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Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel

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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...

208 pages, Unknown Binding

First published October 27, 2020

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About the author

Jason Reynolds

74 books9,800 followers
Jason Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audience. After earning a BA in English from The University of Maryland, College Park, Jason Reynolds moved to Brooklyn, New York, where you can often find him walking the four blocks from the train to his apartment talking to himself. Well, not really talking to himself, but just repeating character names and plot lines he thought of on the train, over and over again, because he’s afraid he’ll forget it all before he gets home.

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5 stars
6,583 (52%)
4 stars
4,077 (32%)
3 stars
1,337 (10%)
2 stars
345 (2%)
1 star
230 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,805 reviews
Profile Image for Bookishrealm.
2,946 reviews6,136 followers
October 26, 2020
Anyone who knows me just a little knows exactly how I feel about Long Way Down. I read it for the first time this year and it was AMAZING. Reynolds utilizes this story to capture the discussion around cyclical violence. I think that it's easy to judge people especially youth that are victims of violence when you don't take the opportunity to really learn and understand how they get there in the first place. Both the graphic novel and the book focus on Will's attempt to get revenge for his brother's death. When Will attempts to get revenge he ends up meeting a series of people who are also victims of the cycle of violence. I love that Reynolds leaves the ending as a mystery. We don't necessarily know whether will goes through with it or not. This is all about empathy and how we shouldn't force labels on people especially youth. The graphic novel adaptation was so good and I'm happy about the way it turned out. The water color drawings with the defining of the black ink were absolutely beautiful and I feel like the images I had in my mind the first time I read Long Way Down were captured so well in this adaption. I heard through the grapevine that there is supposed to be either a TV show or movie adaptation of this book. I CANNOT WAIT!
Profile Image for destiny ♡ howling libraries.
1,924 reviews6,125 followers
October 19, 2021
I loved the original version of Long Way Down, so I was excited to check out this new rendition, and I have to say I'm really loving the way this story was re-imagined for this graphic novel. The watercolor artwork just functions so well to aid in the storytelling, especially since the story itself is a little wispy around the edges with the ghosts, the high emotions, and the lack of knowing what exactly is going on at times. I think this was a beautiful new take on a really important, incredible, heart-breaking novel in verse and I highly recommend picking up either version (or both!).

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

———
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Profile Image for Katie Colson.
756 reviews9,469 followers
May 28, 2021
4.5 ✨

Now I'm kicking myself that I didn't read the book first.
This is so beautiful and heart breaking.
This is about a boy who's brother is shot. He believes he knows who did it and the rules of his community are that if someone is killed, you kill the person who did it. So, he gets a gun and is talking himself into commiting murder. But when he gets on the elevator to travel down to where the person he thinks responsible is, he is met on each floor by a ghost of someone that is related to the story of his brother's death.

It is like Christmas Past, Present and Future in a way. It makes you question the constant loop that this rule has on their neighborhood and how it never ends. What if you kill the wrong person and now there is a whole set of other people out there killing people out of revenge? When someone die, there is always someone to mourn, someone to want revenge. It is a never ending cycle of death with no peace.

The art style is so beautiful and simple. The writing style is very lyrical. I believe that the original text is poetry. But seeing as how I'm a dumbass who didn't read the book first, I can't say for sure. I am hoping to pick up the book soon because I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend.
Profile Image for Paul Bryant.
2,358 reviews11.6k followers
November 20, 2020
The rules in this neighborhood are - in the event of a loved one being murdered - 1. No crying; 2. No snitching; 3. nearest male relative to the victim must kill the killer, no argument. The first two rules are not too difficult. The third rule, logically, inevitably, creates the next victim, and the next person to require revenge. And so....on.



Jason Reynolds already had a hit with this short raw story about a 15 year old boy who thinks he has to kill his brother's murderer, so this is the graphic version. I hadn't heard of any of this but when I saw that it had just arrived in my house (not ordered by me) I grabbed it and read it before the person who did order it could get round to it (Why not? No harm done!) mainly because I haven't read a graphic novel all year and I was suffering withdrawal symptoms.



