Long Way Down is a fantastic book by Jason Reynolds, however it has some issues. Will, the main character, had to get revenge on someone that killed his older brother, Shawn. Going down an insanely long elevator ride to get to the lobby and exit the apartment, he meets six ghosts that try to “change his mind”. The book is predictable, however it has lots of twists. There were several unexplained parts in the story that made it unclear and misinterpreted, making it hard to follow along and understand the novel.

In the very beginning of the book there is a summary saying there were seven ghosts that “Shawn” knew and would help Will discover truths. First off, there weren't seven ghosts, there were six (Page 304). The only character that would’ve been a ghost is Will, the main character. Unless he really is a deceased soul, nowhere in the book is it mentioned. In order to comprehend what is going on the reader would have to plug in ideas that will or will not be correct.

The second major flaw that needs explaining is pages 224 - 231, Mikey, Will and Shawn’s dead dad walks into the elevator. The moment is sweet and merry, and Will and Mikey are hugging. Then, in what seems like lightning speed, Mikey pulls the gun out of Will’s pocket and points it to Will’s head. The author adds nothing else, no explanation or hints about what just happened, this will shift the reader’s mind about Mikey and make him seem like an atrocious character and try and kill Will. Finally after Will’s accident, Mikey laughs and pulls Will into a bear hug. This makes the book unclear and confusing, without a proper explanation the reader will be less interested when things don't click.

This last part is the one that was the most confusing, the final ghost to appear is Shawn. As Will is hugging his older brother, Shawn did nothing. This will cause people to think Will did something to upset Shawn or that Shawn dislikes his younger brother. He kept hugging and talking to Shawn, hoping to hear something. However rewind a bit and you’ll see he spoke to and hugged the other five ghosts, but had nothing to say to Will. After an uncomfortable ride down, the ghosts, minus Will, exits the elevator. Then Shawn finally says something to him, “You Comin?” is the only thing he says, then the book ends. Not only does this confuse the reader by Shawn ignoring Will, but now he’s asking if Will is going with them. Since this is the end of the book, readers are left on a cliffhanger, dying to know what happens next. Or they’re dying to know why Shawn wouldn’t say a thing to his obviously grief - stricken brother.

Again, Jason Reynolds did a great job with the novel, one of the best i've ever read. However there are flaws with how the book was written. This causes readers to become confused and uninterested. Making them dislike the book for the lack of explanation. A story should have a clean and clear ending. The reader shouldn’t be left with any questions that weren’t meant to be questions. Mr. Reynolds should explain and include the hints that are greatly needed so that next time the story isn't tainted with confusion and misinterpretation or left on any lousy notes.