Long Way Down

LonglistedfortheNationalBookAwardforYoungPeople’sLiteratureAnodetoPuttheDamnGunsDown,thisisNationalBookAwardfinalistandNewYorkTimesbestsellerJasonReynolds’sfiercelystunningnovelthattakesplaceinsixtypotentseconds—thetimeittakesakidtodecidewhetherornothe’sgoingtomurdertheguywhokilledhisbrother.Acannon.Astrap.Apiece.Abiscuit.Aburner.Aheater.Achopper.Agat.AhammerAtoolforRULEOr,youcancallitagun.That’swhatfifteen-year-oldWillhasshovedinthebackwaistbandofhisjeans.See,hisbrotherShawnwasjustmurdered.AndWillknowstherules.Nocrying.Nosnitching.Revenge.That’swhereWill’snowheading,withthatgunshovedinthebackwaistbandofhisjeans,thegunthatwashisbrother’sgun.Hegetsontheelevator,seventhfloor,stoked.Heknowswhohe’safter.Ordoeshe?Astheelevatorstopsonthesixthfloor,oncomesBuck.Buck,Willfindsout,iswhogaveShawnthegunbeforeWilltookthegun.BucktellsWilltocheckthatthegunisevenloaded.Andthat’swhenWillseesthatonebulletismissing.AndtheonlyonewhocouldhavefiredShawn’sgunwasShawn.Huh.Willdidn’tknowthatShawnhadeveractuallyUSEDhisgun.Biggerhuh.BUCKISDEAD.ButBuck’sintheelevator?JustasWill’stryingtothinkthisthrough,thedoortothenextflooropens.Ateenagegirlgetson,wavesawaythesmokefromDeadBuck’scigarette.Willdoesn’tknowher,butsheknewhim.Knew.Whentheywereeight.Andstraybulletshadcutthroughtheplayground,andWillhadtriedtocoverher,butshewashitanyway,andsowhatshewantstoknow,onthatfifthfloorelevatorstop,is,whatifWill,Willwiththegunshovedinthebackwaistbandofhisjeans,MISSES.Andsoitgoes,thewholelongwaydown,astheelevatorstopsoneachfloor,andateachstopsomeoneconnectedtohisbrothergetsontogiveWillapiecetoabiggerstorythantheonehethinksheknows.AstorythatmightneverknowanEND…ifWILLgetsoffthatelevator.Toldinshort,fiercestaccatonarrativeverse,LongWayDownisafastandfurious,dazzlinglybrilliantlookatteenagegunviolence,ascouldonlybetoldbyJasonReynolds.