J a musician arrive to commit suicide in solitude however are quite surprised to meet each other. As he travels down on the elevator, the door opens on certain floors, and will is confronted with a different figure from his past, each a victim of gun violence, each important in his life. A buzzfeed best ya book of 2017 an ode to put the damn guns down. Long way down by jason reynolds about the book will has known about the rules ever since his childhood friend was killed on the playground, and hes followed the first two. Jason reynolds is the new york times bestselling author of all american boys, the track series, long way down, for everyone, and miles moralesspiderman he is an american author who writes novels and poetry for young adult and middlegrade audiences, including ghost, a national book award finalist for young peoples literature. In four distinct and riveting firstperson voices, nick hornby tells a story of four individuals confronting the limits of choice, circumstance and their own mortality.
If camus had written a grownup version of the breakfast club, the result might have had more. Jason reynolds is the new york times bestselling author of all american boys, the track series, long way down, for everyone, and miles moralesspiderman. Writing a book report book reports can take on many different forms. This is a tale of connections made and missed, punishing regrets and the grace of second chances. Reynolds elegant verse begs to be read aloud, and teachers will want to discuss what will might have taken away from each ghostly visit. First assignment of a characterization of maureen february 25, 2007 posted by gruelli in characters, maureen. Oct 11, 2019 get the details on what these assignments entail and how to write a great book report.
In jason reynoldss new novel in verse long way down, it all. About the book will has known about the rules ever since his childhood friend was killed on the playground, and hes followed the first two. Three types of effective book reports are plot summaries, character analyses, and theme analyses. Oct 24, 2017 its a long way down from the eighth floor to the lobby, but it only takes seven floors, 60 seconds and six ghosts to make him question his quest for revenge. Please help to improve it, or discuss the issue on the talk page. One new years eve, four people with very different reasons but a common purpose find. Based on a hit book by nick hornby high fidelity, about a boy that contained an emotional minefield maudlin enough that the film took nearly a decade to come into existence even though the hornby bandwagon was full in the 00s, a long way down is a textbook case of overdirection. As will makes his way to the ground floor of his building, the elevator stops to accept. Once in a while in a long writing career, one character rises off the page and takes on special life. Intense, hilarious, provocative and moving, a long way down is a novel about suicide that is, surprisingly, full of life. He is an american author who writes novels and poetry for young adult and middlegrade audiences, including ghost, a national book award finalist for young peoples literature.
A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Pg wodehouse may have been the last lightcomic writer to be comfy in his pigeonhole. Though the africanamerican teen has never held one, will leaves his apartment with his brothers gun tucked in his waistband. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. One new years eve, four people with very different reasons but a common purpose find their way to the top of a 15story building. A group of desperate characters fail to convince in nick hornbys riffing examination of suicide, a long way down, says adam marsjones. On a notepad, write down some notes on how you came to determine the theme.
This 27page guide for long way down by jason reynolds includes. Ein langer weg hinab ist ein schwarz humoriger roman des britischen schriftstellers nick hornby aus dem jahr 2005. Plus hearing the figurative language emphasizes its power. The long way down lesson plan contains a variety of teaching materials that cater to all learning styles. Even though this book is an obvious warning against gun. Inside youll find 30 daily lessons, 20 fun activities, 180 multiple choice questions, 60 short essay questions, 20 essay questions. Long way down book by jason reynolds official publisher. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Get the details on what these assignments entail and how to write a great book report. A long way down is a good novel struggling to find a way out of the limitations of its own gimmick, but ultimately the conceit is so offbeam that one can almost ignore it and flow with the farce. I will focus mostly on the last theme in this short analysis.
From the beginning, without shortchanging the seriousness of his characters predicaments, hornby permits himself to find uncomfortable comedy. So it happened with grandma dowdel in a long way from chicago and again in a year down yonder. The story is written in the firstperson narrative from the points of view of the four main characters, martin, maureen, jess and jj. This dark comedy incorporates themes of existentialism and mental illness, including suicide and depression, in hornbys signature upbeat style. Oct 30, 2017 in long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a plan for revenge jason reynolds new book follows a 15yearold who must make a crucial decision after the murder of his brother, all in the.
