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Space Boy #5
Space Boy Volume 5
A sci-fi drama of a high school aged girl who belongs in a different time, a boy possessed by emptiness as deep as space, an alien artifact, mysterious murder, and a love that crosses light years.
To Amy, everyone has a flavor, and when that flavor begins to disappear, it spells trouble.
After the crushing confrontation with Oliver, Amy is on the hunt for answers. This leads her to an old, moldy water containment facility, and leaves her with more questions than answers. At the same time, some of Amy's closest friends may be drifting apart.
To Amy, everyone has a flavor, and when that flavor begins to disappear, it spells trouble.
After the crushing confrontation with Oliver, Amy is on the hunt for answers. This leads her to an old, moldy water containment facility, and leaves her with more questions than answers. At the same time, some of Amy's closest friends may be drifting apart.
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2019
11 people are currently reading
429 people want to read
About the author
Stephen McCranie
45 books339 followersStephen McCranie has been drawing comics since before he could read or write. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Fine Arts and currently lives and works out of a small apartment in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
May 22, 2020
Loved it!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 24, 2019
Nothing new to report here: low-key engaging with a heavy emphasis on teen angst and a slow trickle of new information.
Oh, wait, one curious thing: As noted in a previous review of mine, all male characters have flat feet, and all female characters are depicted en pointe (enlarge the cover thumbnail to see an example) . . . except the art teacher with flat feet who otherwise presents as female. Does this denote transgender in the Space Boy universe?
Oh, wait, one curious thing: As noted in a previous review of mine, all male characters have flat feet, and all female characters are depicted en pointe (enlarge the cover thumbnail to see an example) . . . except the art teacher with flat feet who otherwise presents as female. Does this denote transgender in the Space Boy universe?
December 3, 2023
I think it helps that I'm caught up on the webtoon, so I already know the answers to a lot of the questions and so I'm not put off by the slow pacing. This comic just speaks to me on an emotional level. "When I look at you, I don't see a failure, I see my friend. And I refuse to see you any other way. I won't define you by your mistakes. I won't hate you. So please, don't hate yourself."
January 31, 2020
Acho que a melhor coisa que eu poderia ter feito foi ler os 5 primeiros volumes em sequência, já que a história continua a cada volume com o que acontece no dia seguinte (ao invés de um espaço de tempo entre um volume e outro).
Agora aguardo ansiosamente pelos próximos volumes. :)
Agora aguardo ansiosamente pelos próximos volumes. :)
February 3, 2020
Yeah, still pretty interesting. The series is in no rush to answer its questions, letting us bask in this world that the creator has made.
Thought that was Amy with her hair down on the cover instead of Cassie. Pretty neat episode for Cassie. From tropes, you'd expect Cassie to be the mean girl archetype, so it's nice to see she has more depth than that, even if she has a lot of room to grow.
Oh Oliver, where are you and what are you thinking right now? Because it's been a while since I read this series, so I genuinely don't remember what happened last time.
Thought that was Amy with her hair down on the cover instead of Cassie. Pretty neat episode for Cassie. From tropes, you'd expect Cassie to be the mean girl archetype, so it's nice to see she has more depth than that, even if she has a lot of room to grow.
Oh Oliver, where are you and what are you thinking right now? Because it's been a while since I read this series, so I genuinely don't remember what happened last time.
July 9, 2019
Vol 5 doesn't actiually come out until later this year, but I've just spent all day catching up on the rest of this comic online (it's available on webtoons.com - it's free and has been the authors main platform for the last 4 years).
Definitely going to keep buying these as they come out- the story is so great, and the author is definiutely a creator I want to be supporting!
Definitely going to keep buying these as they come out- the story is so great, and the author is definiutely a creator I want to be supporting!
December 28, 2019
Any book in a series that begins with "The next day..." should immediately be trashed. No preamble? Not a single reference to what's come before? Clearly it was something of import!
