Long Way Down is an amazing book on its own. When you add it to the beautiful drawings it makes the book so much intriguing. The storyline makes the reader think and feel for the main character. Jason Reynolds is an amazing storyteller who makes his readers think about the world around them. This story follows the main character whose brother was just killed. He has to decide if he is going to follow the rules of the street or veer from it. The story follows him down an elevator ride while he is deciding.

I have read the Long Way Down so I was excited to see the graphic novel. I absolutely loved it! A young boy trying to figure out how to avenge the loss of his brother and an elevator ride that relives it all. The way the water color was used made this book a work of art. There are a lot of characters in this novel and I think the artwork really helps keep this story straight and adds to the book. I am a huge fan of the book I recommend it all the time. This one is going on my recommend list. It was really moving.

This is a must read for fans of the novel Long Way Down. The graphic novel version enhances its predecessor by giving more details and background to all the characters in the novel. The illustrations alone are breathtaking. The emotions portrayed through the images show you the struggles Will faces. It's also fantastic to see the visual representations of the other characters.

Jason Reynolds is one of my favorite YA authors. His books are so easy to recommend to reluctant readers at my library! Long Way Down was my personal favorite of his, so I was really interested in seeing how a graphic novel adaption would look.
The story is wonderfully captured in this format. The story is just as real and raw as it is in the novel. I loved the way the words are arranged to still have the feel of poetry. The illustrations are fantastic. The watercolors are a great choice for the book and helps convey the tone of the story.
This will be another easy recommendation for teens whether they've read the novel or not.

Absolutely amazing! Long Way Down is a hit in my middle grade library and this graphic novel version does not disappoint! Taking this story and turning it into a graphic version opens the doors to a whole new set of readers. The same amazing story of Will trying to make a possibly life-changing decision on whether or not he will seek revenge for his brother's death is told through the help of amazing illustrations.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of Long Way Down.

The original text was phenomenal. The audio book is exceptional. This graphic novel adaption just takes both of those versions and elevates them even further. The artist skillfully crafted illustrations that add so much dimension to an already deep story. The colors are used sparingly in sections for impact and full panel close-ups of the elevator buttons underscore the plot's development. This is not a light story, but it is a needed one. I cannot wait to purchase multiple copies for my students!

Wow wow wow an absolute work of art!

First of all, such a gripping story told by Jason Reynolds. A fast-paced exploration of toxic masculinity (Rule 1: Don't Cry), long-standing community distrust of police (Rule 2: Don't Snitch), and the vicious cycle of gun violence (Rule 3: Get Revenge). Yet it is also filled with tender moments that show the beauty of brotherly love.

Secondly, Danica Novgorodoff's illustrations superbly capture the grief, the loyalty, the poignant heartbreak of Long Way Down. The panels matched the staccato rhythm of the writing perfectly, and truly brought the characters to life (well.... as much as ghosts can be brought to life).

I am now a forever fan of both these artists, and I hope to see more collaborations in the future!

I absolutely loved the original version of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds so I was excited to check out this graphic novel version.  

Like the original, I appreciate the juxtaposition between the beautiful, poetic writing and the harsh, violent topic of the book. The story and lesson learned is incredibly powerful and the adaptation from lyrical poetry to graphic novel makes Long Way Down even more teachable to a young adult audience. The move to graphic novel did not, in any way, diminish the strength or depth of the characters or storyline, which I often fear happens in graphic novel format.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.com

First line: Don't nobody believe nothing these days, which is why I haven't told nobody the story I'm about to tell you.

Summary: A young black man witnesses his brother shot by a gang member. He goes out to avenge his death, only to be met by the ghosts of his past in a long elevator ride down.

My Thoughts: So powerful. I haven't read the actual book this graphic novel is based on, and now I want to. Books like these are important. They don't sensationalize what happens during and after a gang killing. Instead they bring to light the harsh reality and the thoughts that pass through the heads of those involved.

FYI: Obvious triggers: shooting, gun, smoking.

Reynolds' original novel was a marvel. I didn't think it could be any better than the words on a page. It was sparse, lyrical, and moving. But now that I've experienced the graphic novel, this is how I think everyone should read the book. Somehow adding pictures elevated the book into a new artform and improved upon what was already perfection.

I've read and listened to Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down and I thought it could not get any better. I was wrong. The graphic novel made it a thousand times better. The only words I can find to describe this book is PURE PERFECTION.

Jason Reynolds' "Long Way Down" is an incredibly poignant and haunting piece of fiction. This graphic novel adaptation is no different. The words on often overlapped with the images in many panels which merges the text with images seamlessly. This is a definite buy for any classroom or school library collection.

Wow. What a brilliant, harrowing coming of age tale that tells a story which many people unfortunately know all too well. We've all heard stories on the news and crime shows about victims of gun violence, but this book walks readers through what happens in the aftermath of the violence. It forces us to ponder questions like: "What happens to the families?" and "What comes of those who seek to avenge their dead?".

When we talk about gun violence being a "vicious circle" one must ask "Who exactly is a part of that circle?" and "What makes that circle continue?" Jason Reynolds's "Long Way Down" challenges readers to ask themselves that question as he captures what happens in the life of a young man after his brother is shot and killed.

Wonderfully illustrated and masterfully written. Reynolds's poetic use of language is a real standout throughout the book. Notable phrases: "Just remember, when you're walking in the nighttime, make sure the nighttime ain't walking into you." and "... if the blood inside you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them."

What's most admirable about Long Way Down is that it was a practical, raw, cautionary tale about manhood and gun violence without being preachy or corny. A great graphic novel and and a great intro to Reynolds's work for me.

This graphic novel adaptation of Jason Reynolds's A Long Way Down matched the tone of the original perfectly. Danica Novgorodoff's illustrations read like a movie in your mind and add depth to the text. A highly recommended read that is as strong as my recommendation for the original novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Long Way Down (the novel in verse) is one of my favorite books. I have handed it to many students and even done it as a read aloud. I am happy that there is a graphic novel version. Unfortunately, my eArc did not download well to my Kindle app on my iPad and the text/photos were not lined up correctly making it nearly impossible to read. I still plan on buying a hard copy for my classroom library. The illustrations that I saw as I flipped through were wonderful.

Beautiful artwork paired with a emotional story. Although I was captivated more by art than the words, it still was a thought-provoking story that needed to be told. Now I'm just going to read the original story to maybe get the real feeling of the story.

I love Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel. The story is amazing because it teaches the readers an important lesson about a current issue that has negatively affected many families. It is very important to have books that contain subjects that are impactful, relatable and address current issues in our society and this this graphic novel does just that. The author tells an amazing story through the eyes of a hardened and troubled youth, Will.

This was an excellent adaptation of the a book that I loved. I loved the art style and the way that the story unfolded thought the pictures. I definitely will be sharing this with people.

I didn’t think Long Way Down could be improved. I thought it was perfection. Then I read this graphic version and discovered just how wrong I was. The beautiful artwork in this edition makes Reynolds’s words even more powerful and meaningful. It’s a must read.

I absolutely loved the original story, but the graphic novel adds an incredible element. The artwork is amazing and so well done. It adds depth and so much more emotion to the story. I could feel the emotion pulsing through the novel, but to see the actual facial expressions and the drawing of events as they played out just made it that much more powerful. Highly recommend.