What books are similar to Long Way Down?

The 10 closest matches to Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds on ReadingList include The Fault in Our Stars, The Outsiders, The Poet X, Four for the Road, and The Silence That Binds Us. Each is scored on shared themes (grief, revenge, and family), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 7–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Long Way Down reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 7–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like Long Way Down

If you liked Long Way Down, read The Fault in Our Stars, The Outsiders, or The Poet X — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green — shares grief

Get it on Amazon →

Affiliate link: as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Looking for books like Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (Young Adult Fiction · 720L · grades 7–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of grief, revenge, and family. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 7–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

Try it on audio — free. Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

New members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Why each is a match

Amazon links below are affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

The Fault in Our Stars850L: Shares themes of grief, both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Young Adult Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The Outsiders750L: Shares themes of family and violence, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and same genre (Young Adult Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
The Poet X800L: Shares themes of family, both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Young Adult Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Four for the Roadgrades 9–12: Shares themes of grief, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Silence That Binds Usgrades 9–12: Shares themes of grief, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Ghost730L: Is by Jason Reynolds, the same author, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+1 more shared list), and a close reading level (730L vs 720L). Amazon → books like this →
The Perks of Being a Wallflower720L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (720L vs 720L). Amazon → books like this →
The Book Thief730L: Shares themes of loss, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (730L vs 720L). Amazon → books like this →
Speak690L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (690L vs 720L). Amazon → books like this →
Monster670L: Both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and a close reading level (670L vs 720L). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Long Way Down for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande · grades K–3 — Shares themes of grief and family.
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey · 730L — Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (730L vs 720L).
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Shares themes of family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (750L vs 720L).
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume · 470L — Shares themes of family, both on the North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award list (+1 more shared list), and a close reading level (470L vs 720L).

Books like Long Way Down for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan · 660L — Shares themes of family and loss, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (660L vs 720L).
Stuntboy, In-Between Time by Jason Reynolds · grades 3–6 — Is by Jason Reynolds, the same author and shares themes of family.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown · 740L — Shares themes of family, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and a close reading level (740L vs 720L).
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo · 610L — Shares themes of loss, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (610L vs 720L).
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner · 550L — Shares themes of family and loss, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (550L vs 720L).

Books like Long Way Down for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

Stuntboy, In-Between Time by Jason Reynolds · grades 3–6 — Is by Jason Reynolds, the same author and shares themes of family.
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of loss, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (7–10).
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown · 740L — Shares themes of family, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and a close reading level (740L vs 720L).
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie · 600L — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+2 more shared lists) and a close reading level (600L vs 720L).
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein · grades 4–6 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+1 more shared list) and the same era (2010s).

Books like Long Way Down for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger · 790L — Shares themes of grief, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (790L vs 720L).
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt · grades 7–10 — Shares themes of loss, both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, and overlapping grades (7–10).
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas · 590L — Shares themes of family, both on the Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) list (+1 more shared list), and a close reading level (590L vs 720L).
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie · 600L — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list (+2 more shared lists) and a close reading level (600L vs 720L).
His Face Is the Sun by Michelle Jabès Corpora · grades 9–12 — Both on the Great Lakes Great Books Award list, same genre (Young Adult Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12).

Common questions

What books are similar to Long Way Down?: The 10 closest matches to Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds on ReadingList include The Fault in Our Stars, The Outsiders, The Poet X, Four for the Road, and The Silence That Binds Us. Each is scored on shared themes (grief, revenge, and family), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 7–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Long Way Down reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 7–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

← Back to Long Way Down