Having read this story before, I knew what to expect going in. What I wasn’t ready for, was the way this story paired with art would make me feel. And trust me, it’s pretty heavy.

Since this is a book I’ve already reviewed in a way, I’m going to mostly talk about the art. In short, I loved it. I loved the kind of muted color scheme of Black, Blue, Gold, and grays. I thought the red words were bold and were meant to stand out and it did exactly that. And I thought that the watercolor effect the art has is brilliant.

As for the story, I still had the same likes and dislikes. I LOVE the writing style. (Jason Reynolds is a BEAST.) And I still LOVE the way it’s told in 60 seconds. I don’t know that anyone else could have written a book like this. And last but not least, the ending. I still want to know what he decides. If he goes back upstairs or if he decides to follow through no matter what they’ve said. I still wonder if that’s what made him write it like this. Like is it up to the reader to decide? I’m too indecisive for that. I go back and forth and back and forth trying to make the decision that works best for me lol

This book is still a tear-jerker and still one of my favorites from Reynolds. I was so happy when I saw there was a graphic novel, and I hope that everyone else is as excited as me. You still have time to pre-order this one! Trust me, this isn’t one you want to miss.

The art in this book is absolutely STUNNING. A graphic novel's format is the perfect add on to this story, enhancing it that much more. It was already a poignant story; this just boosted it even more!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for letting me read this one! I loved how this story came to life.

This is an amazing visualization of Reynolds’ thought-provoking novel in verse. The style perfectly matches the story and adds another element to its impact.

This book is heartbreaking and is a must-read! Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give and Dear Justyce, I think this should be in every classroom. It's one of the best graphic novels I've ever read.

We meet William during a basketball game in his neighborhood. During the game, shots ring out and his brother Shawn is shot and killed. For the rest of the graphic novel, we follow William on his journey coming to grips with his brother's death, the gun violence in his neighborhood and whether or not he should seek revenge for what has happened. All of this takes place on the elevator ride from his apartment to the ground floor, the long way down, and along the way he is confronted by visions of his past to help him decide what to do.

This was so powerful. Gun violence is something that effects so many people, but especially the Black community. Too often we're caught up in "The Rules": don't snitch, Black men don't cry, get revenge for you and yours. Violence leads to more violence and suddenly things have gotten so out of hand that innocent lives are being claimed and there seems to be no one is able to stop it. All of that is tackled in this book and to say that it's an emotional read is an understatement. I truly enjoyed it and encourage everyone to give it a read.

This book I’ve read a couple of times and the colors and art work fits the book so amazing. And it fits so so well.

Sometimes you read a book that just shakes you to your core & this is it. I wasn't sure how this book would translate to the graphic format, but wow. Just wow. The watercolor style is gorgeous and everything about this moved me. I am left feeling emotionally devastated. This book is needed.

For libraries: Buy it!

I still think the original (especially in audio book format) is amazing. This is a great remake into graphic novel form and I hope it will reach more readers with it's powerful message. The artwork can really make or break a graphic novel and this is spot on in my opinion.

I haven't read many graphic novels, but this one was drawn and watercolors perfectly. There wasn't many words in all, but the pictures are what showed the emotion. A boy is thinking about going after the guy that killed his brother. While in an elevator going down, people from his past come into the elevator. His father, the little girl he used to play with, others that have also been killed by guns. This graphic novel will stay with for a while.

Shawn has just been shot and killed in the street. Will, consumed by his brother's murder, is determined to play by "the rules" -- taught to him by his brother, and by his father before him, and by his brother before him -- and seek revenge against his brother's killer. On his way to do the deed, he is visited by the ghosts of those around him taken too soon by gun violence, making his elevator ride seem like an extremely Long Way Down.

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't read the original novel, but this graphic novel was so powerful that it has definitely moved up higher on my TBR list. The watercolor illustrations added so much depth to Will's confusion and frustration, and the narrative use of color versus black and white was absolutely phenomenal. The story and words themselves, though brief, pack a powerful punch and leave you desperately wanting for more. Jason Reynolds never fails to disappoint, and a graphic novelization only made his work more incredible.

This was a fascinating read along with a beautifully drawn graphic novel with amazing details, different textures, and vivid coloring. The panels went along perfectly with the text and displayed the emotions of each of the characters perfectly in my opinion. The panels truly enhanced I think Reynolds was trying to get across.

The writing was engaging and kept me invested until the very end to see what Will would decide to do. I enjoyed how Reynold was able to discuss several topics, like grief, masculinity, etc, in a short number of pages and in verse. I felt he efficiently got his point across.

The Graphic Novel version of Long Way Down is just as breathtaking, haunting, and thought-provoking as the original novel told in verse. Supplemented with gorgeous watercolor art, the story really shines here and might even be accessible to readers who don’t enjoy poetic verse novels, or to readers who prefer graphic novels to text-exclusive books. I’m 100% in support of presenting books in accessible ways that widen their readership, especially books like this that tell stories that need to be read. You wouldn’t normally expect soft watercolor art to be associated with a book about gun violence, but it works so perfectly in this sitatuation! The artist did an excellent job of conveying the scenes.

