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jsrogers123's review against another edition
5.0
Big Ace of Spades vibes, fantastic. This is how IP fiction should be
erincataldi's review against another edition
4.0
This is a superhero book, that doesn't focus on the special powers or saving people. Miles is a student at Brooklyn Vision Academy and he's got a lot on his plate; he doesn't have a ton of time for the whole superhero thing. He has to be on his best behavior after getting a suspension, but it's getting increasingly harder to do with his dreaded history professor, Mr. Chamberlain. Plus he's got some family issues at home, grades to worry about, a girl to crush on and so much more. He does get the spiderman suit on a few times, but this is more the day to day life of a teenage superhero (think Ms. Marvel - with less action). Racism, growing up poor, family issues, poetry, and making a stand for what you believe in are all prominent themes. The ending wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't awful by any stretch of the imagination. A great book for all teens, not just those who love Marvel Comics. The audiobook was wonderfully narrated as well if that's a selling point for some of you.
mcf's review against another edition
4.0
Though the presence of realism in a book about Spiderman might seem irrelevant at best, it's in fact the greatest strength of Miles Morales. As he showed in All American Boys (among others), Reynolds has a real gift for writing real people in real situations, having real conversations; Miles and those who surround him are no different. It must be a difficult task to seriously address socioeconomic inequality, racism, and violent crime within what is essentially a supernatural YA story, but Reynolds pulls it off without a hitch, and it's great.
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for the ARC.
mnstucki's review against another edition
4.0
Took me FOREVER to read... I took a break from it for over a year. I knew I wanted to read it eventually but just wasn’t feeling it at the time. I think seeing the recently released animated Spider-Man helped me get back into it, and listening to the audio was definitely the way to go. I really enjoyed it!
mrz_owenz's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this version of Spider-Man. Reynolds adds depth and detail to the community Miles comes from and his family. While the main character is a super hero fighting a supernatural villain, the story is also about any teenager trying to do the right thing and make his family proud even when his instincts and some people around him are pushing him down the wrong path. It's a shame that the character of Chamberlain is accurate and so far too prevalent in schools and prisons. It makes my heart hurt that that character is not some unbelievable super villain but just regular, pedantic, banal evil that still exists far too often.
alison_marie's review against another edition
4.0
I like that we're spared the origin story, other than a few paragraphs explaining how Miles got his powers, but the reveal of the big bad guy felt very rushed and shoehorned in at the end. I would have been content without a climactic superhero battle, which felt out of character in the book. The more enjoyable parts were Miles trying to balance his powers with being a teenager of color in today's world.
cekaya's review against another edition
4.0
I originally picked up this book as quick read to jump-start my summer reading. As a fresh graduate from college, I haven't read a book for pleasure in over 4 years, and I just wanted to prove that I could actually finish a book. I had no idea how much I would enjoy this novel!
This is so much more than just an action-packed superhero novel-- it has incredibly deep moral themes and political commentary. What begins as a seemingly typical Spiderman story turns into a subtle, yet critical look into inner city school systems, the school to prison pipeline, and historical/systemic racism and white supremacy. Miles Morales, a mixed-race high schooler with super spider strength and ability, grapples with generational trauma throughout the book, feeling the weight of the socio-economic burdens passed on by his ancestors. Profiled as a kid who "comes from a line of criminals" and "made it out" of his neighborhood, his story offers an empathetic view of the complex issues faced by youth of color today. I think that this book explores every aspect of the identity of Miles Morales in a critical way that has yet to be explored by many marvel characters as of late.
This is so much more than just an action-packed superhero novel-- it has incredibly deep moral themes and political commentary. What begins as a seemingly typical Spiderman story turns into a subtle, yet critical look into inner city school systems, the school to prison pipeline, and historical/systemic racism and white supremacy. Miles Morales, a mixed-race high schooler with super spider strength and ability, grapples with generational trauma throughout the book, feeling the weight of the socio-economic burdens passed on by his ancestors. Profiled as a kid who "comes from a line of criminals" and "made it out" of his neighborhood, his story offers an empathetic view of the complex issues faced by youth of color today. I think that this book explores every aspect of the identity of Miles Morales in a critical way that has yet to be explored by many marvel characters as of late.
kitkat2000's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
3.5
sabrandbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Lots of potential, but this book unfortunately didn’t feel developed enough.
michellewords's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second Jason Reynolds book. He's definitely my favorite discovery during this pandemic.
I actually picked up this book for my daughter. I assumed it would be a comic book and it definitely was a young adult chapter book. I really enjoyed the last book I read by Reynolds and I'm a superhero fan, so I thought I would give it a chance.
In this book, Miles is having a rough time at Brooklyn Visions Academy. His spider-sense is all messed up, he keeps having these crazy dreams, he keeps messing up when trying to talk with this girl he likes, and his history teacher is low-key racist and maybe has it in for him. Miles puts away the spidey-suit for a little bit to focus and push away the crazy spiderman stuff. Except he receives this letter at school from a juvenile detention center that opens up something a lot bigger than Visions Academy.
It's not the typical spiderman vs super villain story we know. Reynolds mixes in history with the present including racism, family pressure, and self-identification.
I would like to straight up thank Jason Reynolds for his voice and his writing. He deserves all the hype. I read a lot of books-a lot of books by white authors. It's not intentional but I also wouldn't say it's unintentional. I've become a little too habitual with the authors voices I listen to.
I love Reynolds narrative style and his characters. They have little quirks that make them so familiar and relatable even as a 33 year old white mom in suburban Utah.
This book would be worth a long, hard look. It's clear that there is real purpose there. At the way we cling to history and it's leaders (*cough* confederate statues, presidents, etc). What we look to, we can duplicate in the present. I DO NOT want to duplicate racist jerks into the world I live in.
I think that's what I have always loved about the character of Miles Morales. He has so much more heart than the spidermen from my childhood. So Reynolds writing as Morales makes perfect sense.
I'm super glad I read this book and I do recommend it. It's not heavy handed, but it can provoke some thought provoking conversations.
I actually picked up this book for my daughter. I assumed it would be a comic book and it definitely was a young adult chapter book. I really enjoyed the last book I read by Reynolds and I'm a superhero fan, so I thought I would give it a chance.
In this book, Miles is having a rough time at Brooklyn Visions Academy. His spider-sense is all messed up, he keeps having these crazy dreams, he keeps messing up when trying to talk with this girl he likes, and his history teacher is low-key racist and maybe has it in for him. Miles puts away the spidey-suit for a little bit to focus and push away the crazy spiderman stuff. Except he receives this letter at school from a juvenile detention center that opens up something a lot bigger than Visions Academy.
It's not the typical spiderman vs super villain story we know. Reynolds mixes in history with the present including racism, family pressure, and self-identification.
I would like to straight up thank Jason Reynolds for his voice and his writing. He deserves all the hype. I read a lot of books-a lot of books by white authors. It's not intentional but I also wouldn't say it's unintentional. I've become a little too habitual with the authors voices I listen to.
I love Reynolds narrative style and his characters. They have little quirks that make them so familiar and relatable even as a 33 year old white mom in suburban Utah.
This book would be worth a long, hard look. It's clear that there is real purpose there. At the way we cling to history and it's leaders (*cough* confederate statues, presidents, etc). What we look to, we can duplicate in the present. I DO NOT want to duplicate racist jerks into the world I live in.
I think that's what I have always loved about the character of Miles Morales. He has so much more heart than the spidermen from my childhood. So Reynolds writing as Morales makes perfect sense.
I'm super glad I read this book and I do recommend it. It's not heavy handed, but it can provoke some thought provoking conversations.