The story consists almost entirely of a trip in an elevator lasting one minute and seven seconds. There is a boy, a gun and some other people, most of whom are already dead.

It said what should be said about such a tragedy, but I was remembering the same strong message being shouted loudly by movies like Boyz n the Hood in 1991 and Menace II Society in 1993. Thirty years ago.

Thirty years ago. And the beat goes on.



3.5 stars
Profile Image for Whitney Atkinson.
1,045 reviews13.1k followers
December 31, 2024
after having read the full version of this novel i thought this would be a simplistic reversioning of it to another format, but i can't emphasize enough how much the art and storytelling elevated the story all over again for me. this was really a masterful translation with GORGEOUS watercolor art and i would highly recommend both this and the original novel. this was so deeply emotional and has definitely secured its place as one of my favorite graphic novels. it's such a striking story about violence and grief and the "rules" Black men have to follow and whether or not the main character will break free from those expectations. gorgeously written and gorgeously illustrated, i have no notes. zero.

read this!!!
Profile Image for Readaholic Jenn .
371 reviews136 followers
June 16, 2022
I simply love the artwork and the story. It's such a powerful and moving novel. You can't help but feel for Will and Shawn.
Profile Image for Shawnaci Schroeder.
362 reviews2,862 followers
September 10, 2023
4/5 ⭐️

- Wow this story was so power! I love that it was told in graphic novel format, because as hard as it was to read I still feel like it’s easier to digest as a graphic novel. I was intrigued the entire story!! I can’t even imagine how much I’d love the original edition if I lived this one this much.
- The art style was so beautiful and unique. It was a little more poetic than I was expecting, but very good overall. This would be a great story for a book club because if kind of ended on a cliffhanger and left me wanting to talk about it.
- This graphic novel did not disappoint. Now I really can’t wait to read the original work! This book is a hard book to read,d, but so so needed.
Profile Image for Lilly.
227 reviews41 followers
February 27, 2024
After I read Long Way Down (the original book-written in verse), I knew I had to check out the graphic novel version. This is one of the most beautiful graphic novels I've ever read. The watercolors are stunning and this story lends itself so well to this style. The illustrator uses watercolor to heighten emotions and really add a dramatic and incredible element to this already powerful story.

I will forever be recommending these two books.
Profile Image for Deacon Tom F.
2,380 reviews202 followers
December 9, 2021
Great! Fantastic! A story that is very real and full of emotion. It actually asks the question of the rules for living in urban America.

Take time and read this masterpiece.!
Profile Image for Emma.
241 reviews125 followers
Read
January 31, 2021
It's always a struggle for me to rate graphic novels, so I'm going to leave it unrated for now. I read Long Way Down as an audiobook last year and it blew me away. It was such a haunting, unforgettable read, so naturally I decided to pick this up. I've been struggling to finish literally anything this year, so I decided that a graphic novel would be the best way to transition back in to reading. And it worked.

I loved the art style, but I think this works best as a re-read. If you're reading this story for the first time, I'd strongly suggest to listen to the audiobook while reading the physical story (I've only listened to the audio, but I've heard that the formatting of the physical book adds so much to the story). The audio is absolutely brilliant because it's narrated by the author and I got chills the first time I read it. But if you've already read Long Way Down and want to experience the story in a new format, I would highly recommend this.
Profile Image for Colleen Fauchelle.
494 reviews69 followers
December 15, 2020
I read the story version of this last year and loved it and the graphic novel is just as good and a very effective way to tell this important story. This book should be in all Schools around the world so children will think before they act in the decisions they make.
What family members have done may not be the right way of doing thing and it takes one person to change the way things are done, this story is about anger, killings and 'The rules' but are the rules right surely there is a better way.
Will's brother is shot down so he gets the gun out of the draw and catches the elevator down to the ground so he can get his revenge because he 'knows' who did it. In the lift at each level someone gets on that will challenge his thinking because they have been there done that. Love the ending always will.
The graphics in this book are so good and bring the story to life in away that suits the story.
Profile Image for Céleste.
43 reviews
January 20, 2025
januari 2025, 4 basis:
We spraken over hoe je met taal op een mooiere manier dingen duidelijk kan maken. Want hoe oud is iemand die acht jaar ouder dan acht jaar oud is? En wat betekent als je in de nacht op pad bent, zorg dan dat de nacht niet op jouw pad komt? En waarom voelt huilen soms alsof er iemand vastzit achter je gezicht, vuistjes die tegen je oogleden bonken, schoppende voetjes in je keel?

