phyrre's review against another edition
5.0
You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.
Many thanks to Rick Riordan Presents and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
In case you’ve missed it, I’ve only spent the past year going on about how much I was looking forward to this book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I’ve only mentioned it once or twice … a week … so you may have heard? Oh, good. Let’s move on, then.
Tristan Strong Destroys the World is a masterful sequel that picks up the comedy and adventure from the first book, yet packs a harder punch to the feels with its focus on trauma and healing. Also, there’s Gum Baby, who deserves her own shout-out, obviously.
I loved the first book so freaking much, so did the second book live up to the first? In a way, yes. In a way, no. This book is definitely darker than the first, but in a way that felt important and genuine. After all, Alke has suffered major trauma as a world and is still grieving. It’s only been a few months since the world was almost destroyed. This book felt deeper somehow, while still being funny and full of adventure and shenanigans.
My Thoughts:
- The whole gang is back for another adventure … but WAIT. THERE’S MORE. More gang. More adventure. More danger. More shattered feels. Just MORE, okay? The adventure in the first book felt fast-paced and very actiony to me, probably because it’s the first time I’m seeing this world and it’s wondrous. This book, though? The adventure felt darker, less focused on the wonder of the world and more on the cumulative trauma of the world. In a positive way, though, as people are trying to heal and move forward. It’s just easier said than done, obviously. If you thought you knew Alke, though, prepare to broaden your horizons with some new locations and a few new faces. I won’t say anything about either, except that if you thought the gods in book one felt just a teensy bit overwhelmingly male, you may be pleasantly surprised with some of the new gods. I absolutely loved the new additions, and as with the first book, it kept me guessing as to who (or what) would pop up next.
- Whereas Tristan Strong Punches A Hole in the Sky was about overcoming grief, Tristan Destroys the World is about trauma (collective and otherwise) and how to heal and move forward. This is easily my favorite aspect of this book. There’s so much to love about this particular story, but I love the way Mbalia handles trauma—with a raw, delicate honesty that exposes all the cracks and flaws of a world that’s attempting to rebuild. It’s not always pretty, but Mbalia doesn’t shy away from that. It’s hard work. It’s exhausting. Sometimes there’ll be steps forward, and sometimes there’ll be steps backward. Perhaps the best thing about this scenario is the way it smacks Tristan in the face unexpectedly and forces him to realize that his actions have consequences. Like I tell my offspring all the time … actions have consequences. Tristan left Alke before seeing the real aftermath from the last book. As it turns out, a global war sort of wreaks havoc on a population. Surprise?! This feels like a real eye-opening moment for Tristan, and it’s a lot of emotions for a kid to deal with, but I loved the awareness it forced him to have about the greater world in general and think beyond himself.
- The Big Bad in this is just *chef’s kiss*. Everything you could possibly want in a villain and then some. They’re super dark, more so than the first book in my opinion, but in a way that … kind of makes sense? Mbalia makes it really easy to both root against them but also empathize with them. It’s such a weird feeling. No, I don’t agree with their actions, buuuut … is their grievance legitimate? Heck yes! Again, this goes back to the trauma all of Alke is dealing with. People deal with trauma in different ways, and sometimes not so healthy ways, so this really fit the overall narrative beautifully.
- I liked Nana Strong in the first book, but whooo, I loved Nana Strong here. Good news: even Papa Strong gets a bit of a revamp in book two. Oh my gosh, not gonna lie, I hated him in the first book and maaay have slightly rooted for him to fall into Alke and just be swallowed by a bone ship. Not a huge loss, right? Thankfully, both Tristan and Papa Strong seem to have grown (and grown together), and it was so nice to see. They’re not quite there yet, but there’s movement in the right direction. Nana Strong, though … man, she steals the show. Nana Strong is the epitome of all the things many of us think of when we think of our grandmothers: wisdom, elegance, a quiet sort of fierce strength, and somewhere buried under the surface, a whole host of secrets. As the blurb says, Nana Strong ends up kidnapped, but at no point is she a victim, per se. The character is absolutely amazing and reminded me so much of my own grandmother (who passed two and a half years ago now) that it made my heart hurt. But, you know, in a good way.
- This book, like the first, had the possibility of becoming really heavy and overwhelming, yet it manages to be funny and heartfelt and hopeful, despite the slightly darker content. I mean, I think we can all agree by now that Mbalia is really good at humor. Gum Baby is a testament to that (and also a treasure, okay?!). He blends humor and heart so naturally that even as your feels hurt, you’re still laughing over some of the crazy antics the characters get up to. That’s not to say that it diminishes from the seriousness of the circumstances, because that’s not at all the case. There’s a time for trauma discussion and a time for laughter, and Mbalia strikes the perfect balance between the two.
