Street violence is common in their neighborhood, and many deaths are a result of "rules" which drive kill or be killed motives.

Shawn introduces Will to the "rules" in their neighborhood and to the concept of loyalty, which is a contributing factor to the amount of violence in their neighborhood. Bethany is a certified Special Education and Elementary teacher with 11 years experience teaching Special Education from grades PK through 5. Will has Shawn's gun under his second hand shirt as he rides down in the elevator on his way to kill the boy who shot his brother. As Will rides the elevator to the lobby, he is joined by several ghosts: Shawn's friend Buck who was killed by Frick in a gang initiation, Will's childhood friend Dani who was killed when they were eight, Will's Uncle Mark who died in a bad drug situation, Will's father Mikey who tried to kill Mark's killer and died for killing the wrong guy, Buck's killer Frick who was killed by Shawn, and finally, Shawn himself.

Or did he heed the cautions from his elevator visitors, sensing the regret, and observing the endless path of destruction torn by bullet after bullet through the ranks of his family and friends? 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. A heartrending and convincing blank verse narrative, with atmospheric mixed-media images by Chris Priestley, about a 15-year-old boy whose brother is shot, "lying there like a piece/of furniture left outside", and who wrestles with the idea of revenge.

Because when your non-book-reading kid tells you that you HAVE to read this one right now you put your fluffy romance aside and listen to the boy. A haunting cautionary tale delivered in verse, in which fifteen-year-old Will is forced to consider the potential consequences of his actions as he, armed with a gun and seeking revenge, waits for the elevator in his building to reach the ground floor.It’s written in verse, but tells a complete story of a young boy who is out to seek revenge because his brother was killed. This was a powerful and unique book , but the reason I’m giving it 3 stars is because it somehow missed the mark for me. The weight of dehumanization, of being stripped of personhood because of instinctual moments and feelings, unfettered. The "an eye for an eye" mentality only serves to perpetuate a cycle of violence in which nothing ever really changes or gets better until someone is brave enough to break the cycle. Told in short, powerful verse, the novel explores the tenacity of the cycle of violence, the pain of toxic masculinity, and the dangers of repressed grief.

The story is as gripping and moving as ever, its atmosphere perhaps even more poignant courtesy of Danica Novgorodoff's impactful watercolour illustrations. Will learns how each of the ghosts is connected with the rules, as they express surprise, sadness, skepticism, or regret at Will's plan. As I have already mentioned, this book is a quick read, but the emotional impact it has, is phenomenal.The rules that have been set by his family and community, because validation lies there and it’s the only way a situation has ever been handled. Books can help teenagers to process sad feelings, especially when they find it hard to talk to adults.