After that rough start, the fifth Space Boy volume largely rights the ship through great art, interesting discussion of prosthetics, and a quality plot development from Cassie(!). Amy moons over Oliver, exploring his graffiti art in an abandoned water treatment plant behind the school. At this point, I can't remember why we care about him. She also goes on a dress-shopping excursion with Cassie that leads to a Stunning Plot Development () that's honestly more exciting than any of the Oliver stuff. I really feel like I should be bored with this series, and yet somehow I'm not.
After that rough start, the fifth Space Boy volume largely rights the ship through great art, interesting discussion of prosthetics, and a quality plot development from Cassie(!). Amy moons over Oliver, exploring his graffiti art in an abandoned water treatment plant behind the school. At this point, I can't remember why we care about him. She also goes on a dress-shopping excursion with Cassie that leads to a Stunning Plot Development () that's honestly more exciting than any of the Oliver stuff. I really feel like I should be bored with this series, and yet somehow I'm not.
February 18, 2020
Another great installment for the series. I was glad to see that Cassie’s behavior finally turns up some consequences and hopefully will lead to better character development.
Some large clues are also dropped in relation to Oliver’s past and his connection with Dr. Kim. I have sooo many questions, but also have quite a few theories as to what will be revealed next.
Can I just say that I also feel a little worried that Zeph is going to get his heart unintentionally broken by Amy? Poor guy. He’s so pure, but also a little clueless.
The message at the end was a nice touch - how we are more than our mistakes and that we can move past them. Looking forward to the next installment which will have a focus on Zeph.
Some large clues are also dropped in relation to Oliver’s past and his connection with Dr. Kim. I have sooo many questions, but also have quite a few theories as to what will be revealed next.
Can I just say that I also feel a little worried that Zeph is going to get his heart unintentionally broken by Amy? Poor guy. He’s so pure, but also a little clueless.
The message at the end was a nice touch - how we are more than our mistakes and that we can move past them. Looking forward to the next installment which will have a focus on Zeph.
January 15, 2022
Age: 13+
Genre: sci-fi, ya, coming of age
Content: clean
Language: none
Review: I feel like this volume was really fast-paced without a whole lot of main plot development- however, there were definitely some side character revelations! The story seems to be very well-rounded with side plots that support the main one, and I like that about it.
Genre: sci-fi, ya, coming of age
Content: clean
Language: none
Review: I feel like this volume was really fast-paced without a whole lot of main plot development- however, there were definitely some side character revelations! The story seems to be very well-rounded with side plots that support the main one, and I like that about it.
December 11, 2019
I really love this series. This one was a little more love story than before - or rather the bumpiness of a potential love story and the end of another. But I still love how authentic everyone feels even though this is set well into the future. I’m hoping for a bit more of Oliver in the next one though. It’s very light on the Space Boy for a series named after him.
December 26, 2019
How do the adorable little graphic novels in this series always manage to pack such powerful punches of cuteness and emotion in such a short time-span? I'm amazed and delighted, always.
December 31, 2019
This series is so adorable and honest and complex. AND SPACE.
May 4, 2022
Okay, just a little too much teen drama in this one. 😛
September 14, 2022
enter: the angst
always go well when mixed with teenagers figuring out their feelings and stuff
always go well when mixed with teenagers figuring out their feelings and stuff
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January 14, 2023이제 본격적으로 재밌어질라 하네 ㅋㅋㅋ
October 30, 2023
Oof. Rough relationships in this one. I love how real Stephen McCranie makes his characters!
October 25, 2024
This series is still fun and captivating; even with high school lessons that remain relevant today. I’m particularly enjoying the character development.
November 24, 2025
Cassie is a good example of a good person who keeps doing bad things. I can get annoyed with her, but I don’t necessarily hate her. She has good potential for growth later on in the series.
March 5, 2019
This is a must-read. The art was amazing, the storyline was good and fresh and fun, it was overall very good.
March 18, 2020
Ugh I love these so much, I need the next book NOW!!
January 11, 2024
3,5 ⭐️
November 26, 2019
February cannot come soon enough!
December 31, 2019
After reading this book, I realized that I must have skipped #4! I'll have to go back to see what I missed. No wonder I felt a little lost while reading.
