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A review by lattelibrarian
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
5.0
yes. Yes. YES. Absolutely everything in this book is MAGIC. Folklore, history, and superstition meld together to create Tristan Strong. When Tristan is sent away to toughen up after two devastating losses, he sucks it up and prepares himself for a summer on his grandparent's farm. But when he accidentally damages a bottle tree--a superstitious tree filled with the spirits of evilbringers--he accidentally punches a hole in the sky of Alke, a realm where folklore characters are Gods, secret societies run rampant, and stories have a power unlike anything else.
Mbalia illuminates and raises African and African American folktales to a whole new level, bringing characters such as John Henry, Brer Rabbit, Ananse, and High John the Conqueror to light. Each country in this newfound realm finds its power in stories, and the most powerful of all gods seems to be Ananse. The problem? Ananse disappeared just when Tristan fell through the sky, and now there's been a year-long war between the residents and the Maafa, a being so fearsome that nobody says its name, that nobody shares its stories anymore. Ananse might be able to help with that. He also might be able to help with the hole in the sky. And yet he's nowhere to be found.
Enter Tristan, who's having the shock of his lifetime. He never wanted to be a superhero, and after he lost his first boxing match, he really doesn't think he can do much. But duty calls, and it is kinda unintentionally his fault that this realm has turned so sour so quickly. He must battle fetterlings (living iron beings in the shape of chains and handcuffs...hmm...what could THAT be a reference to?), team up with John Henry, and cope with the grief of his best friend all the while trying to save this realm.
I so enjoyed the tone of this book, too. Mbalia could have easily constructed a much more serious character, one who is moodily torn between his emotions and his duties. But Tristan is an absolute riot. He's in 7th grade, and has been (much to his dismay) paired up with Gum Baby, who has deemed him as his sidekick. Ensue lots of snarky comments, dibsing copyright on new words for himself, and quite a bit of anger at the fact that adults always act like they know what's best. Has there ever been a more realistic teenager? I feel like most of the middle grade/YA books I read feature a fairly mature and sullen character who must be taken out of their shell. But Tristan was a breath of fresh air. He was utterly delightful.
Even the underlying themes of this story filled me with such happiness. Beyond even the importance of folktale characters being GODS, beyond the reconciliation of learning how to grieve and grieve constructively, we see just how powerful stories are, and this book is a testament to that. Tristan has control over not only stories, but his own narrative. And stories are power. So powerful that Ananse was trying to figure out the mysteries of a story box, a container that holds all stories of a land. But without Ananse, one of the greatest story-tellers, hope seems to be lost. But it is stories that can be used as weapons. It is the reason why the Maafa is so angry that nobody talks of it anymore. They are currency in this world. And it's not just "stories". The folktales we tell have worlds that are beyond ours. What we call ourselves, how we construct a narrative for ourselves. What this story must do for those who have never seen such representation. I can only imagine.
So, what can I say? Move over, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. There's a new boy in town.
Review cross-listed here!
Mbalia illuminates and raises African and African American folktales to a whole new level, bringing characters such as John Henry, Brer Rabbit, Ananse, and High John the Conqueror to light. Each country in this newfound realm finds its power in stories, and the most powerful of all gods seems to be Ananse. The problem? Ananse disappeared just when Tristan fell through the sky, and now there's been a year-long war between the residents and the Maafa, a being so fearsome that nobody says its name, that nobody shares its stories anymore. Ananse might be able to help with that. He also might be able to help with the hole in the sky. And yet he's nowhere to be found.
Enter Tristan, who's having the shock of his lifetime. He never wanted to be a superhero, and after he lost his first boxing match, he really doesn't think he can do much. But duty calls, and it is kinda unintentionally his fault that this realm has turned so sour so quickly. He must battle fetterlings (living iron beings in the shape of chains and handcuffs...hmm...what could THAT be a reference to?), team up with John Henry, and cope with the grief of his best friend all the while trying to save this realm.
I so enjoyed the tone of this book, too. Mbalia could have easily constructed a much more serious character, one who is moodily torn between his emotions and his duties. But Tristan is an absolute riot. He's in 7th grade, and has been (much to his dismay) paired up with Gum Baby, who has deemed him as his sidekick. Ensue lots of snarky comments, dibsing copyright on new words for himself, and quite a bit of anger at the fact that adults always act like they know what's best. Has there ever been a more realistic teenager? I feel like most of the middle grade/YA books I read feature a fairly mature and sullen character who must be taken out of their shell. But Tristan was a breath of fresh air. He was utterly delightful.
Even the underlying themes of this story filled me with such happiness. Beyond even the importance of folktale characters being GODS, beyond the reconciliation of learning how to grieve and grieve constructively, we see just how powerful stories are, and this book is a testament to that. Tristan has control over not only stories, but his own narrative. And stories are power. So powerful that Ananse was trying to figure out the mysteries of a story box, a container that holds all stories of a land. But without Ananse, one of the greatest story-tellers, hope seems to be lost. But it is stories that can be used as weapons. It is the reason why the Maafa is so angry that nobody talks of it anymore. They are currency in this world. And it's not just "stories". The folktales we tell have worlds that are beyond ours. What we call ourselves, how we construct a narrative for ourselves. What this story must do for those who have never seen such representation. I can only imagine.
So, what can I say? Move over, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. There's a new boy in town.
Review cross-listed here!