I’m marking this as read even though it isn’t technically out in this printed format yet because I have already read through the 16 episodes of the webcomic that will be included in this volume. Love this series so much and looking forward to being able to look at it again when it comes out in print!

After an extended flashback, the story returns to the current cast and the fallout of the explosive homecoming dance.

I liked this volume in the same way I find all the books in this series to be enjoyable YA sci-fi fluff. But I'm still going to whine about it.

The way Stephen McCrainie deals with character names is so stupid it throws me out of the story. Sure, people don't use their first and last names in casual conversation, but this time he repeatedly has newscasters and their televised graphics referring to characters involved in a major breaking news story as "Amy" and "Parents of Amy" and a public figure as "Chief Delaney." It reminds me of an earlier volume where a sports announcer kept referring to the quarterback as "David" during a game, when they just don't do that. I don't know what McCrainie has against last names, but why take the avoidance of them to such a ridiculous degree, especially when many characters in the book have first and last names?

The cover is highly misleading, being derived from a couple pages where Qiana Jacobs is playing a virtual reality video game. There are no space tiger/scorpions hybrids in this series, though an alien presence is getting more and more screen time.

The Foot Code: Amy and the alien are the only characters on pointe this time, and suspiciously their storylines are now intertwining. However, Amy's feet fall flat once she changes out of her homecoming dress and into a uniform provided to her. Are the pointed feet being phased out? Hmm. Must continue research. ( )

“Peace is not detachment […] when you accept a hard thing, you don’t have to be okay with it. You’re allowed to feel sad.”

So good! The tension and emotion keeps getting layered like whipped cream. I’m interested in seeing where things go from here. Right now, Amy’s hand sis being forced to join the same people that tried to kill her! I'm also still trying to wrap my head around Wanderer.

For reference: Book ends at #190 of the Webtoon ( )