I'd really give this 3.5 stars, I think. Here, we get another story of Peter as the teacher in the second half, and I like seeing this side of him. He really cares for his students, and Ezekiel also gets him thinking about what happens to the people he throws in jail. It wasn't quite as fast paced or emotionally charged as the previous volumes though. Excited to see what comes next!

I always like being able to see Peter/Spider-Man in different places other than New York, and I enjoyed the way that we still get to see Peter struggling with his personal issues from before while still being Spider-Man. And Doc Ock is my favorite villain, so bonus points for bringing him back in this issue!

Between the 9/11 issue and the conversation with Aunt May, this might be the most emotionally charged Spider-Man volume I've read yet. It doesn't do much to move the story forward, but it still includes important emotional moments for Peter Parker.

Going on a Spider-Man kick after seeing Into the Spider-Verse and this did not disappoint! And now I have more context for the Spider-Verse storyline in the latest run--a win-win situation.

I struggled with how to rate this book because while the narrative didn't necessarily connect with me, I do think there are readers that would connect with this story. Joel has hundreds of unsent text messages on his phone, and they've been piling up ever since the event. There are just certain people that he can't talk to in person. And he's slowly drifting away from everyone else. Joel doesn't have much hope that things will get better; at least, until he starts forming a bond with his fellow students.

It was difficult for me to get into this story because I think it tried to tackle too many issues. Not only is Joel struggling with what happened to his best friend, he's also struggling with homelessness, the treatment of veterans, making friends, and even mental health issues. Because the book jumped around between these issues, it was difficult for me to follow the main narrative. More focus would have allowed these issues to breath, better communicating them to the reader.

Despite the flaws, the characters were really fleshed out; I got a good sense of Joel and his friends. I generally like character driven narratives, but there was just something that didn't click here for me.

Read this and more reviews at between-the-shelves.com!

The centaurs must return to Earth in order to save their dying race. But where they hope to find solace, they only find conflict and violence. They must work to keep the last centaur infant alive so that their race doesn't die out completely. But have they done enough to ensure their species' survival?

Tabitha Darling sent me a copy of this book to review, and it's pretty far from what I usually read. Despite this, I found myself drawn into the story of the centaur's desperate fight to save their species. It really makes you think about what you would do in order to save your own species. Darling pulls in elements from our own world to help make her fantastical one more realistic, which works in drawing in the reader's attention and centering them in this world.

The information provided at the beginning of the book about the religion of the centaurs, the point of view, and other important aspect of the novel and the world was helpful when diving in at the beginning. While the world was immersive, at times, I wish there was a more gradual build in the story itself. I found that there were moments when I would get lost, having to refer to the front to try to orient myself back into the story.

Despite these moments, the story itself was compelling, especially as you get to know the characters throughout. It was refreshing that this was a dystopian-esque book, but there wasn't really a single person chosen to save the centaurs. In a sense, they all had to work together to ensure that their species didn't disappear forever. This was probably my favorite aspect of the book, and I'd be interested in seeing where the series goes next.