Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is one amazing novel. The fun I had while reading this book is out of this world. From the very start you get the feeling that something incredible is happening and that will move your world upside down. Tristan Strong is definitely one book you have to pick up if you love and enjoy fun, mythological, action-packed novels.

Tristan has been feeling kind-of ... not so well. After losing his first boxing match and losing his best friend in a bus accident, Tristan is not ready to spend a month on his grandparents' farm for a MONTH. Things start happening really early on, like Eddie's journal is shining with this green, bright glow and Tristan doesn't know what's going on. No one can see it, only him. And then when he arrives to the farm, the action starts. Every time you meet a new character, you get all these butterflies in the stomach. Kwame Mbalia is a master of telling this intricated story with so many layers, but he does it in a way that it feels so easy and fresh, and you're ready to have the time of your life. The story is flowing through the pages and every page you read, there is something new waiting for you that you won't expect.

I'm so happy this book is going to be released. Kids, teens, adults, we all need it. My heart keeps racing and I seriously want more from this. It's that excitement of meeting new characters to love, going on this wild journey that takes you places that you won't be able to imagine, and a protagonist that feels so much and doesn't know what to do with that, but this adventure will give him the answers.

Tristan Strong punches a whole in a tree and accidentally releases gods, monters and the adventure of his life. You won't be the same after reading this beautiful novel.

I think this is a book that children and adults will love.

Because I feel like you need to read the book to appreciate all the stories in it, I'm going to just talk about a handful of things without going too far into the plot.

We meet Triston Strong right away.  He just lost his first boxing match and his father and grandfather are both disappointed in him.  Strongs are fighters, but Tristan didn't do anything he trained for.  Triston's best friend, Eddie, died in an accident and Triston blames himself.  It's very clear that he's depressed and angry.  His parents decide to send him with his grandparents to their farm for a month.  Triston has to leave Chicago and go to Alabama where he will be mostly disconnected from the world.  After Eddie died, his mom gave Triston Eddie's journal.  They were working on a project together for school, but then Eddie died.  The teacher wants Triston to continue it.  The weird thing is that Eddie's journal now has a weird symbol and it glows.  Only Triston seems to see it.

Triston's grandpa is strict and old school.  He believes in hard work from morning until night.  His grandma is a storyteller and mostly knits during the car ride.  Triston knows that Eddie wrote down a lot of Triston's grandma's stories in his journal.  He loved hearing the tales that aren't always talked about anymore.  When they arrive at the farm, Triston points out some odd trees that have flashes of light.  His grandma explains that it's the Bottle Tree forest.  The bottles were thought to keep away the haints, evil spirits.  She warns Triston away from there.  When Triston goes to sleep, he's creeped out by a lot of things in the dark.  He uses and light and things come into focus and nothing seems weird.  That is until a doll in the middle of the floor turns its head and looks at him.  Then she starts talking.

Gum Baby, the doll, is there to take the journal.  Triston runs after her all the way to the Bottle Tree forest.  Gum Baby is one of the stories Triston had heard growing up.  Triston ends up punching a Bottle Tree and a bottle breaks.  A shadowy figure came out of the glass.  After that, Triston somehow ends up falling all the way down into water that looks like an ocean of fire.  The ships start to surface and they're made of bones.  Triston and Gum Baby try to avoid the ships and a flying raft with a girl, Ayanna, saves them.  Ayanna tells Gum Baby that she had been gone for a year even though Gum Baby was only gone for one night in Alabama.  When Triston broke the Bottle Tree, he ripped a hole in the sky and brought a haint down with him.  Now Alke, this other world, is in chaos.  The hole made things worse and they are being attacked.

Along the way, Triston meets other people, animals, and Gods from the stories he heard growing up.  They talk about how stories are powerful magic and that Triston is a storyteller.  It's up to him to help everyone survive, seal the hole, and get back home.  During this time, Triston also deals with Eddie's death, his feelings of helplessness, and how to move on.  Triston is a strong boy, but he also shows that depression and feelings of loss and anger are real, and ok.  It's ok to be sad.  It's ok to feel like a failure or feel blame.  And it's ok to get help.

I hope this reaches a lot of middle school aged children that can read and appreciate the beautiful writing and stories throughout the book.  

