Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

This book does African American magic on a scale that I’ve never seen before. It was given to me as a gift. “Cameron, you need to read this.” And they were right. I’ve read plenty of fantasy that makes use of the same African American and Caribbean folklore (my family is from Belize) but never at such depth for middle-grade novels.

I love how we get dropped right into the mix very early without explanation because no explanation is needed. I’m on the inside. I know exactly who and what he’s talking about. And because it’s a full-on fantasy novel,… show more.

As in Philip Pullman’s The Subtle Knife, our protagonist in Tristan Strong has the ability to create his own portal, versus stumbling upon one already in existence (as in the wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe).

I love the empowerment implicit in that and haven’t seen it very often in portal fantasies. I also am from the U.S. South and lived for over a decade in Chicago so I connected with a lot of things in this novel.

At times both hilarious and heartening, this mythology mashup is a joy from beginning to end, and I love a good mashup.

While visiting his grandparents in Alabama for a month after his best friend dies, Tristan meets a sticky, snarky creature as it attempts to steal the one thing Tristan has left from his friend: a book of stories. Tristan gives chase and finds himself tumbling into a world full of African gods and American folk heroes.

He teams up with a vibrant cast of characters to fight iron monsters, bone ships, and haints threatening the world.

This is a fast-paced, funny, thought-provoking, page-turner. Tristan, grieving the death of a friend, and the loss of an important boxing match, is navigating guilt, anger, and loss. But his friend’s journal sparks a high-stakes adventure to win over Anansi, the West African weaver god, with famous friends like Gum Baby and Brer Rabbit at his back. 

I loved being in this expansive new world of Tristan Strong. With characters that some kids may have heard a lot about…and some nothing at all, the story draws on African mythology as well as rich and complicated folk history to give readers… show more.

Perfect for embracing your inner mythology geek. And these mythological ties will be a breath of fresh air because they aren’t the same old myths and legends we’ve seen in so many books for decades. If you’re searching for something that feels new, and not quite like what you’ve read before, you’ll really dig this. Strong character voices, riveting visual descriptions, and a ticking-clock challenge will all keep you cheering from the edge of your seat. It’s pretty funny in places, too, which helps to balance out the tension. 

Talk about a story that pulls – or, rather, throws you headlong – into another world… Wow! This book features mythology, folk history (including brilliant portrayals of American folk heroes including John Henry and Brer Rabbit), and a boy named Tristan Strong. Tristan must face the powerful Anansi in order to stop chaos from taking everything he loves away from him. Can he do it?