Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

12 reviews

katelynprice's review

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read this in one sitting and can't get over what Jason Reynolds can do with words. So powerful!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Death

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Blood

kaz_brekkerrr's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Murder, Cursing, and Gun violence

tfarfan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Gun violence

Moderate: Cursing

booknerdz28's review

emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I read this in a couple of hours and it is honestly so good!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Blood

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Alcohol

edesia_16's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gun violence, Death, Blood, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol and Pregnancy

theskyisthelimit's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book is an amazing collection of captivating poems that speak true to the tragedies and numerous misfortunes of a population that is often silenced. I highly recommend this book for those in middle and highschool, especially to those that may not be the best readers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, Cursing, Police brutality, and Racism

jstarshine16's review

emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Child death, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Blood, Drug use, Confinement, and Cursing

Minor: Gore, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

brookey8888's review

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow that last line gave me chills!
What an important read about the cycle of gun violence and what it does to people and generations. I thought this was a very interesting concept and I liked how it was told in verse. I listened to the audio book and I highly recommend that because Jason Reynolds(the author) narrates it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

katsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“People always love people more when they're dead.”

"YOU COMING?”

“in the mirror
my face sagged,
like sadness
was trying to pull
the skin off”

This was a fantastic book in verse. It was intense and emotional. The structure of the writing was so compelling. The entire novel takes place in a one minute period encompassing the time it takes the main character to go down the elevator to the lobby of his building. At each level, he is visited by ghosts of people from his life who have been victims (and sometimes also perpetrators of gun violence). It's a really interesting reflection on the cyclical nature of gun violence and how insidiously it encompasses our lives. The best part about this book is that it's written at a level that I think most young adults could connect with. I might even use it with middle school students who are ready for more advanced concepts. Since the writing is in verse, it's quite approachable for younger readers but even for those who really struggle with reading, the audiobook is performed by the author and is absolute perfection. Obvious trigger warnings for death and gun violence but a really impactful read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Violence, Grief, and Death

Minor: Cursing and Trafficking

spiritedfaraway's review

challenging emotional reflective

5.0

 Jason Reynolds addresses the cycle of gun violence, toxic masculinity, and family in this amazingly crafted novel. We follow fifteen year old Will, who's brother has just been murdered. We follow him as he decides whether or not he's going to murder the person who killed his brother. Because Will knows the rules; no crying, no snitching, get revenge.

The rules are the rules. But then there are sixty seconds in an elevator. But then there are sixty seconds to decide. Sixty seconds, seven floors, three rules, one gun.

 "THE SADNESS
is just so hard
to explain.

Imagine waking up
and someone,
a stranger,
got you strapped down
got pliers shoved
into your mouth,
gripping a tooth
somewhere in the back,
one of the big
important ones,
and rips it out.

Imagine the knocking
in your head,
the pressure pushing
through your ears,
the blood pooling.

But the worst part,
the absolute worst part,
is the constant slipping
of your tongue
into the new empty space,
where you know
a tooth supposed to be
but ain't no more."

I'm still new to books in verse, but I've found that I absolutely love them. The feelings they inspire, the impact they make. And this one is no different, it's powerful and heartfelt, it's gut-wrenching and thought provoking. Once you pick it up, you wont be able to put it down.

I read this first and then listened to it via audiobook (the author reads it himself and it's amazing and definitely listen to the interview with Reynolds at the end) and then I read it again, along with the audiobook. Each time I reread it, the impact and feelings the book invoked got stronger and stronger. I noticed all the nuances more on each reread, but it only took reading this once to notice how absolutely incredible this book is. A brilliant must read.

 "BEEF
gets passed down like name-brand
t-shirts around here. Always to big.
Never ironed out.

gets inherited like a trunk of fool's
gold or a treasure map leading
to nowhere.

came knocking on my brother's life,
kicked the damn door down and took
everything except his gold chain." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Death, Drug use, Grief, Cursing, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

Death of a parent (in the past), death of a friend (in the past), and death of a sibling.