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A review by laura_cs
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
5.0
9/22/2019 I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"Nana used to tell me stories about how, over in Africa, before the horrors of slavery, people used to fly all the time. They'd whisper the powerful words, the phrases dripping in old magic, and shoot off into the sky ... Then came the chains and ships, and pain and whips, and the people's wings fell or were torn off. But the words of power were never forgotten."
While still reeling from grief and guilt over the death of his best friend Eddie and suffering the humiliation of having lost his first boxing match (disappointing both his father and grandfather), Tristan Strong is being sent to Alabama to his grandparents' farm, where his grandfather firmly believes that hard work will fix everything wrong with Tristan. In the middle of his first night on the farm, Tristan wakes up to find a small creature in his room, rifling through his things with one object in mind: Eddie's beloved journal, full of African-American folklore tales.
Desperate to retrieve the journal, Tristan follows the creature--who happens to be a sticky, sentient doll named Gum Baby--and, while fighting over the journal, punches his grandmother's bottle tree, shattering one of the bottles. This causes a hole to appear in the sky, sending Tristan into a parallel world called Midpass that is under attack from sentient shackles called fetterlings, poisionous insects that brand the skin, and other horrors that steal and hurt the people who live in this world. Worse, it appears that Tristan let in an evil haint when he broke the bottle and punched a hole in the sky.
As Tristan navigates this new land and meets legends such as John Henry, Brer Rabbit, and more, he also learns more about himself. Namely, he is an Anansesem: he has the storytelling power of the spider Anansi. These powers of his could change the game entirely, and save the world. But is he the right hero for the job?
Another phenomenal title from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, focusing on African-American folklore, mythology, and essentially the development of African-American culture itself. I'm rather enjoying the rise of Afro-Fantasy novels, and am especially pleased with this middle-grade novel and the handling of hard subject matter such as slavery, but also grief, survivor's guilt, and the weight of adults expectations while still being a kid. And Tristan's power? It's amazing. Like nothing I've ever seen before. Tristan's strong, and a good fighter, but also knows how to wield words to make a difference, showing that there are different ways to be strong and be a hero.
I also am extremely pleased with how Tristan's interactions with the men in his family and the men in Midpass (particularly John Henry) differ, and by doing so subtly address toxic masculinity and the power of positive male influences in the lives of young men (a concept that is important in all cultures).
So. Read this book. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll wish that you had a doll that attacks people with sap as a sidekick. But, please, leave all punching holes in the sky to Tristan.
2/4/2019 DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!! That cover!!!!!! Just... Holy crow!
"Nana used to tell me stories about how, over in Africa, before the horrors of slavery, people used to fly all the time. They'd whisper the powerful words, the phrases dripping in old magic, and shoot off into the sky ... Then came the chains and ships, and pain and whips, and the people's wings fell or were torn off. But the words of power were never forgotten."
While still reeling from grief and guilt over the death of his best friend Eddie and suffering the humiliation of having lost his first boxing match (disappointing both his father and grandfather), Tristan Strong is being sent to Alabama to his grandparents' farm, where his grandfather firmly believes that hard work will fix everything wrong with Tristan. In the middle of his first night on the farm, Tristan wakes up to find a small creature in his room, rifling through his things with one object in mind: Eddie's beloved journal, full of African-American folklore tales.
Desperate to retrieve the journal, Tristan follows the creature--who happens to be a sticky, sentient doll named Gum Baby--and, while fighting over the journal, punches his grandmother's bottle tree, shattering one of the bottles. This causes a hole to appear in the sky, sending Tristan into a parallel world called Midpass that is under attack from sentient shackles called fetterlings, poisionous insects that brand the skin, and other horrors that steal and hurt the people who live in this world. Worse, it appears that Tristan let in an evil haint when he broke the bottle and punched a hole in the sky.
As Tristan navigates this new land and meets legends such as John Henry, Brer Rabbit, and more, he also learns more about himself. Namely, he is an Anansesem: he has the storytelling power of the spider Anansi. These powers of his could change the game entirely, and save the world. But is he the right hero for the job?
Another phenomenal title from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, focusing on African-American folklore, mythology, and essentially the development of African-American culture itself. I'm rather enjoying the rise of Afro-Fantasy novels, and am especially pleased with this middle-grade novel and the handling of hard subject matter such as slavery, but also grief, survivor's guilt, and the weight of adults expectations while still being a kid. And Tristan's power? It's amazing. Like nothing I've ever seen before. Tristan's strong, and a good fighter, but also knows how to wield words to make a difference, showing that there are different ways to be strong and be a hero.
I also am extremely pleased with how Tristan's interactions with the men in his family and the men in Midpass (particularly John Henry) differ, and by doing so subtly address toxic masculinity and the power of positive male influences in the lives of young men (a concept that is important in all cultures).
So. Read this book. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll wish that you had a doll that attacks people with sap as a sidekick. But, please, leave all punching holes in the sky to Tristan.
2/4/2019 DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!!! That cover!!!!!! Just... Holy crow!