Als ze me vragen waarom, is dit de reden.

---

mei 2024, 3 kader:
Ik las de graphic novel voor aan de techniekjongens van 3 kader in een verwoede poging leesplezier te kweken. De gesprekken die volgenden bezorgden mij soms kippenvel, want zij hebben écht begrepen waar dit verhaal om gaat.
Profile Image for Marcella.
1,215 reviews79 followers
August 9, 2021
67 seconden. Zo lang duurt het om van de zevende verdieping naar de begane grond te komen. En als de lift de grond heeft bereikt, zal Will afreizen naar een huis met een pistool in zijn broekband. Want zijn grote broer is vermoord, en Will weet zeker wie het heeft gedaan. En niets zal hem stoppen, want hij volgt de regels.

1. Niet huilen
2. Niet snitchen
3. Wraak nemen

67 seconden van Jason Reynolds werd oorspronkelijk in 2017 uitgegeven als een vrije vers roman. In deze editie is het verhaal in samenwerking met illustrator Danica Novgorodoff op een nieuwe manier tot leven gebracht. Het is een goede zet, de vrije vers gaat uitstekend samen met het format van de graphic novel en zal zo weer een totaal nieuw publiek aanspreken. De indringende emoties die Reynolds omschrijft in de tekst – wraak, woede, verdriet – komen tot leven in het gezicht van Will tijdens het verloop van het verhaal. Simpele woorden raken nog harder in combinatie met de pijn op het gezicht van Will’s moeder, als zij het lichaam van haar oudste zoon omarmt. Bloedvlekken op zijn witte shirt.

Novgorodoff’s realistische stijl en beperkt kleurenpalet komt op een bijzondere manier samen met de paranormale elementen in het verhaal van Reynolds. Want gedurende de 67 seconden dat Will in de lift staat, stapt er op elke verdieping iemand in. Mensen die eigenlijk niet in zouden moeten stappen.

Zonder te veel weg te geven bespreekt 67 seconden op een indrukwekkende maar bijna claustrofobische wijze hoe een roulerende rekening generaties van mensen achtervolgt. Moord volgt moord, geweld wordt gevolgd door meer zinloos geweld. Het is aan Will om een keuze te maken, een eigen of eentje die voor hem is uitgeschreven...

Een indrukwekkend en actueel verhaal dat bijblijft. Aanrader!

“Is een omhelzing

in staat

de huid van de tijd

te schrapen,



de harde

en ruwe stukken,

de geïrriteerde

en irritante

droge plekken,



de delen die bloeden?”

> 4.5
Profile Image for joanna.
652 reviews20 followers
July 7, 2021
Wow. The way this book talks about the cycle of violence and the effects of gun violence while using the elevator imagery is so effective. The artwork is stunning too. Having Will in a yellow shirt was such a good stylistic choice. I really, really loved this and want to read the actual novel now. The ending wrecked me though, but the ambiguity was necessary to the story I think. So many thoughts!
Profile Image for Soula Kosti.
320 reviews59 followers
March 21, 2023
Loved this graphic novel! I haven't read Long Way Down yet but I definitely will as the graphic novel adaptation proved that not only the art but also the story itself is heartfelt and important.

After Will finds out that his brother Sawn has been murdered, he's determined to avenge him. The entire story takes place in an elevator ride where Will is joined in each floor by the ghosts of those he loved and lost.
Profile Image for Chasity.
251 reviews13 followers
June 14, 2021
Jason Reynolds is among those authors whom I consider a hero. I believe he probably saves lives with his books. I listened to JR narrate the audiobook Long Way Dowm a few years ago- amazing, as expected. But this revisit in graphic form was truly a treat. JRs words and story combined with beautiful illustrations was perfect.
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
6,717 reviews243 followers
October 12, 2022
A good adaptation of a great book. I don't know why, but the art here didn't move me as much as the undulating column of words in the original book.

