Columns 

Bookshelf Basics: “Long Way Down”

By | August 13th, 2021
Posted in Columns | % Comments

All-ages graphic novels are hotter than ever. With so much great content out there and more arriving every week, sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, librarian or young reader, Multiversity’s Bookshelf Basics is here to help. By highlighting a combination of newly released and classic all-ages books, we’ll help you build your collection, even as your tastes and interests change. In today’s installment we look at the graphic novel adaptation of the Coretta Scott King Honor Book “Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds.

Cover by Danica Novgorodoff
Written by Jason Reynolds
Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff

Will’s older brother, Shawn, has been shot.
Dead.
 Will feels a sadness so great, he can’t explain it. But in his neighborhood, there are THE RULES:

No. 1: Crying.
Don’t.
No matter what.

No. 2: Snitching
Don’t. 
No matter what. 

No. 3: Revenge
Do. 
No matter what.

But bullets miss. You can get the wrong guy. And there’s always someone else who knows to follow the rules…

Okay, Let’s Start with the Basics

“Long Way Dow” is written by two-time National Book Award finalist, Jason Reynolds. The book was originally written as a novel-in-verse and retains much of its original dialogue and internal narration. If anything, the graphic novel adaptation feels even more poetic than the original text-only version.

Visual artist and graphic novelist Danica Novgorodoff overlays beautifully crafted watercolor illustrations that alternately underscore or serve as a poignant counterpoint to the book’s narrative.

What’s It All About?

The story centers on 15-year-old Willl Holloman, an African American kid who lives in a neighborhood wracked by gang violence. Barely ten pages into the book, Will’s older brother Shawn is shot and killed. Will is devastated, but doesn’t have time to grieve. He must follow The Rules and avenge his brother’s death.

Fueled by speculation and intuition, Will decides the shooter was Carlson Riggs as, his older brother’s “so-called friend.” “The best thing Riggs ever did for Shawn was teach him how to do a Penny Drop,” thinks Will. The worst thing he ever did was shoot him.

After spending a sleepless night cradling his brother’s gun in bed, Will summons all his courage and sets out to go shoot Riggs. As Will rides the elevator down to the lobby, however, it stops on every floor. The doors slide open, like normal, and somebody from Will’s past gets onboard to drop some knowledge. They ride down to the next floor together, as that person tells Will their story in painful, poetic detail. Notably, each of them was also the victim of gun violence.

Inside the elevator, time and space are suspended. Will experiences flashbacks and real time interactions with these impossibly real seeming people who can’t possibly be alive. For the duration of the ride down, Will somehow exists on the razor thin boundary between past, present and future. Along the way he learns details that make the stories he thought he knew far more complex than he used to believe.

What Makes It Essential?

Reynolds’s poetic language is as captivating as it is gorgeous. The cadence and rhythm of the verse force you to slow down and truly engage with the story. There are countless examples, but the moment Will meets his father is particularly striking:

There he was.
Recognized him instantly.
Been waiting
for him since
I was three.
Mikey
Holloman.
My father.
Is it possible
for a hug
to peel back skin
of time,
the toughened and
raw bits,
the irritated
and irritating
dry spots,
the parts that bleed?

We see father and son embrace, tenderly and tightly. It’s a moment of calm in the storm before things escalate again and the harsh reality of Will’s world once again asserts itself with a deadly pop, pop, pop!

Illustrator Danica Novgorodoff’s wispy, ethereal watercolors complement the lyrical text perfectly. Panel borders and word balloons are kept to a minimum. The soft edges of most panels fade and blend into each other like still frames from a dream. You could sit down and “read” the book without any text at all and still absorb the book’s essence—understanding most of the plot without one word of explanation.

Continued below

Visually, Novgorodoff deftly interweaves past and present with monochromatic flashbacks in watery blues and grays that contrast perfectly with Will’s bright yellow t-shirt. They also provide a dull canvas for sudden, gut-wrenching intrusions of blood red. The violence is rarely explicit, which somehow makes it more painful, as when we see Shawn’s death in the opening sequence. Rarely will you see a more agonizing depiction of death and the senseless loss of a loved one.

How Can You Read It?

You can find “Long Way Down” wherever books are sold. If it’s not in stock, have your local comic shop order a copy. You can also use the Indie Bound Store Locator to find a bookstore near you. If ebooks are you thing, you can nab a digital copy from your favorite online platform.

In Conclusion

Without question, book is long, difficult ride. In the end, however, it’s hopeful. The future remains unwritten. The Rules may seem set in stone, but all of us are authors who have the power to rewrite them and break the cycle.


//TAGS | bookshelf basics

John Schaidler

EMAIL | ARTICLES


  • Columns
    Bookshelf Basics: “I Was Their American Dream”

    By | Nov 18, 2021 | Columns

    All-ages graphic novels are more diverse and prolific than ever. With so much great content out there – and more arriving every week – sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, librarian or young reader, Multiversity’s #BookshelfBasics is here to help. By highlighting a blend of newly […]

    MORE »
    Reviews
    Bookshelf Basics: “Skip”

    By | Oct 26, 2021 | Reviews

    All-ages graphic novels are more diverse and prolific than ever. With so much great content out there – and more arriving every week – sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, librarian or young reader, Multiversity’s #BookshelfBasics is here to help. By highlighting a blend of newly […]

    MORE »
    Columns
    Bookshelf Basics: “You Brought Me the Ocean”

    By | Oct 11, 2021 | Columns

    All-ages graphic novels are more diverse and prolific than ever. With so much great content out there – and more arriving every week – sifting through it all can be a daunting task. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, librarian or young reader, Multiversity’s Bookshelf Basics is here to help. By highlighting a blend of […]

    MORE »

    -->