Long Way Down is a 2017 young adult novel by Jason Reynolds.

The book was named Printz Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and Newbery Medal Honor Book while longlisted for the National Book Award.

This epic story has amassed positive reviews and is recommended in several schools.

The story explores the concept of scaling the right and wrong choices on a beam balance.

What would you do if you had the right to seek revenge but were also perpetuating a chain reaction? Is there a right or wrong answer? Let us explore the moral compass of Long Way Down.

Long Way Down Quick Summary

Will and Shawn are the products of the “street.” Living in a violence-prone neighborhood, the young boys are navigating their coming-of-age while assimilating normative masculinity. But their lives take a dark turn when Shawn is killed in a gang-related shootout.

Now, Will is left with an obvious choice– revenge!

It is obvious since he has to follow the street rules:

Don’t cry

Don’t snitch

Get revenge

Will sets out for vengeance with Shawn’s gun and takes an elevator. This is where the story explores “time is relative.” As the elevator descends, he encounters a dead person from his past.

Floor 5

BUCK is Shawn’s mentor. He integrated him into the neighborhood and handed him a gun. This can symbolize Will’s first frame of mind, which compels him to turn on his rage and seek revenge for his brother.

Floor 4

DANI is Will’s childhood crush. But her story of being killed at eight years old due to a stray shot shifts Will’s mind for a brief moment. Will’s mind is clouded by fear when Dani says, “What if you miss?”

Floor 3

UNCLE MARK is the typical tough guy who wants his nephew to man and make a plan of action. This phase of Will’s mind can be interpreted as– “it is what everyone does. So why not me?”

Floor 2

MIKEY, Will’s father, was absent in his life. When he enters the elevator, Will has a moment of being the child that he is and not being all macho for the streets. He is seeking a firm answer to the overflowing doubts in his head. Mikey tells Will that he was in a similar situation before. In a fit of rage, he killed the wrong person, and then his acquaintance got revenge on him– thus continuing a cycle.

This is a validation for Will that he is making a hasty decision. But still, there is turmoil for his revenge.

Floor 1

SHAWN is the last person to enter, and there is no dialogue. It’s only Shawn crying, and Will’s mind is utterly numb at the sight. Shawn gets out as the elevator door opens and asks Will, “You coming?”

And that’s where the story ends.

What Happened to Will at the End of Long Way Down?

As the door opens to the final floor, Will’s steps determine his decision. But the author leaves us right there. He wants the readers to make a decision for him.

The 1-minute elevator ride fragments his mind into five different stages. These phases can also be symbolic of various stages of grief- anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Since Will is not allowed to cry over his brother’s death, his unhealthy coping mechanism is defined by toxic masculinity and the perils of patriarchy in the neighborhood.

Each person narrates Will’s moral compass. But only Will can decide where the needle would point–either towards revenge or return back.