Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds Published by Marvel Press on August 1st 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, YA
Goodreads
"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.
I received a copy of this novel for review from the publisher. This does not influence my thoughts on the book or this review.
As a fan of both the Spider-Man comics and Jason Reynolds’ YA novels, I was so excited to read Reynolds’ run of Miles Morales. If you’re expecting an origin story, you won’t find it
Miles is just trying to keep his head down. His spidey sense has been on the fritz and he can’t afford to lose his scholarship. With the weight of his community’s expectations on his shoulders, Miles is attempting to stay off the radar. But when his nightmares get more intense, he discovers a plot that not only affects his own fate as Spider-Man, but his entire community.
If you’re expecting a classic origin story, this isn’t it. But don’t let that stop you. Miles is just a teen dealing with the weight of his family’s and society’s expectations, but he happens to have the powers of Spider-Man. Miles is just a real teen and that’s part of why I loved Miles Morales.
Overall, Miles Morales is just a phenomenal novel. Jason Reynolds’ writing truly brings Miles to life in a way that fleshes out the character that I already loved from the comics.
