Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mlabia

Reviewed by Patricia

Did you enjoy Percy Jackson, but you’ve finished the series?  No worries, I’ve got a great book for you. Kwame Mlabia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky really sucks you into the magical world of African mythology.

Tristan Strong’s best friend, Eddie, has died, and all that Tristan has left of him is a leather journal that he wrote all the African stories Tristan’s grandmother told them. Tristan is now staying at his grandparents house and Eddie’s journal is mysteriously glowing, yet no one else but him can see it. One night, a sap doll named Gum Baby tries to steal his journal, but Tristan chases her out the window to the bottle tree, where a portal is and also where Tristan accidentally punches a hole in the mystical world of Alke. In Alke, gods like Anansi and John Henry exist, and so do all the African tales, such as the Brer bear, Brer fox, and Brer rabbit, and the Ballad of John Henry. After entering Alke, he meets Ayanna, a pilot, and Chestnut, a rabbit. I have good news and bad news, which one do you want first? I’ll answer for you. Bad news: When Tristan enters Alke, he finds out that the Alke is dying from a powerful source called the Maafa. Good news: Tristan finds out that he’s an Anansesem, or in other words, a storyteller, but not any storyteller though. When an Anansesem tells a story, something special happens, but it depends on the person. Now, with the help of Ayanna, Chestnut, and Gum Baby, can Tristan save Alke in time? 

I really enjoyed this book because the author has a great sense of humor. When I read the book, I couldn’t help but laugh at all the hilarious comments. If you’re wondering how Tristan first met the gods, here you go: “So if you ever think that you’ve made a bad first impression - maybe you tripped and fell at your own feet, or you had ketchup all over your face - just picture me, Tristan Strong, hopping into a room full of gods while trying to pull a thorn out of my butt.” When I read this quote, half of me wanted to laugh at how stupid he is, and half of me just felt embarrassed for him.

Another reason I liked this book is because it involves mythology. That’s where Percy Jackson comes in! I enjoyed that series a lot and it’s pretty similar to this book. They both involve mythology, both are funny, and both have something to do with Rick Riordan. By the way, did you know that Tristan Strong is a “Riordan Presents” book?

On a scale from one to ten, I would rate this book a solid 10/10. I would recommend this to any reader who likes adventures, magic, and humor. If you finish Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, you can always read the next books in the series, Tristan Strong Destroys the World and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching. Now why don’t you go to your local library and check it out?

Cake Literacy, 483 pages