Still worth a look.
Profile Image for Basic B's Guide.
1,165 reviews382 followers
October 20, 2020
Heartbreaking, poignant and unforgettable. I listened to this on audio earlier this year and have been anxiously waiting to see this story come to life as a graphic novel. It does not disappoint. A MUST read that will be re read again and again.
Profile Image for Irene.
891 reviews
October 28, 2023
Poeh. Deze versie van 67 seconden is nóg indrukwekkender, beklemmender en aangrijpender dan de proza versie. Ik ben echt onder de indruk van de illustraties van Danica Novgorodoff. De weinige woorden met de sprekende, treffende, emotievolle graphics.

Zolang deze situaties in veel wijken in de wereld nog tot de orde van de dag horen, is dit een blijvend goed boek over angst, woede, verdriet, wraak, rouw, roulerende rekeningen, handelen uit emotie en het volgen van De Regels.

Een van de beste graphic novels die ik heb gelezen (ook al las ik er nog niet zoveel).
Profile Image for Beatrice.
459 reviews
March 18, 2022
Ok this is so good. I love Long Way Down and the graphic novel version of it delivers. Much like the story itself, the images accompanying it will give you pause. There is great distinction between the past and the present. The visuals have a water-color vibe, unclear and blurry edges. Gives the illusion of the ghosts within the story. I loved loved loved this. Very powerful adaptation of an already incredible story for young readers.
Profile Image for Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance.
6,213 reviews323 followers
February 26, 2021
Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel may be the best graphic novel adaptation I have read. I loved Long Way Down, but I LOVED LWD:The Graphic Novel. A powerful story of violence and the perpetuation of violence and the dramatic finality of violence is made more powerful through the placement of the story on the page with expressive pictures.
Profile Image for Che.
266 reviews52 followers
January 5, 2021
I enjoyed the novel a little bit more

Because it expanded the emotions. This was a great graphic novel and I'm glad they did it, but I recommend you treat yourself to the full story, especially before the movie comes out.
Profile Image for Ella.
5 reviews4 followers
September 8, 2021
It was a good read but I think the normal book might e better then the graphic.
Profile Image for Janne Janssens.
180 reviews75 followers
May 16, 2021
BE/NL Review

Bedankt aan Blossom Books en L&M Books voor dit recensie-exemplaar. Dit beïnvloedt mijn leeservaring en recensie in geen enkel opzicht.

De graphic novel 67 SECONDEN is gebaseerd op het gelijknamige boek van Jason Reynold (originele titel: LONG WAY DOWN). Danica Novgorodoff verzorgde de illustraties.

Wanneer zijn grote broer Shawn wordt neergeschoten op het basketbalpleintje, zonder duidelijke reden of dader, kan Will maar één ding denken: hij moet De Regels volgen. Niet snitchen. Niet huilen. Wraak.
Gewapend stapt hij de lift in van zijn appartementsgebouw om zijn eigen verdachte van de moord op zijn broer te gaan confronteren. De rit naar beneden duurt 67 lange seconden. Op elke verdieping stapt er iemand die Will kent. Bij het horen van een ieders verhaal begint Will steeds harder te twijfelen of hij wel goed doet aan het volgen van De Regels.

Een woordje van waarschuwing: deze graphic novel bevat vermeldingen en beelden van geweld, moord en vuurwapens.

