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popthebutterfly 's review for:
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
by Kwame Mbalia
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Book Series: Tristan Strong Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Recommended Age: 12+ (some violence, some scary moments)
Genre: MG Fantasy
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Synopsis: Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it-–is that a doll?-–and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?
Review: Oh wow!! Definitely another must read from the Rick Riordan Presents book series! I loved the story and how well the book wove in African lore and stories. The character development was awe inspiring, the writing was amazing, and I just love Tristan so much!
My only issue is the pacing, but I'm picky on that. I felt the beginning was a bit slow but it quickly picked up!
Verdict: A must read!
Disclaimer: I bought my own copy. Support your authors!
Book: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Book Series: Tristan Strong Book 1
Diversity: Black MC and family and a focus on African mythology and lore
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: Middle grade, fantasy, African mythology and lore
Genre: MG Fantasy
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Pages: 482
Recommended Age: 10+ (slavery mentioned and alluded to)
Explanation of CWs: Slavery is mentioned and is alluded to in the story.
Synopsis: Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it — is that a doll? — and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?
Review: This was my first reread of the year and I absolutely enjoyed it just like the first time I read it. I really like the character development and the World building and the book overall is very well written. The African mythology that is used in the book is rich and amazing. I loved looking up the stories as I read along in the book and I thought that the book did very well condensing the stories in a snapshot format for younger readers to understand. I also like that the book didn't shy away from the forced enslavement that much of the African population faced. The book has a lot of mentions of that time period and also has a lot of references to it, but it does not take that part of the history lightly. Another thing that really fascinates me about this book is that the author makes the protagonist a boxer, but also gives him a very unique ability of storytelling. I think that the combination of the two is perfect for a middle grade aged boy to show that not all battles can be won with weapons. I also love the plot of the book and it had me hooked from the first page.
The only thing that really bothered me about the book is that the book is really fast paced in the beginning and then it slows down tremendously towards the middle. The pacing is pretty wonky throughout the book and in the beginning you have a lot of questions about what's going on because you're throwing into the middle of Tristan's story, but I still think that this is one of the best middle grade books that I've read.
Verdict: A must read!!
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Book Series: Tristan Strong Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Recommended Age: 12+ (some violence, some scary moments)
Genre: MG Fantasy
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Synopsis: Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it-–is that a doll?-–and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?
Review: Oh wow!! Definitely another must read from the Rick Riordan Presents book series! I loved the story and how well the book wove in African lore and stories. The character development was awe inspiring, the writing was amazing, and I just love Tristan so much!
My only issue is the pacing, but I'm picky on that. I felt the beginning was a bit slow but it quickly picked up!
Verdict: A must read!
Disclaimer: I bought my own copy. Support your authors!
Book: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Book Series: Tristan Strong Book 1
Diversity: Black MC and family and a focus on African mythology and lore
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: Middle grade, fantasy, African mythology and lore
Genre: MG Fantasy
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Pages: 482
Recommended Age: 10+ (slavery mentioned and alluded to)
Explanation of CWs: Slavery is mentioned and is alluded to in the story.
Synopsis: Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it — is that a doll? — and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?
Review: This was my first reread of the year and I absolutely enjoyed it just like the first time I read it. I really like the character development and the World building and the book overall is very well written. The African mythology that is used in the book is rich and amazing. I loved looking up the stories as I read along in the book and I thought that the book did very well condensing the stories in a snapshot format for younger readers to understand. I also like that the book didn't shy away from the forced enslavement that much of the African population faced. The book has a lot of mentions of that time period and also has a lot of references to it, but it does not take that part of the history lightly. Another thing that really fascinates me about this book is that the author makes the protagonist a boxer, but also gives him a very unique ability of storytelling. I think that the combination of the two is perfect for a middle grade aged boy to show that not all battles can be won with weapons. I also love the plot of the book and it had me hooked from the first page.
The only thing that really bothered me about the book is that the book is really fast paced in the beginning and then it slows down tremendously towards the middle. The pacing is pretty wonky throughout the book and in the beginning you have a lot of questions about what's going on because you're throwing into the middle of Tristan's story, but I still think that this is one of the best middle grade books that I've read.
Verdict: A must read!!