Name: Briar's Reviews's review of Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds
Item: Miles Morales: Spider-Man
Rating: 2
Author: Briar's Reviews

Jason Reynolds

"Everyone gets mad at hustlers, especially if you're on the victim side of the hustle. And Miles knew hustling was in his veins." Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He's even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he's Spider Man. But lately, Miles's spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren't meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad's advice and focus on saving himself. As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can't shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher's lectures on the historical "benefits" of slavery and the importance of the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk. It's time for Miles to suit up.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man

Briar's Reviews

Sarah Sammis

Will there be more?

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...

"Everyone gets mad at hustlers, especially if you're on the victim side of the hustle. And Miles knew hustling was in his veins." Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He's even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he's Spider Man. But lately, Miles's spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren't meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad's advice and focus on saving himself. As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can't shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher's lectures on the historical benefits of slavery and the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk. It's time for Miles to suit up.

Melissa Palmer

Book #22 Read in 2019
Miles Morales, Spiderman by Jason Reynolds

This is a tale of Miles, whose alter ego is SpiderMan. He is trying to keep his identity a secret, survive a mean history teacher and help out his parents. My 9th grade male students love this book. It was a quick read and I like Jason Reynolds and his writing.

I came into this book expecting an exciting Spider-Man filled adventure, but I got way more Miles Morales high school student with extra human abilities instead.

I expected so much more from this book, which makes me feel kinda sour. The writing is incredible, Miles Morales is a fun narrator and the cover is WOW. But this was way more just a Miles Morales story than a Spider-Man story. I expected (and wanted) Lots of action, Spidey bad guys and thrilling fight scenes. There were a bit, but not enough to make this feel like a Spider-Man book at all.

Jason Reynolds is a crazy good writer and made Miles feel like the boy next store. I enjoyed the shenanigans and the story itself. I highly recommend Jason Reynolds as a writer! 

Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough plot to keep me interested. Part of me wonders if it's because I'm an adult reading a book that's for a middle grade or YA reader, but at the same time I should still get some fun out of it. It's just unfortunate.

Two out of five stars.

Amanda Kordeliski

4.5
This is so much more than a superhero book. Reynolds explores race, identity, institutionalized racism and how poverty, educational and the criminal justice system are a complex, interconnected web. The only reason this doesn't hit five stars for me is the culminating battle at the end. The powers of the villain (and he was uber-creepy) weren't fleshed out completely and I needed to understand his dream power and other abilities better to appreciate the battle. I loved Miles Morales and his conflicted feelings about becoming Spiderman. How he feels responsible for his family and his neighborhood and also feels guilty for wanting to just be a teenager and get an education to open up different doors for himself. I enjoyed the bits and nods of acknowledgment to Spiderman and at the same time respect how Reynolds took a comic book hero and gave his signature take on life in Miles Morales' world. Highly recommend for purchase in every secondary library.

Maura

In this version of Spider-Man, the reader follows Miles Morales, a much needed Latino superhero. This novel focuses on the daily life of Miles as a minority in an urban setting, tackling social justice and political issues in his community. Reynolds approaches these topics in a way that young readers are engaged with the text and can see themselves being reflected back to them as they learn how to navigate the world they live in. This book is a good way for students of color to see themselves as a superhero, but also know that other people share their struggles.

Jeni Enjaian

I enjoyed this book, caught up in the highly believable action. I have enjoyed Reynolds work before and have also read some of his more mediocre work as well, last year's selection in this award group. This book rises above "Ghost" but does not come close to the amazingness that is "Long Way Down."

I really need to watch "Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse." That being said, I still enjoyed this book even without knowing Morales' background. 

Reynolds weaves a real story with abhorrent but real political views through Chamberlain. (I shuddered more than once in disgust during some of his monologues.) Reynolds anchors a superhero story in real life and does so well. The only thing I would have appreciated would be a better explanation of who the villain is and how the plan worked. Perhaps Reynolds plans on a sequel to explore this? Who knows.

I did enjoy this book and could comfortably recommend this to my students.

Briar's Reviews &
Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

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