I gave this book 4 stars.  Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

I loved the characters portrayed in the book, as well as the setting. Tristan seemed relatable and the pain of losing his friend was very realistic. I look forward to volume 2!

I am a huge fan of Rick Riordan, so when he introduced the “Rick Riordan Presents” imprint, I knew I could trust the books that were offered.

Even though I went into this book with essentially no knowledge of West African and African American mythology and folklore, I was instantly able to follow the story and the characters. I was impressed how well Mbalia shared who each figure was but it did not pull me out of the story. He neatly included the information in a very natural way.

Tristan and the bigger side characters all had a unique voice that I could just hear jumping off the page.

**4.5-stars rounded up**
Y'all, Tristan Strong is a hella ambitious debut that felt like an entire world being built in front of your eyes. I am really dang impressed with this!
Okay, now with the initial swooning out of the way, let's get into it.
Tristan Strong is a 7th grader who has had a tough time of late. After losing his best friend in a horrific bus crash, Tristan is struggling with his grief and feels like no one understands him.
His parents decide to send him to Alabama for a month with his grandparents to help with his recovery.
Yeah, he's not super crazy about the idea either. Nonetheless, he heads off with them with only his best friend's journal, Eddie, to truly remind him of home. On his first night the most bizarre thing happens. Some sort of little doll baby thing steals Eddie's journal from him and takes off.
Tristan gives chase. It's all he has left of Eddie. He needs that thing back. He follows the doll baby into some creepy woods and around a legendary tree named 'the bottle tree'.
There, as he is wrestling to retrieve the journal, he inadvertently punches a hole in the fabric of the universe, opening up a hole to another world, MidPass.
This is where things get crazy. I can't even go on to describe all that happens next, you will just have to read for yourself. This story is full of action and is steeped in African folklore, mythology and African-American history.
I was so impressed with the level of Mbalia's writing. So detailed, so funny, so engaging. All of the things. You may wonder why I decided to give this 4.5-stars versus a full 5 and really it boils down to the scope.
I think the book was a little long for my taste. I sort of feel like this story could have been broken down into two books. There were moments too, that there was so much going on, I felt a little confused.
However, with that being said, that is such a minor thing and totally personal preference. This is such a fantastic, important story. I urge everyone to pick it up!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Book Group and Rick Riordan Presents, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I greatly appreciate it. Kwame Mbalia is a gift to the world and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Another great addition to Rick Riordan's imprint. This follows Tristan as he discovers that the journal his friend left behind for him introduces him to a world he didn't know existed. Fast-paced and riveting, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is a great book for middle grade mythology retelling lovers.

If you're familiar with Rick Riordan, you probably know what to expect from this book. A normal kid finds himself thrown into a world of mythology. The difference with this series, of course, is that Tristan is not a demi-god. In fact, there aren't many gods in this book. These are mostly legendary figures with god-like powers. John Henry, Brer Rabbit, that sort of thing. So Tristan's tie to their world is more related to personality and internal traits than blood. He starts out as an average kid, simply dealing with big issues: grief, parental expectations, fear and anger. Mbalia is exploring not specific stories so much as the role of storytelling in culture, how it morphs overtime but still ties us to our past. With a solid cast of characters and just the right amount of complexity for a middle grade novel, I consider this one a must read.

It does suffer from some of the same things that debut authors tend to suffer from--trying to do SO much that it gets a little too much. But still I love love love love love this idea and I would totally read a sequel.

This was such a good read!! I will recommend it to every kid coming into my store. I can't wait to read the next book!

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!

I was provided with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 
In my opinion, this book is perfect for those reluctant boy readers. It reads quickly and the action is fast-paced, leaving no time for the reader to get bored. Tristan's voice is clear and I loved how it was like he was just casually telling you a story about what happened to him. I feel that many boys around Tristan's age will find him relatable, but he's just complex enough to give him dimension.
I also love that this book explores the African American tradition of storytelling. It's definitely an original idea as there aren't many books that explore that subject matter.
Overall, this is an excellent middle grade read!