A long way from chicago and a year down yonder literature. In this novel by british author, nick hornby, who also wrote high fidelity, four strangers meet on new years eve when they all choose the same building roof in london from which to jump. In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a plan for. In his eagerly awaited fourth novel, new york timesbestselling author nick hornby mines the hearts and psyches of four lost souls who connect just when theyve reached the end of the line. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. Long way down by jason reynolds high school dlouhyatheneum 306 pp. An ode to put the damn guns down, this is new york times bestselle.
In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a plan for revenge jason reynolds new book follows a 15yearold who must make a crucial decision after the murder of. Writing a book report may not seem fun at first, but it gives you a great chance to really understand a work and its author. The entire book takes place over 60 seconds of the main characters life, enough time for him to question everything hes been taught and change his life forever. A long way down is told from the points of view of four very different people who meet on the roof of a london building each planning to commit suicide. It is a dark comedy, playing off the themes of suicide, angst, depression and promiscuity.
Fifteenyearold will holloman decided to tell the story of what happened to him immediately following his older brother shawns death. Long way down 2017 by jason reynolds is a young adult novel in free verse about will holloman, a young black boy struggling to make a decision after his brother shawn is shot dead in the street. Not once did i read a newspaper report, which convinced me that the deceased was off the old trolley. Jason reynolds new novel long way down is a study in restriction the book, which was longlisted for the 2017 national book award in young peoples literature, outlines a. If you like jonathan coe, david sedaris and david nicholls, you will love this book.
The theme is very clear throughout the novel, but i have chosen this passage from the ending of. After 15yearold will sees his older brother, shawn, gunned down on the streets, he sets out to do the expected. Long way down is a documentary about friends ewan mcgregor star wars. It is a dark comedy, playing off the themes of suicide, angst, depression and promiscuity the story is written in the firstperson narrative from the points of view of the four main characters, martin, maureen, jess and jj. Thats the trouble with suicides, ive learned you cant cut the long story short, because its the long story that people are interested in. His older brother, shawn, has been shot and killed, and wills sadness over shawns absence is like a tooth that has been ripped.
A haunting cautionary tale delivered in verse, in which fifteenyearold. The main characters martin, maureen, jj and jess, meet on the roof of toppers house, each of them wants to commit suicide. Lad lits original gang leader has written about football, music. Aug 18, 2018 long way down by prolific and award winning authorpoet jason reynolds tackles the troubling issue of gun violence. Oct 24, 2017 jason reynolds new novel long way down is a study in restriction the book, which was longlisted for the 2017 national book award in young peoples literature, outlines a single minute in the. Writing a book report helps you practice giving your opinion about different aspects of a book, such as. From this dubious beginning they form a most unlikely friendship which we see develop from their alternating points of view over 3 months. Jason reynolds new book follows a 15yearold who must make a crucial decision after the murder of his brother, all in the time it takes for an. Inside youll find 30 daily lessons, 20 fun activities, 180 multiple choice questions, 60 short essay questions, 20 essay questions, quizzeshomework assignments, tests, and more. Especially if youre me, which regrettably i was, and still am to this day.
If camus had written a grownup version of the breakfast. A reading group guide to long way down by jason reynolds about the book will has known about the rules ever since his childhood friend was killed on the playground, and hes followed the first two. Long way down by prolific and award winning authorpoet jason reynolds tackles the troubling issue of gun violence. A pageturning plot and rich, funny characters with several big laughs on every page. This astonishing book will generate much needed discussion. By the way, jason reynolds narrates the audio book for long way down and hes got such a honey baritone that makes the story come alive. The theme is very clear throughout the novel, but i have chosen this passage from the ending of the book, on page 254. In his eagerly awaited fourth novel, new york timesbestselling. Jason reynolds talks long way down and writing about gun. King honor, an edgar award, a walter dean myers book award, and a printz honor. Since then, it has become hard to find a jester who wants. The manchester united forward, who was engaged to the current miss sweden, had recently achieved a unique double.
