Image: Simon & Schuster
Teen Tuesday features Long Way Down: a graphic novel by Jason Reynolds. Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff. I didn't think that Mr. Reynolds' stunning novel in verse needed adaptation. The imagery painted by the poet's words is vivid. I was wrong.
Ms. Novgoroff's watercolors are simply stunning. The palette veers toward blues and greys with judicious pops of color. I'm getting ahead of myself.
Will's older brother, Shawn has been shot and killed. Will knows the rules though - no crying, no snitching and get revenge. So, even though he has never held a gun, he retrieves his brother's gun from its hiding place and takes the elevator down to the lobby of his building intent on finding the dude he "knows" killed his brother and killing him. Only the elevator stops at each floor and the impossible happens.
The entire novel takes place in the time an elevator travels from the seventh floor to the first. This is a graphic novel that is not to be missed, even if you've already read the original. The panels and illustrations beg to be lingered over. Long Way Down: a graphic novel is an absolute first-purchase.
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