TITLE: Long Way Down
AUTHOR: Jason Reynolds
GENRE: Realistic Fiction
* 2019-2020 Truman Award Nominee

We've all heard of what life can be like to live in inner city neighborhoods through stories we see in television shows, movies and in books we read. Much like the themes carried through books such as The Hate U Give, the book Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds tells the story of one boy's struggle with living in a gang-ruled world where choices we take for granted can be life or death for he and his family. Told through the eyes of one teenager, in one very long elevator ride, Long Way Down is written in verse and says a lot through very little words as does most poetry. A quick read, full of heavy issues and heartfelt choices, Long Way Down is a great read for anyone wanting a glimpse into the lives of those who live in the inner city areas plagued boy violence and gangs and the choices they face to stay above it all.