A beautiful complement to an amazing verse novel! The artwork is especially compelling against such super strong writing!

"but if the blood
inside you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them."
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This novel is written in verse which, for me, added to Reynold's powerful message. I read Long Way Down earlier this year, and jumped at the opportunity to read the graphic novel. The illustrations GREATLY enhanced this beautiful story.
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Will is grieving his brother, Shawn, who was just shot to death outside their home. Will has to follow the rules: 1. he can't cry 2. he can't snitch and 3. he has to get even. He grabs a gun and gets on the elevator, ready to avenge his brother's killer, and on the way down, he is visited by six ghosts, all with an important purpose.
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It's going to take me a while to unpack this story. It's so well-written, raw, emotional, intense, and beautiful. I read it very fast and because it is so fast, I think it's actually a good idea to read it more than once. Long Way Down hurt to read, but it is important and I think everyone should definitely consider this novel. And even more so, the graphic novel edition because it is amazing! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher!

I loved when I listened to the audiobook and, no surprise, I loved the graphic novel! The watercolors were an amazing way to tell this story and the overall artistic style really complemented the high emotions and ghosts. I'd definitely recommend giving this format a read if you loved the book or audiobook format, or even just by itself!

I loved this adaptation and interpretation of Reynolds’s original text. The drawings serve to bring the topic and emotions of this book that much more to life. The emotions of Will are made more real and relatable, even if one has never been in a similar situation themselves.

This is my first time reading a Reynolds book, and now I entirely understand why his writing is so loved. This book does a great job of examining generational trauma, masculinity, gun violence, and how our surroundings influence our behavior. I haven't read the original book of Long Way Down, but I really enjoyed Novgorodoff's art style and think it makes the story accessible for a lot of people. I also don't mind ambiguous endings, so I liked grappling with what I thought the ending meant. This book reminded me of a verse in Lil Baby's song 'The Bigger Picture": "I did what I did 'cause I didn't have no choice or no hope, I was forced to just jump in and go." A lot of the decisions made in this book occurred because of people trying to prescribe to a rigid set of rules and thinking that they had no other options. I think this can apply to a lot more than just gun and gang violence, as society's rules tend to be unattainable and inequitable, especially for Black people. Overall, I think this book leads to a great conversation, and I'm glad that it could be transformed into a graphic novel.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an eArc in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my rating**

The first time I read Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds was in a YA Literature class in 2018. The class had a requirement to read 12 books of our choosing, but the professor also had us read two of hers. She thought this book was important enough that we should all read it.

I'm so glad she felt that way because I loved Long Way Down. It was such a heart wrenching book about grief and the cyclical nature of revenge. The last sentence sends chills down my spine.

It really translates well to a graphic novel form. I think this will help non-readers or new readers pick up this version of the book more readily, which will get this important novel in their hands. I think they did a nice job adapting the text, as well. Book adaptations can be dicey: They're either really well done or they miss the mark with few in betweens. I think this did a nice job of maintaining the spirit of the original and getting that across. The one problem I will say I had was that the off-hand reveal before floor 2 was less impactful than it was reading the print text. I can't say more about that without spoiling it, but if you've read both, it's less of a punch to the gut realization. It's kind of like what I said about the Animal Farm graphic novel adaptation. It's missing the slow tension build. However, I count that to be fairly minor and think it's an excellent adaptation in general.

Danica Novgorodoff did a beautiful job on the artwork for this edition. The watercolors were an interesting choice and give a soft edge to a book that could've easily gone hard and rough. I'm not sure if this was the intention, but that style lent to the feeling of Will's vulnerability for me.

Wow. Wow. Wow. When I read Long Way Down a few years ago, it changed my life. I had never read anything like it before, and it has since stuck with me. In my opinion, the graphic novel does not do quite the justice as reading the novel, but man is it GOOD! The artistry, the perfect amount of speech, and the nuances of the original poetry is just spot on. I predict this book will not be able to stay on shelves for long, and rightfully so, it will be well loved by so many people.

I always recommend books by Jason Reynolds and loved seeing this one as a Graphic Novel.. It is so intense and beautifully illustrated. I would recommend this to tween and teen readers. This book would make for a great teen book club selection. Thanks to Net Galley for the advance reading copy.

Jason Reynolds' novels always tug on my heart strings and cause tears to stream down my cheeks while I devouring his words. This graphic novel is no exception. The illustrations are beautiful and look as though they are done in watercolor. The detail is striking: right into the soul.

The 3 rules are clear: 1. No crying 2. No snitchin' 3. Revenge

Will's brother is shot right in front of him and these three rules suddenly become extra real. He's not supposed to cry about the loss of his brother. He's not supposed to snitch if he knows anything about what happened or who shot him. He's supposed to avenge his brother's death. So Will finds his brother's gun - which is missing a bullet. As he rides the elevator down to confront the man who he thinks killed his brother, he's confronted with ghosts from his past on each floor. By the end, he has to make a choice: get off the elevator and continue the cycle or make a change.

I am going to have to get 5 copies for my graphic novel unit. I think the kids will really love this one!

I don’t know whether I admire the storytelling or am horrified by the story, or both. All the way through the disjointed story, I wanted someone to reach out to the teen and say, “Don’t do it.”