Many thanks to Rick Riordan Presents and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
In case you’ve missed it, I’ve only spent the past year going on about how much I was looking forward to this book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I’ve only mentioned it once or twice … a week … so you may have heard? Oh, good. Let’s move on, then.
Tristan Strong Destroys the World is a masterful sequel that picks up the comedy and adventure from the first book, yet packs a harder punch to the feels with its focus on trauma and healing. Also, there’s Gum Baby, who deserves her own shout-out, obviously.
I loved the first book so freaking much, so did the second book live up to the first? In a way, yes. In a way, no. This book is definitely darker than the first, but in a way that felt important and genuine. After all, Alke has suffered major trauma as a world and is still grieving. It’s only been a few months since the world was almost destroyed. This book felt deeper somehow, while still being funny and full of adventure and shenanigans.
My Thoughts:
- The whole gang is back for another adventure … but WAIT. THERE’S MORE. More gang. More adventure. More danger. More shattered feels. Just MORE, okay? The adventure in the first book felt fast-paced and very actiony to me, probably because it’s the first time I’m seeing this world and it’s wondrous. This book, though? The adventure felt darker, less focused on the wonder of the world and more on the cumulative trauma of the world. In a positive way, though, as people are trying to heal and move forward. It’s just easier said than done, obviously. If you thought you knew Alke, though, prepare to broaden your horizons with some new locations and a few new faces. I won’t say anything about either, except that if you thought the gods in book one felt just a teensy bit overwhelmingly male, you may be pleasantly surprised with some of the new gods. I absolutely loved the new additions, and as with the first book, it kept me guessing as to who (or what) would pop up next.
- Whereas Tristan Strong Punches A Hole in the Sky was about overcoming grief, Tristan Destroys the World is about trauma (collective and otherwise) and how to heal and move forward. This is easily my favorite aspect of this book. There’s so much to love about this particular story, but I love the way Mbalia handles trauma—with a raw, delicate honesty that exposes all the cracks and flaws of a world that’s attempting to rebuild. It’s not always pretty, but Mbalia doesn’t shy away from that. It’s hard work. It’s exhausting. Sometimes there’ll be steps forward, and sometimes there’ll be steps backward. Perhaps the best thing about this scenario is the way it smacks Tristan in the face unexpectedly and forces him to realize that his actions have consequences. Like I tell my offspring all the time … actions have consequences. Tristan left Alke before seeing the real aftermath from the last book. As it turns out, a global war sort of wreaks havoc on a population. Surprise?! This feels like a real eye-opening moment for Tristan, and it’s a lot of emotions for a kid to deal with, but I loved the awareness it forced him to have about the greater world in general and think beyond himself.
- The Big Bad in this is just *chef’s kiss*. Everything you could possibly want in a villain and then some. They’re super dark, more so than the first book in my opinion, but in a way that … kind of makes sense? Mbalia makes it really easy to both root against them but also empathize with them. It’s such a weird feeling. No, I don’t agree with their actions, buuuut … is their grievance legitimate? Heck yes! Again, this goes back to the trauma all of Alke is dealing with. People deal with trauma in different ways, and sometimes not so healthy ways, so this really fit the overall narrative beautifully.
- I liked Nana Strong in the first book, but whooo, I loved Nana Strong here. Good news: even Papa Strong gets a bit of a revamp in book two. Oh my gosh, not gonna lie, I hated him in the first book and maaay have slightly rooted for him to fall into Alke and just be swallowed by a bone ship. Not a huge loss, right? Thankfully, both Tristan and Papa Strong seem to have grown (and grown together), and it was so nice to see. They’re not quite there yet, but there’s movement in the right direction. Nana Strong, though … man, she steals the show. Nana Strong is the epitome of all the things many of us think of when we think of our grandmothers: wisdom, elegance, a quiet sort of fierce strength, and somewhere buried under the surface, a whole host of secrets. As the blurb says, Nana Strong ends up kidnapped, but at no point is she a victim, per se. The character is absolutely amazing and reminded me so much of my own grandmother (who passed two and a half years ago now) that it made my heart hurt. But, you know, in a good way.
- This book, like the first, had the possibility of becoming really heavy and overwhelming, yet it manages to be funny and heartfelt and hopeful, despite the slightly darker content. I mean, I think we can all agree by now that Mbalia is really good at humor. Gum Baby is a testament to that (and also a treasure, okay?!). He blends humor and heart so naturally that even as your feels hurt, you’re still laughing over some of the crazy antics the characters get up to. That’s not to say that it diminishes from the seriousness of the circumstances, because that’s not at all the case. There’s a time for trauma discussion and a time for laughter, and Mbalia strikes the perfect balance between the two.
danyell919's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes sequels are disappointing, but this one wasn’t! I may have enjoyed this one more than the first! I think my kids will be a little bummed out that there’s not as much Gum Baby, but there’s definitely a LOT of action and adventure!
esseastri's review against another edition
5.0
Kwame Mbalia continues to explore deep themes of grief, trauma, Diaspora, and connection with grace, wit, and poise. Tristan returns to face a new threat to the magical, story-driven world of Alke, to collect new tales and spin some of his own, and to deal with the consequences of his first adventure. A gorgeous and hilarious story about the words that tie people together and keep us real, about picking up the pieces and owning your mistakes, about the power and magic of stories and the strength in these two hands. A story about getting back up. Even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.
