~Book Review: Long Way Down~

September 04, 2020

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5)

My Thoughts:

Hello readers and welcome back to my blog!

Wow. For a book that's quite short, it packed a big punch! I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and I think this book helped me to get out of it. It was a quick read but very impactful.

We follow Will as he decided to avenge his brother's death by killing Shawn's killer. But Will was fifteen and had never shot a gun in his life. He was following The Rules that his brother told him and had been passed down.

#1 - No crying

#2 - No Snitching

#3 - Always Get Revenge

Finding the gun in his brother's clothes drawer, Will got on the elevator on Floor 7. He met an unexpected guest, Buck, on Floor 6. Buck, Will found out, was the guy who gave Shawn the gun. And that same gun was missing a bullet. The next floor down, a girl came in. A girl who Will hadn't seen in years, and who he thought he would never see again. But there she was, asking Buck for a cigarette. Floor by floor, Will continued to meet people who were connected to Shawn. And one by one, they gave Will a bigger picture of the story than the one he thought he knew. A story that might never end if he gets off the elevator.

I didn't read the synopsis that well for this book because I was caught totally off guard. But don't mind me and my stupidity. This book was beautifully written. I couldn't help but marvel at the metaphors laced throughout this book. The other interesting fact was most of the book was set over the course of 60 seconds. I found it unbelievable since so much happened in this 60-second timeframe. But a lot of unbelievable things happened in this book so it made some sense.

Will was just a fifteen-year-old and he was already thinking of killing somebody. No fifteen-year-old should be thinking that but his brother was killed, and he had rules he "needed" to follow. But revenge is an endless cycle and death is not something to be taken lightly. Jason Reynolds has a way with words and the staccato narrative really brought the book to life. Not to mention, it added a dramatic effect to the story and it made the book so much more enjoyable!

I loved how the book unfolded. I was able to catch on and predict how the story would unfold, but not the ending. The pacing was just right. It wasn't so fast that I couldn't understand what was happening and not too slow as if the story was dragging. If you're looking for a quick—but amazing—book to read, I suggest Long Way Down Jason Reynolds.

Thanks for reading! ❤