The storytelling is hard to follow at times, but it is riveting.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Long Way Down, the graphic version, by Jason Reynolds.

First off, can I just say that we need to normalize graphic novels, even for adults. First off, there are a bazillion talented artists that could really do stories justice, but I just love how the graphics enhance and almost change the whole taste of a story. I don't think I would want it all the time, but it's especially cool to see the visual perception of a story that I've already read.

Second, what a powerhouse of a book this is. The importance of this story is that it provides a window into a community and life that I have very little exposure to. It was an opportunity for me to empathize with the difficulties of being a man of color who loses a loved one, but is still expected to play by "the rules." But on his ride down an elevator to get revenge, he is visited by so many of his friends and family who had already been killed by gun violence. Through them, he gets support to make the choice that he'll have to live with forever.

The graphics were harrowing, and beautiful. The story is written with a whimsy, and yet with a terrible weight, something that takes real talent.

The cover is what made me want to read this title and a co-worker recommended it to me. The story was told beautifully, and I think will be popular among teens.

This graphic novel adaptation of Jason Reynold's award-winning novel of the same name centers on 15-year-old Will. His older brother, his hero, has just been shot dead, and Will hopes to kill his brother's killer in an act of revenge. He didn't see the shooting happen, but he knows who did it (probably), so he gets on the elevator to leave his apartment and get his revenge. On the way down, though, the ghosts of family and friends Will has lost to gun violence join him on the elevator.

Full disclosure, I did not read the original novel before this graphic adaptation. A graphic novel adaptation of such a text though as some key advantages. Being a faster read, it can be a more 'digestible' way of covering austere topics, and this book is definitely austere. I felt kind of uncomfortable reading it, and rightfully so. The writing, from the plot to the words used is fantastic (who'd expect any less from Jason Reynolds?).

The part that had me less impressed was the art. the art in the graphic novel is watercolor-style for the most part. Each panel was executed beautifully; it's nice artwork, but watercolors are inherently soft and ephemeral. This does work well considering some of the novel's subject matter (ghosts of past, ambiguity, etc.). It also uses a limited or obscured color palette. I think I wanted to see bolder colors or sharper contrasts in the images because that feels more fitting to me, or switching the art more from bold at first and then leaking into the more ephemeral watercolorness. However, the art is very intentional, and I respect that this is the vision the author, artist, and/or publisher wanted to put forth. It is a realized vision for what the were going for.

If you liked the original novel, you will love this graphic novel adaptation. The story is still as chilling and heart wrenching, but the added graphics just make it so much more. This is the story of Will, and the aftermath of the shooting of his brother, Shawn. Will knows there are rules to follow with something like this, and he is so sure that his plan is the right one. But as he moves forward, he realizes that things are not always what they seem, and, sometimes, the rules don’t lead you to the right conclusion.

I have read the original novel, and this was just as amazing. The art in this graphic novel is STUNNING. It has a sort of watercolor like effect, and that really makes it that much more powerful. The colors were perfect as well. This was an awesome adaption, and an important addition to any library.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I love a Long Way Down but I kinda got lost in this graphic novel version. I read it on my kindle and I don't think the epub/mobi version was the way to read it. The text was not in the bubbles and the reader had to back track to see who was saying what and what makes sense to the story.
That being said, I still am a huge fan of this story and am glad to see it in graphic novels so that readers of all levels can enjoy. I will wait till the actual graphic novel in print comes out to make my final review because anything Jason Reynolds does is worth looking at and sharing!!

I read the verse novel before this, and the story remains brilliant and thought-provoking. I wondered if a tiny bit of understanding was lost in this format (had to reread Frick/floor 3 a couple times) but this short story still had a lot of power and I'm glad it exists in this accessible illustrated version for those young people who may shy away from the verse.

I loved the original version of this book, so I was really excited to read the graphic novel version. I was not disappointed. The storyline is there, ghosts and all, along with beautiful watercolor illustrations that help to tell the story. The illustrations really help to make this story come alive on the pages and are such a great addition to tell this story of heartbreak and gun violence.

When I first read Long Way Down, I found myself wishing for a graphic novel adaptation. Then, last year, The Crossover by Kwame Alexander paved the way for graphic novels to represent the content of verse novels, and I wished again for this adaptation. It’s as though the publisher heard my wish and granted it.

The words of Jason Reynolds could be on a blank page, interwoven in a tapestry, or be handwritten on a napkin and be beautiful. The source material shows this is the case, and I recommend experiencing Long Way Down in its original form — and this new juxtaposed text.

The art in this adaptation is lovely in its composition while also conveying raw energy and power. The topic of the text is relevant and speaks to representation and issues that are very current. As one may expect, the work is poetic, imagistic, and so highly recommended.

Both the verse novel and the graphic novel Long Way Down need to be in the hands of young readers and older readers, too. There’s lightning in this book that needs to be shared and felt, and the text connects with classrooms of empathy and hope.

A great, moving book, made even more resonant by the gorgeous pictures.

A great graphic novel for young adult readers.

I have loved this author and the book since the first time I read it, and the pictures bring the plot and characters even more to life.

Students will love this and think about this book long after reading.

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!).