And, yes, it's a story about destroying the world. And why it's going to be okay.
The perfect sequel to Punches a Hole in the Sky, this book introduces new heroes, brings back old friends, digs deep into the aftermath of trauma, and sets up what is sure to be a stunning third book that I cannot wait to get my hands on. Bound to be one of my favorite books of the year, this book is so important for people of all ages. Do not miss it.
And, yes, it's a story about destroying the world. And why it's going to be okay.
The perfect sequel to Punches a Hole in the Sky, this book introduces new heroes, brings back old friends, digs deep into the aftermath of trauma, and sets up what is sure to be a stunning third book that I cannot wait to get my hands on. Bound to be one of my favorite books of the year, this book is so important for people of all ages. Do not miss it.
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
2.0
This was painful to read. I was more tolerant of the first books' faults because I thought the series might improve once it was on solid footing. That was, regrettably, not the case.
Tristan once again must save Alke. This time it's to rescue his grandmother who has been kidnapped by a new foe; the illusive Shamble Man.
Let's start with a personal pet peeve. I generally dislike it when an author tries to do the clever parody thing that's so prevalent in kids books. Unless in specific cases (for me) it almost always comes across as an out of touch adult trying too hard to connect with their audience. The tail end of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky sets one such gag up and TSDTW takes it a step further. The Story Box is able to transform based on the Anansesem's need so of course it becomes a smartphone. Anansi the trickster storyteller is trapped inside tasked with aiding Tristan in his accumulation of stories as punishment for his misdeeds in the first book. I didn't like this, but I was handling it until they started doubling down on the idea.
Anansi can actually make apps that aid Tristan on his journey. This undercut the whole quest because when they'd hit the rare ‘serious’ roadblock it wasn't a big deal narratively since Anansi could just easily make a useful app to circumvent the complication. The SBP - short for Story Box Phone - was a major crutch. Tristan didn't ever have to really figure anything out. When he did come up with an idea it felt unearned because Tristan is not written to be a particularly smart character. He’s not dumb by any means, but without genuine pitfalls to learn from his epiphanies felt convenient rather than a facet of his personality that had been built upon.
Like the first book I didn’t buy any of the relationships in this book. It blew my mind that once more I was subjected to an entire 390 pages without learning something as simple as how old Ayanna is. Did she even exist before Tristan met her? It certainly doesn’t feel like it. Gum Baby is even further reduced, lacking even the little bit of nuance she had in the first book. I appreciated that the new character was added a lot earlier this time. I did not appreciate that a major story beat hinged on this new character when we didn’t develop him enough for that to matter.
It also was abundantly clear what the reveal would be in regards to this character and I was frustrated it took so long to be exposed. It would have been better if this was established immediately because it could have created interesting dynamics within the group.
I didn’t mention this in my review of the first book, but the Gods weren’t all that relevant. It wasn’t too big a deal due to the nature of that story though I did make a note of it. This book goes one step further. The Shamble Man is wreaking havoc on Alke. The Gods are keeping it underwraps. That part is okay. They don’t want to cause mass panic especially while relations between the various parts of Alke are so strained. What’s not okay is that the Gods never take steps to do anything to help. The Shamble Man seriously wounds one of the Gods, kidnaps another, yet the rest of the Gods are nowhere to be found. They’re ‘too busy’. Except that doesn’t make any sense? There’s a huge, glaring threat to the country rapidly getting worse. It bothered me a lot because there was a super easy way to fix it that also feeds into Tristan’s arc; the Gods should have already had a special team that was going to be dispatched and Tristan secretly muscles his way onto it. This plays to Tristan’s ‘need to be the hero’ (a trait he is often criticized for that I rarely see evidence for so two birds one stone) as well as his desperation to find his grandmother. Instead, I’m expected to believe that while Alke is about to burn the Gods are just...twiddling their thumbs?
Speaking of Tristan’s arc. Once again there are some strong emotional beats presented at the beginning that disappear only to resurface at the end when it’s time to learn the lesson. Per the very first line of the plot synopsis Tristan is traumatized. I appreciate that this book wants to help kids recognize how trauma can, even unconsciously, begin to consume all aspects of your life. It even touches on intergenerational trauma which, in my experience at least, has only recently become a topic of conversation in the Black community. I think all of that is important to talk about early because it can help kids to better understand their own feelings about things that have happened to them or have empathy for other people who are encountering hardship. That being said, I do not feel like Tristan is traumatized.