In this installment, Amy and Oliver are on the outs. She wants to be done with him, but she is also so intrigued by him and wants to help him get away from the Nothing. She remembers that he frequently goes off into the woods, so she heads there hoping to find him. Instead, she comes across an abandoned water treatment plant where Oliver has painted several murals. But what do these images mean? Meanwhile, Cassie insists on taking Amy shopping so she can find a dress for homecoming. But Cassie gets quite a shock when David breaks up with her - over the phone.
I love the artwork in these books - but they are too short! I want to keep reading and reading and have more happen. Instead, I fly through these in under an hour.
In this installment, Amy and Oliver are on the outs. She wants to be done with him, but she is also so intrigued by him and wants to help him get away from the Nothing. She remembers that he frequently goes off into the woods, so she heads there hoping to find him. Instead, she comes across an abandoned water treatment plant where Oliver has painted several murals. But what do these images mean? Meanwhile, Cassie insists on taking Amy shopping so she can find a dress for homecoming. But Cassie gets quite a shock when David breaks up with her - over the phone.
I love the artwork in these books - but they are too short! I want to keep reading and reading and have more happen. Instead, I fly through these in under an hour.
August 14, 2020
Love this series, and I’ll continue to read it, but I was disappointed by the reference to “cross dressing.” It is a really outdated phrase and they seem to make fun of it. Wasn’t relevant to the storyline at all so just didn’t need to be in there. I wish the writer, and editor, would have be better informed.
March 17, 2020
References a cross-dressing day for spirit week being embarrassing for the boys. I could have done without that.
December 11, 2019
Series Info/Source: This is the fifth book in the Space Boy series. I borrowed this book from the library.
Story (3/5): The story continues to move really slow and doesn’t make much progress. A lot of time is spent on really mundane things like Amy in art class or at lunch. I am just finding the pace to be too slow for me and the story too meandering.
Characters (4/5): We spend a lot of time with Amy and Cassie in this book. Amy is trying to deal with Oliver’s rejection and Cassie is trying to convince Amy to prep for the upcoming school dance. Meanwhile, Cassie is having some issues of her own as her and her boyfriend grow apart. Oliver really isn’t in the story much. So far this has been a very character driven series.
Setting (3/5): This episode is again set on future Earth. The main advancement seems to be smart eyeglasses. It’s okay but I wish we saw more of the outer space colonies.
Drawing/Writing Style (4/5): The dialogue is well written and easy to follow. The illustration is very cartoony and bright and easy to follow. It’s a very well put together graphic novel.
Summary (3.5/5): Although I enjoy the characters and the illustration style, this series continues to move too slow for me. There isn’t a very solid plot and the story doesn’t progress very much in each volume. I didn’t realize that this was a webcomic which can be read for free online. While I probably won’t continue to get the graphic novels, I might go ahead and read the web comic online. Not sure right now.
Story (3/5): The story continues to move really slow and doesn’t make much progress. A lot of time is spent on really mundane things like Amy in art class or at lunch. I am just finding the pace to be too slow for me and the story too meandering.
Characters (4/5): We spend a lot of time with Amy and Cassie in this book. Amy is trying to deal with Oliver’s rejection and Cassie is trying to convince Amy to prep for the upcoming school dance. Meanwhile, Cassie is having some issues of her own as her and her boyfriend grow apart. Oliver really isn’t in the story much. So far this has been a very character driven series.
Setting (3/5): This episode is again set on future Earth. The main advancement seems to be smart eyeglasses. It’s okay but I wish we saw more of the outer space colonies.
Drawing/Writing Style (4/5): The dialogue is well written and easy to follow. The illustration is very cartoony and bright and easy to follow. It’s a very well put together graphic novel.
Summary (3.5/5): Although I enjoy the characters and the illustration style, this series continues to move too slow for me. There isn’t a very solid plot and the story doesn’t progress very much in each volume. I didn’t realize that this was a webcomic which can be read for free online. While I probably won’t continue to get the graphic novels, I might go ahead and read the web comic online. Not sure right now.