A long way from home is among the nominees for the pulitzer prize, and careys long and prestigious collection of novels, essays, short stories and articles finds him frequently mentioned as australias choice for the nobel prize in literature. Long way down is 322 pages long, but its story only lasts a few minutes, the time it takes will to. Shortlisted for the 2005 whitbread award and the commonwealth writers prize, a long way down is a darkly hilarious and moving novel by bestselling author nick hornby. Will plans to seek revenge, but before he can leave the elevator of his building, he is greeted by a series of ghosts who confuse and complicate his perspective on shawns death and the idea of revenge killing. Lad lits original gang leader has written about football, music, parental responsibility and morality. The novel takes a big picture of the life of some of the kids of this neighbourhoods, most of whom live trapped in this atmosphere of darkness and believe theres no way out of it. Meant to be larger than life, she became all too lifelike. The story starts of with four different individuals intending to commit suicide on new years eve on toppers tower. Jul 11, 2014 based on a hit book by nick hornby high fidelity, about a boy that contained an emotional minefield maudlin enough that the film took nearly a decade to come into existence even though the hornby bandwagon was full in the 00s, a long way down is a textbook case of overdirection. Theme and message in a long way down the book blogging project. A long way down is a good novel struggling to find a way out of the limitations of its own gimmick, but ultimately the conceit is so offbeam that. Jul 21, 20 opens for links and such hey bookworms, so i thought id really enjoy this book because the concept interested me. Buy the hardcover book long way down by jason reynolds at indigo. Anyway, to cut a long story short, i decided to kill myself.
Theme and message in a long way down the book blogging. I only wanted to ask him if he was going to be long. The main themes in a long way down is suicide, depression and that there is always hope. By the way, jason reynolds narrates the audiobook for long way down and hes got such a honey baritone that makes the story come alive. Jess 18 year old,martin a middle aged, used to popular tv host, maureen a 51 year old, mother of a disabled son and j. Writing a book report helps you practice giving your opinion about different aspects of a book, such as an authors use of description or dialogue. But as he takes the elevator down, with a gun tucked in his pants, it stops on each floor and a ghost from wills past enters, all victims of gun violence, but will that be enough to change his mind. Fifteenyearold will holloman is, indeed, a hollow man as suggested by his last name. Jj is a failed american rock star, jess a somewhat psychotic teenager, maureen a middleaged women with a disabled son, and martin a disgraced talk show host. One new years eve, four strangers meet each other on a rooftop, where each has gone to kill himself. Long way down is that surprisingly structured book that will prompt complex discussion and thought.
A long way down summary at wikisummaries, free book summaries. A long way down is a novel written by british author nick hornby, published in 2005. And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. This is the premise of a long way down, a book which turns out to be a comedy.
A stellar creepy, engaging, heartbreaking novel in verse, long way down is another example of what author jason reynolds does best. Long way down is 322 pages long, but its story only lasts a few minutes, the time it takes will to go from the 6th floor of a building to ground level. Long way down is a novel written in verse that tells the story of fifteenyearold will who seeks to venge his murdered brother shawn. In this novelinverse, the events are narrated by fifteenyearold william holloman whose nineteenyearold brother shawn was shot and killed the day before. A long way down by nick hornby book club discussion. An ode to put the damn guns down, this is national book award finalist and new york times bestseller jason reynolds fiercely stunning. Episode 1, 2, and 3 and charley boormans deliverance, excalibur motorcycle trip from john ogroats in scotland to cape town, south africa. A long way down is a 2005 novel by international bestselling british author nick hornby. Feb 07, 20 the main themes in a long way down is suicide, depression and that there is always hope. In long way down, the ghosts of gun violence chill a. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. Discussion guide for long way down by jason reynolds this. She is probably the most different character in comparison to the other three characters of nick hornbys novel a long way down. Apr 30, 2005 a long way down by nick hornby 288pp, viking.