-in-verse books I’ve read so far, they’re so deeply moving, heartbreaking, gritty and raw, and this masterpiece was all the above and more. Rather than presenting the reader with a neat resolution, Reynolds' ending forces the reader to come to their own conclusion.You guys are such a force for good and I am a passionate supporter of Indie booksellers, so I'm so happy this worked out well (I'd love to know how many books were sold if you have it to hand - it felt like quite a lot! Unfortunately, the rules have been passed down from generation to generation, creating a deeply ingrained pattern of violence that seems impossible to escape. i've read several books written in verse now and this one was superior to all the ones i've read before. But the world don't wanna see no kids, and God ain't no pushy parent so he just folds and snaps us shut. Kirkus, [5] Publishers Weekly, [13] the New York Public Library, [14] the Chicago Public Library, [15] Entertainment Weekly, [16] Vulture, [17] Paste, [18] Buzzfeed, [19] Horn Book, [20] and School Library Journal [21] named Long Way Down one of the best young adult books of the year.