51 pages • 1 hour read
Long Way Down
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Book Details
Long Way Down (2017) by Jason Reynolds is a young adult novel in free verse about Will Holloman, a young Black boy struggling to make a decision after his brother, Shawn, is shot dead in the street. Will plans to seek revenge, but before he can leave the elevator of his building, he is greeted by a series of ghosts who confuse and complicate his perspective on Shawn’s death and the idea of revenge killing.
Long Way Down became a New York Times bestseller and received several prestigious honors in young adult literature, including a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Honor, an Edgar Award, a Walter Dean Myers Book Award, and a Printz Honor.
Major Themes
Through Will’s story, Reynolds explores Toxic Masculinity and Vulnerability, Expressions of Grief, and Cycles of Violence.
Author Information
The novel is based on Reynolds’s personal experiences. In 2003, while at his mother’s house, he found out that his friend had been murdered. Reynolds has written many other novels about the experiences of young Black men and boys, including Unlock all 51 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
Related Titles
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