If you enjoyed Percy Jackson, this one is for you.  This is a truly enjoyable story about Tristan Strong, a teenager who is trying to deal with the death of his best friend and the guilt he feels. His parents send him from Chicago Alabama to stay with his grandparents. He brings his friend Eddie's journal with him. This book is full of adventure and excitement.

By accident, Tristan breaks a bottle containing a giant and tears a hole in the sky between this world and the domain of the heroes and gods. These are the heroes of African American stories, gods brought from Africa by the stolen people and kept alive through folk tales. Tristan's quest to retrieve the Story Box that had once been stolen by Anansi and then to repair the tear between the worlds leads him to many characters we may be familiar with, like Anansi and John Henry, as well as others we may not have heard of before. 

Like Percy Jackson in his books, Tristan breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the reader with humor and understanding. I think this will be another successful book (series?).

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the concept of the book and fills a niche I believe is missing. However, the writing felt a little disjointed and like it was trying too hard.

"My name is Tristan Strong, and I’ve got a story to tell."

This. Was. Amazing.

I have always loved the stories of Brer Rabbit and Anansi, and this book brings them all to life. The use of a lead character who is NOT a demigod appealed to me because he had to develop his abilities and not just have them instantly. Also, Tristan learns to find strength in friendships and in himself. He goes from moments of self-doubt to self-confidence because he knows that he possesses the ability to help others, despite his guilt about the death of his best friend, Eddie. Additionally, I was really impressed with the villain and what he represented. The author tied in a lot of mythology and American history, both of which built off of each other in this story. 

All in all, this series rocketed way up on my favorites list.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Disney Book Group through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

(Warning! I’m about to gush about this book!) This was fantastic! I enjoyed, pretty much, everything about this book.

First of all, that cover! Just look at it. The cover art for this book is beautiful.

Second, the African mythology. I went into this book with a very brief knowledge of African mythology, but upon finishing the book I had a renewed interest in learning more about African mythology.

Third, the writing. If you like the Percy Jackson series or the Heroes of Olympus series, you would love this. The structure and pacing of this book is very similar to the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series. The writing style, however, is very different. Kwame Mbalia’s writing is a bit more descriptive and you get a lot more inner dialogue from Tristan Strong.

Overall, if you like action-y fantasy with lots of mythology tied in I would definitely recommend this book.

I wanted to read this one from the moment I knew it existed. I"m so grateful to have had the privilege. I have yet to read a bad title from the RIck Riordan Presents line, and Tristan Strong stood out even among the already fantastic middle grade novels. I was engaged from the beginning to the very last page. Kids and adults alike will love this one. I'm telling everyone I know to get their hands on it immediately.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is one of the best books I've read this year. It's a shining example of what middle grade novels can be. The storytelling is gorgeous. The characters envoke such deep feelings, both positive and negative. And, most importantly, the characters are believable. This must have been especially difficult to pull off considering the cast, but Kwame Mbalia truly brings the characters and world to life. Reading this book felt lush, decadent, and fulfilling. What. A. Debut!! I can not wait to read any and everything this author puts out in the future.

Tristan Strong is a young man who has been knocked down… literally in his first bout in the ring and most seriously, when an accident takes his closest friend from him. His parents think that the best thing for him is to get away, and Tristan is sent to stay with his grandparents on their farm in Alabama. Two things will attempt to help him through this time: his grandfather says that work is the cure, yet his grandmother believes tales of African-American folklore will give him the grounding he needs.

Tristan’s friend Eddie believed in the stories… and wrote them down in the journal that is given to Tristan after the funeral, but he is too scared to read it. Tristan’s therapist thinks there’s some value in opening the book and completing the stories. The stories of John Henry, Brer Rabbit, and Brer Fox. The lessons and the morals.

After a hard afternoon of fixing a fence at the farm, Tristan goes to bed and is woken up to find a doll stealing the journal. Gum Baby is there to take the book to land of Alke… to save the people and creatures and gods of the Midpass from an evil creeping over the land. And it only gets worse when Tristan races after the animated doll… he mistakenly disrupts the balance between the two worlds even more. What follows is a weaving of folklore come to life and a young man’s complex internal conflicts with grief and manhood.

