Reviews

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

bookish_mrs_w's review against another edition

5.0

This.was.brilliant! An incredible story based in African American history, folklore & mythology….yet at the heart of this story…it’s about not allowing the chains anger and guild and pains of the past (figuratively & literally) into monsters. It’s about not fight hate with hate, yet remembering to carry the stories of the past as a reminder to be better and make a better world. Kwame Mbalia wrote a really cool middle grade fantasy, for any age, to share a beautiful message of hope!

whatsthestorywishbone's review against another edition

3.0

Reid Loved this book he was gripped from beginning to end and begged to keep listening. I on the other hand thought it was okay but I really wanted it to be better. I felt it was a bit convoluted and could have been simplified and edited to a cleaner story. The bones were there, but it just didn’t come together like I wanted it to. I also, wanted more history of the gods and folktales. Some I was familiar with, others not so much and Reid didn’t know many of them. It did inspire me to find my African folktale books and reread them and maybe check some out from the library though.

bellabooks0423's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

avienlyrenfiran's review against another edition

4.0

Will definitely be reading the rest of the series. Middle grade or not this was such a thrill.

lsparrow's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this YA novel - retelling the Anasai stories, Brer Rabbit, Gum Baby, John Henry and High John. It is a fast paced story that gets right into the adventure.

thatbookishwriter's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

bickie's review against another edition

4.0

Chicagoan Tristan Strong, reeling from the loss of his best friend Eddie in a bus accident, loses his first major boxing match and goes to spend some time with his grandparents in Alabama. Eddie’s journal keeps glowing green, and when a sassy sticky doll tries to steal it in the dead of night, Tristan runs after it, accidentally punching a whole in the sky and breaching his world with that of Midpass. Weaving black history from both West Africa and the United States, this adventure story features Anansi the trickster storyteller, Nyame the sky god, and legendary characters High John, John Henry, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Gum Baby. As Tristan faces his grief and guilt, he learns the power of telling stories, even those that are difficult.

lyla_a's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a book about real western African myths like Nyame, Anansi, John Henry, and High John.

elledeedubb's review against another edition

5.0

wow. just WOW. i picked this up for my 10-year-old daughter and began reading it in a whim. and i am so glad i did! Tristan is a protagonist that you just can’t help rooting for, and the author’s world building is incredible.

also, let me just say that Gum Baby just might be my new favorite book character EVER. read the book and you’ll know why!

eireen's review against another edition

3.0

❤️ Quite a good starting point kalau mau mulai belajar tentang mitologi Afrika Selatan.
❤️ Banyak karakter yang menarik di buku ini. Gum Baby is definitely my most favorite character here.