Long Way Down tells the story of a young teen, Will, who witnesses his brother Shawn’s murder. The next morning, he sets out to follow The Rules taught to him by his brother, which involve not crying, not snitching, and getting revenge. As he descends to the ground level of his apartment building, he is visited by ghosts/spirits/people somehow connected to Shawn and Will. Through them, a greater story and moral dilemma is revealed. I won’t spoil who is met or what happens, of course, but the revelations and story are quite gripping and will keep you wonder who will enter the elevator next. The stories and characters are all connected in some way, which is fascinating to read.

Both the original verse novel and the graphic novel adaptation are very quick reads, but they pack such a punch. The ending will haunt you and leave you wondering. Again, no spoilers, but Reynolds left it very ambiguous and open to the reader’s interpretation, which could be frustrating, but I love that it makes for a great discussion point.

I personally have been quite fortunate to have not been affected by gun violence in my life. I grew up away from the city of Chicago in the nicer suburbs, so this isn’t a directly shared experience. However, this book really opened my eyes to the deeply rooted mentality that someone (especially young people) might face in a situation like this. It really just makes me feel lucky that I had the upbringing I did, and also makes me more sympathetic to the violent situations in big cities.

All-in-all, this graphic novel adaptation gets 5 stars from me! I’d recommend it to anyone tbh, but in a bit of a strange comparison, I’d actually recommend it to fans of Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet In Heaven.

This is my first time reading Reynold's book.
It's amazing and fascinating to read with amazing watercolour artwork by Danica 🤩 I felt attracted to her art and vivid texture of watercolours!!
This book did a great job by describing various human emotions like Anger , Depression , Trauma , Violence , Resentment etc...
The story revolves around Will who's brother is shot dead and his urge of taking revenge on his brother's murderer.
This story describes how Black community people suffer and get traumatized 🥴
I was very excited for the book so for mine it was a quick read!!! Absolutely loved the book. Must recommend to all!!!

Wowwwww! A very powerful read. The graphics were beautiful as was the language. Very poetic. I will definitely recommend this graphic novel to my students, especially my hesistant readers. I would have preferred that the language had been more relevant to younger kids (maybe use of slang, etc). So that they could relate more.

A beautiful graphic novel that is the perfect adaptation of the brilliant award-winning novel that should be a must-read for everyone.

Will’s brother, Shawn, was shot and killed while getting an item from the store for his mother. Will thinks he knows who did it … Riggs. He also knows the rules:
1. No crying
2. No snitching
3. Revenge
Will is now on his way to Riggs’ place to take care of the third rule … revenge for his brother’s death. As Will is going down the elevator, he is visited by others who have suffered the same fate has Shawn.

Long Way Down is the graphic novel adaptation of the novel in verse book. This story reads even faster than the original and can be enjoyed by everyone whether they read the original or just this one. The artwork gave some added depth to the story and I will say I loved this one as much as the original. A great read, even if graphic novels are not your normal go-to book.

I loved the original, "Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds that was published in 2017. The graphic novel did not disappoint! I will highly recommend this book!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, Netgalley and Hear Our Voices Book Tours for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes included may change in final publication.

"The Rules weren't meant to be broken. They were meant for the broken to follow."

Long Way Down was one of my favorite reads last year and my second experience with books written in verse. Although it felt like it went by pretty fast, Will's story has stayed with me ever since. When I found out it was being adapted into a graphic novel I got excited because I wanted to see how it would be brought to life from the words on the page.

Will's story is a very important one, in that is such a relatable subject for so many people, including kids his age. The first time I read it, one of the things I admired was how much development could take place in the span of a minute. The conversations with each ghost that he comes in contact with relevant in a different way and I thought that was a creative way to convey what his thought process might have been had he been alone on his way down or if he were able to have these talks in person. Ultimately, I thought Reynolds did a great job in such a short amount of time and I didn't mind the open ending as realistically everyone makes different decisions and it lets the reader decide how Will's story ends.

As if I didn't love the story enough, the illustrations in this adaptation only enhanced it. I'm new to the graphic novel world, but I've always admired watercolor for what it can communicate in terms of emotion, which is exactly what I love about seeing the story brought to life in this manner. Everything that happens in the present tense is done in such vivid color, while all of the flashbacks are covered in a blue wash which definitely gives off the somber mood of what's being discussed. I always see images in my head when I read, but the pain (and even joy in some places) on display here was is so beautifully haunting and compliments the original work very well.

If you've read the story in verse, this graphic novel adaptation is a great companion piece. If you haven't and this is your first encounter with Will and his trip down the elevator, definitely give that a try as well.

I listened to the audio book of this title over the summer and it haunted me for a very long time. Reading it a few months later as a graphic novel made the story even more powerful and impactful. The illustrations were really good and it was hard not to tear up seeing the pain on certain characters faces. I normally don’t read graphic novels but I highly recommend checking this one out. This story will stay with you for a long time.

Jason Reynold’s Long Way Down takes you from loss and death, to a desire for revenge, and then questioning if that makes you any better than the killer. His writing and creativity encourage deeper thought and the graphic novel develops a closer connection to the hurt, anger, and thought as Will contemplates his next move. Students check out every copy of the original and rarely is a copy available. Now, I believe the messages within this treasure will reach more of our youth, as the world tries to find peace..