Mbalia’s protagonist has a great and strong voice. Authentic and transparent. Like any teen, he wants to navigate the larger world on his own, and has been given advice that may be counter to what could really help him. He father says, “Strongs keep punching…” His grandfather tells to stay away from that writing, that all he needs is work…. He feels he has failed in so many ways in his life, as a son and a friend. This magical journey will make him face that internal struggle. Learning that he is an anansesem, a storyteller with great power that will provide him with the strength to endure. 

Another winner for Rick Riordan’s imprint, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is a satisfying blend of action, storytelling, folk lore, and coming of age. Haints, folk heroes, gods, and an enemy made up of a disease of fear and iron. Mbalia’s worldbuilding is amazing. The most important lesson I got from this story is that stories and narratives control the power. He does a great job of providing the examples to fully flesh out this important theme. There’s also several twists that I did not see coming. I was kept on my toes!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the fantasy YA genre. It’s a tightly written action-fantasy with so much to offer.

5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rick Riordan Presents, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

I have become a huge fan of all things mythology and seeing a Rick Riordan Presents that is based off of African/African American mythology I couldn’t sign up fast enough. I have come to expect fun, humor, action, and a great lesson learned. In the end, I got all of this and more.
Tristan Strong was a great main character for this series as he is strong (ha ha), yet has his weaknesses. He was a very easy character to relate to and, even though boxing isn’t my thing, had great interests and personality that made him exciting to readers (especially those troublesome young boys). The entire cast that surrounded Tristan was very solid as well. Gum Baby was great humor, Ayanna’s determination moved the story along (and posed a possible love interest), and the Gods imparted wisdom. It was great learning about these different mythological figures. I only wish that there was a pronunciation given for many of these as they were hard to wrap my tongue around.
The storyline moved quite well, but did sag a bit here and there. There was a clear cut journey to complete a quest and it was followed for the most part. Each of the group’s new setting was described pretty well, but I could have done with a little more detail to try and wrap my head around these magical places.
At the end of the novel, I felt that Tristan had grown quite a lot and that I had grown fond of his adventures. Everything wrapped up pretty well and there was a sense of closer while leaving plenty of interest into what will happen next. I look forward to following Tristan through the next installment and seeing what troubles he and this friends will get into.

This book is absolutely packed with rich storytelling—both African and African American folklore that many middle graders have probably never encountered before. It’s difficult to even unpack how many different stories are rolled into this adventure and brought to life in a new way. (I’d actually love it if Rick Riordan Presents would do a companion that goes deeper into each individual tale, sort of like the Greek Gods companions that were done for the Percy Jackson Series). This book would be perfect to use in a classroom setting because I believe it will inspire kids to want to learn more about the folklore and mythology behind characters like Nyami, Brer Rabbit, John Henry, High John and Gum Baby.

Tristan Strong is just getting over the sting of his first boxing match—and his first defeat. He feels like he’s let the adults in his life (who all have high expectations of him—especially his grandfather) down. But, more than that, he’s trying to pull himself out of the depression and guilt that has surrounded him since his best friend’s death. When he goes to visit his grandparents farm in rural Alabama, the Chicago city-boy feels like a fish out of water. When his best friend’s journal is stolen by Gum Baby and Tristan ends up in a magical land filled with folk heroes, he feels like a fish in the desert!!

This book is beautifully-written, and it’s filled with a fabulous mixture of adventure and heart. Not only does Tristan have to defeat the monsters he’s unleashed on the folkloric world, but he also has to come to terms with his sadness and guilt over the loss of his friend—no small task. The story weaves the folk characters and gods in seamlessly and also brings in themes of slavery without being overly bleak or obvious about it (the symbolism of the villain in the story is beautiful as is the theme of stories that must be told, even when they’re difficult and we’d rather forget them). Once again, I feel like these themes could be explored even more in a classroom setting.

The book is long for a middle grade novel (especially a first book in a series—it seems like often those first books are shorter and then they get thicker as the series progresses), but there’s a lot to pack into this story. And while there is a very slight lull in the book when Tristan first gets to the mysterious folklore land, everything is tied together handily and it all becomes apparent why certain things happened early on in the end!

Magical and filled to the brim with folklore, this first book in the Tristan Strong Series certainly packs a punch!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and FFBC blog tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***