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Ollie L., Annapolis High School
Long Way Down – Definitely worth it!
No Spoiler Review
Jason Reynolds writes with an exceptionally strong character voice. Verse is absolutely appropriate to the pace of the novel. Themes like "an eye for an eye" and what masculinity really means are very much present in this book. One of my favorite parts was going in after reading Stamped, which is a nonfiction history book for young adults written by Jason Reynolds, and going in not sure what was going on but really excited to give it a try, why not. Well, rule one is don't read the back cover. Rule two is, don't let anyone decide for you, do I like this book? You read page one and if you like it, give yourself the chance to read the rest of it.
I play by those guidelines, so let me tell you what I felt about Long Way Down. Maybe you don't like it, but maybe you give it a chance.
Long Way Down is about a kid in the hood. Bang! The story starts off, no prelude, at a crime scene. The narrator's brother's, to be exact. There's powder on the asphalt and red on black skin. The book doesn't mess around. The narrator sits down and remembers what his brother taught him: The Rules. Number one, don't cry. And always get revenge. The story is about his elevator ride down to the zero floor, where he figures his brother's killer is. Except, it's a long way down.
Click here to check out Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.
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