March 11, 2020
Amy is determined to figure out what is going on with Oliver. She decides to visit Dr. Kim but that doesn't lead anywhere. Her friends keep telling her to let it go, that Oliver is bad news. It is spirit week at school and Amy learns what that means. Zeph is super excited that Amy has agreed to go with him to Homecoming, and Cassie and David are having relationship issues.
This was a good mix of Amy learning about modern high school traditions along with her trying to figure out the mystery of Oliver. Cassie learns a very important lesson in this book, which she's been needing to learn for a while. Zeph is so funny in his exuberance. And Amy is a really good friend to all. I like how she sticks up for Oliver, while also being willing to listen to her friends other opinions of him. What she learns about Oliver from his art in this book further adds to the mystery about Oliver. Now to wait to get my hands on book 6. I know. I could just look online, but it doesn't read quite the same.
No content issues.
This was a good mix of Amy learning about modern high school traditions along with her trying to figure out the mystery of Oliver. Cassie learns a very important lesson in this book, which she's been needing to learn for a while. Zeph is so funny in his exuberance. And Amy is a really good friend to all. I like how she sticks up for Oliver, while also being willing to listen to her friends other opinions of him. What she learns about Oliver from his art in this book further adds to the mystery about Oliver. Now to wait to get my hands on book 6. I know. I could just look online, but it doesn't read quite the same.
No content issues.
February 9, 2021
In this book, we follow Amy and Cassie. Amy is having a hard time with Oliver's rejection and Cassie is helping Amy prepare for the school dance. Amy misses her last class and wanders into the woods behind the school and finds a water tower. Inside there are paintings of Oliver. One of the paintings is of Oliver in a space ship. Amy starts to think that Oliver has been off world like her. Later after school Cassie takes Amy dress shopping. David calls Cassie and says he wants to talk. Cassie realizes that David is breaking up with her and she starts to get upset. The school dance is in four days and David and Cassie aren't together. Amy is friends with David and Cassie and I'm wondering if this will start to tear their friendship apart.
January 8, 2025
Ooooooohhhhhhhhh
*long sniff*
I seriously need to study how Stephen McCranie writes such compelling and lovable characters. My word. Somehow, without even knowing it, I’ve become so deeply invested in these characters even though the plot hasn’t been a rollercoaster and there hasn’t been insane drama! It’s just been people living their lives and interacting and learning to love each other and I ADORE IT! I need to study this! I want to write like this!
My word
Please, please read this series. I know you’ll love it
9/10 I started out as a Cassie hater but now I’m not so sure. She really is just a teenage girl and now I can’t be mad at her faults because she’s like 16 and doesn’t know what she wants or how she’s hurting others. Again, the writing is superb. I can’t get enough
*long sniff*
I seriously need to study how Stephen McCranie writes such compelling and lovable characters. My word. Somehow, without even knowing it, I’ve become so deeply invested in these characters even though the plot hasn’t been a rollercoaster and there hasn’t been insane drama! It’s just been people living their lives and interacting and learning to love each other and I ADORE IT! I need to study this! I want to write like this!
My word
Please, please read this series. I know you’ll love it
9/10 I started out as a Cassie hater but now I’m not so sure. She really is just a teenage girl and now I can’t be mad at her faults because she’s like 16 and doesn’t know what she wants or how she’s hurting others. Again, the writing is superb. I can’t get enough
December 27, 2019
This series is a quiet emotional drama set in the future, with an extremely slow-paced mystery about a (potentially dangerous) space boy. The retro-futuristic art is cozy. The color palette makes me want to live inside the book. This volume in particular had several comedic moments and some creepy artwork by Oliver.
My only critique was that Cassie is a stereotype of all the negative female traits--gossipy, superficial, etc. She told Amy a sob story about an ex-boyfriend, but it wasn't detailed enough to endear her to the reader. But finally at the very end of this volume we see Cassie with the potential to self-reflect and change.
My only critique was that Cassie is a stereotype of all the negative female traits--gossipy, superficial, etc. She told Amy a sob story about an ex-boyfriend, but it wasn't detailed enough to endear her to the reader. But finally at the very end of this volume we see Cassie with the potential to self-reflect and change.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews