Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel
Bibliography
Reynolds, J., & Novgorodoff, D. (2022). Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel. Atheneum/ Caitlyn Dlouhy Books.
ISBN 1534444955
Plot Summary
Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel follows fifteen-year-old Will Holloman as he rides an elevator down from his apartment after deciding to avenge his brother Shawn's murder. During the sixty-second elevator ride, Will is visited by the ghosts of people connected to his family and community who have been affected by gun violence. As each person shares their story, Will begins to question the rules he has always believed about revenge and justice. The story explores grief, trauma, family, and the consequences of violence.
Critical Analysis
Jason Reynolds and illustrator Danica Novgorodoff created a strong story that represents a culturally authentic portrayal of life in the urban African American community affected by gun violence. Will is a character who is believable because he allows his emotions and decisions to be led by grief, family expectations, and community norms. The graphic novel format truly enhances the story through the expressive watercolor illustrations. The illustrations capture both realism and the emotional intensity of his experiences.
Readers not only can feel the cultural authenticity, but they can also see it through the language patterns, family relationships, physical appearance, and the social realities that influence their lives. The illustrations also show several skin tones, hairstyles, facial expressions, and body types. This, to me, created realistic and respectful representations of African American characters.
The rules in the story hit hard because they were so direct and heavy. Number 1: No Crying, Number 2: No snitching, Number 3: Get revenge. “They were meant for the broken to follow.” These rules took away feelings; no crying meant no expression of sadness, no snitching brought isolation, and getting revenge continued the cycle of this lifestyle. These “rules” or expectations of revenge and masculinity govern the community in the story and prompt readers to examine those beliefs.
The elevator is the majority of the setting and is symbolic. As a reader, I took it as he is stuck in this box and he can control which floor he goes to, but in the end, it is the same choices. But when the novel brings in characters whose lives have been shaped by difficult circumstances, Will begins to see how violence has affected multiple generations and how each choice has consequences. Each of these characters does not fit simple stereotypes, and through their stories, Will starts to realize that he has a choice about whether to continue the cycle or break it.
And in the end, the reader is also making the choice. “You coming?” This is where the reader has to fill in the story. Is Will going to break the cycle? Will he choose to go back up the elevator? Or will he continue the path that the rules have laid out for him? Reynolds leaves the ending open, forcing readers to think about the consequences of violence and whether people can choose a different future than the one expected of them.
Review Excerpts
*"A moving rendition that stands on its own." -- Kirkus, starred review
*"Novgorodoff’s watercolors, which bleed at the edges like pavement stains, match the text in mood and fluency, and by putting faces to characters, they tacitly untangle the web of revenge killings and mistaken identities foundational to the plot." -- BCCB, starred review
*"Reynolds’s words paint pictures of their own in this tragic yet poignant illustrated tale that offers no answers to the seemingly impossible choices some communities face." -- School Library Journal, starred review
Adapted from the Newbery Honor Book Long Way Down
Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Michael L. Printz Honor Book
National Book Award Finalist (original novel)
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