67 SECONDEN doorbreekt grenzen, zowel inhoudelijk als vormelijk. Jason Reynolds snijdt het confronterende onderwerp aan van geweldadige milieus, waar jongeren vaak ongevraagd in terecht (en meestal geboren) worden, van hoe moeilijk het is om de vicieuze cirkel van geweld en wraak te doorbreken. Graphic novels hebben vaak een beperkte verteltijd, en dat maakt het soms een hele opgave om lezers emotioneel bij de keel te grijpen, ondanks de versterkende werking van beelden. Reynolds en Novgorodoff slagen hier dik in. Ik was even sprakeloos toen ik de laatste bladzijde omsloeg en moest alles even laten bezinken. Dit verhaal was ruw en confronterend, want het is levensecht. Het trekt je als lezer, die vaak ver weg leeft van dergelijke omstandigheden, uit je comfortzone en dwingt je de ogen te openen, dwingt je na te denken over de fijne grens tussen zinloos geweld, geplande wraak en zelfverdediging.

De illustrator hield zich niet aan de conventionele kaderindeling die strips en graphic novels typeren. Daarmee ondersteunt de vormgeving sterk de inhoud. Vandaag de dag zijn onze gevoelens, meningen, ervaringen amper nog in hokjes op te delen. We leren dat ieders hun verhaal heeft. Dit verhaal omvat veel mysterie en onafgelijnde emoties, die gereflecteerd worden in dynamische vormen van de inkleuring met waterverf.

67 SECONDEN is veruit de beste graphic novel die ik tot hiertoe gelezen heb. Het is een hartverscheurend, confronterend, mysterieus en wervelend verhaal, dat een grote meerwaarde aan je boekenkast geeft.
Profile Image for Galy.
816 reviews47 followers
March 16, 2022
An amazing graphic novel of the book. The book was my favorite book of last year so I knew I needed to read the graphic novel.

Sixty seconds. Three rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. Will's brother was murdered and Will, like everyone else, knows the rules. He steps on the elevator on his way to avenge the murder of his brother. Sixty seconds. Seven floors.

Again, it felt real. I knew the story this time but it was still powerful. I remember reading the book last year and picturing everything in my mind. This is the perfect adaptation for it.

I think the art style was great for the story. The colors, the scenes... Incredibly good.

This story still has one of the best endings I've ever read. I said it the first time I read the book and I stand by it now that I've read the graphic novel. And the story only needed 60 seconds.

Again, this is a favorite, no doubt.

Again, I recommend this to everyone.
Profile Image for Alicia.
7,656 reviews144 followers
January 8, 2021
I think there was a reason I hadn't gotten my hands on a galley ahead of time and seemed to wait FOREVER to get it delivered to the high school. It's because I needed to be able to sit with it at night by myself.

I remember when I read the galley of Long Way Down-- on the train coming back from SLJ's Day of Dialog in the city. I read it on the train ride back to Albany and closed it and held it and ran my hand over the top thinking: this man is a genius. And seriously, how can you top that? Well, you get a cool chick who has some skills to do the graphic novel adaptation of it. Yup. And you kill that retelling by eliciting the pain, emotion, confusion, beauty, tragedy, and humanity of what happened and what might happen. What will he choose?

The water color backdrop is ethereal. The choice of scenes is spectacular. The focus and perspective. The words on the page. The emotions portrayed in others. It is a gut-punch. But it's necessary. It's a story that resonates and makes you think. It's all laid out there. Then there's the choice.

Yup, multiple copies on order like it's brother verse novel copies.
Profile Image for Emily.
181 reviews17 followers
January 5, 2021
When I first read Long Way Down I loved it... then I listened to the audio book and I realized there were things that I didn’t pick up on the first time... the emphasis that were important to the narrative didn’t hit until I heard them emphasize... tonight as I finished the graphic novel, with tears running down my face I realized how many layers to this story existed... how important it was for my understanding to see the story. I’ve loved this book since it came out... but I loved it as an outsider... not really able to comprehend it because my white, privileged mind could skip the magnitude of which it couldn’t understand... the graphic novel format left me feeling raw in a way that the other formats hadn’t.
Profile Image for Marti (Letstalkaboutbooksbaybee).
1,584 reviews138 followers
April 5, 2022
This was so good omg

easy 5⭐️ for me. I have not read the full version of this book but I thought it worked really well in graphic novel format. I’d love to read both and compare but oh man this packed a punch.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,805 reviews

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