The moment he gets to Alke, Tristan is fine. He doesn’t have any breakdowns. He doesn’t see things that aren’t there. He doesn’t have any problems focusing. He doesn’t sleep because of the short timeframe so no nightmares. He never becomes uncommunicative due to his fears. He never recedes into himself. He doesn’t lash out in order to create distance between him and other people out of fear. I, unfortunately, have firsthand knowledge that trauma manifests itself very differently for everyone. So I understand that the way Tristan processes his trauma will not look the same as how I have processed mine or even how another kid who has gone through the exact same tragedy would process theirs. And to be fair Tristan does have a problem accessing his powers as Anansesem after his grandmother is kidnapped. Kudos for that. But, the story is written in a way that Tristan doesn’t need his Anansesem powers at all so that particular issue is rendered moot. And outside of this one aspect that was easily sidestepped Tristan does not have any internal upheaval. I’m taking this line from my review of the first book - “my problem is that his choices do not reflect his emotional turmoil”. If Tristan is supposed to be traumatized I want to see how his trauma impacts his actions and thus, affects the course of the novel.
I actually loved the whole basis for the Shamble Man. I thought that it fit super well into the theme of trauma that this book was going for. He was the only character whose trajectory I felt was executed well in this regard. If Tristan’s issues had been fleshed out more The Shamble Man would have been a wonderful parallel to what Mbalia intended to be Tristan’s psychological journey.
However, the Shamble Man is also really insignificant compared to how big a deal he’s made out to be. I already mentioned that the Gods do not take any steps to stop him. Another problem is that the bulk of this book is taken up trying to fix the SBP to talk to Anansi. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why. All of the pieces were there to pursue the Shamble Man without the SBP. All it did was further solidify how much of a plot device the SBP was. Tristan could get across Alke without it and figure things out without it. The fact that it’s the Story Box is important in general, but it has no relevance to the events of this story specifically. Tristan could have fixed it later. It’s not like he could put stories in anyways so it wouldn’t have mattered if he waited until the end to do it. Or better yet, if it was fixed on its own by Tristan’s efforts. I also think it was dumb because it doesn’t make sense that the Story Box could be broken as it was even in the form of a phone like it was. The Story Box is the physical embodiment of all of Alke’s stories. I don’t think something literally made of magic that can become what the user needs at will should just stop working. It’s made of magic. And the only parameters we’ve ever seen given are that it needs the stories as a kind of lifeblood to work. There could have been a connection between Tristan’s struggles as an Anansesem to the SBP not working. Instead it’s because the ‘phone’ got wet.
In this book Tristan learns his grandmother had her own history with Alke. I think the book would have been way stronger if it focused on Tristan learning his grandmothers’ story as he traverses Alke to find her. That not only would have highlighted the relationship between the two, it also would have emphasized the importance of stories which is probably the biggest theme of the entire series.
I also think there should have been an index for the stories used in the book. African American folktales aren’t the typical curriculum within the American educational system so it would be nice if there was a quick resource to find out more information or read the tales. I’ve read middle grade books that have done this before when the book was historical fiction or there was a lot of research involved so I was surprised to not see something at the end.
Anyways, I was really hoping that after the foundation was laid the series would flourish. Unfortunately for me, nothing changed. I think this is competently written and that it does have a charm to it or else I would have been way more upset. More than anything I’m frustrated that a series with so much potential isn’t reaching it. I can really see a great novel hidden in this book. Despite my misgivings the ending did leave it in an interesting place so keep an eye out for my review of the next book in a year or two.
Tristan once again must save Alke. This time it's to rescue his grandmother who has been kidnapped by a new foe; the illusive Shamble Man.
Let's start with a personal pet peeve. I generally dislike it when an author tries to do the clever parody thing that's so prevalent in kids books. Unless in specific cases (for me) it almost always comes across as an out of touch adult trying too hard to connect with their audience. The tail end of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky sets one such gag up and TSDTW takes it a step further. The Story Box is able to transform based on the Anansesem's need so of course it becomes a smartphone. Anansi the trickster storyteller is trapped inside tasked with aiding Tristan in his accumulation of stories as punishment for his misdeeds in the first book. I didn't like this, but I was handling it until they started doubling down on the idea.
Anansi can actually make apps that aid Tristan on his journey. This undercut the whole quest because when they'd hit the rare ‘serious’ roadblock it wasn't a big deal narratively since Anansi could just easily make a useful app to circumvent the complication. The SBP - short for Story Box Phone - was a major crutch. Tristan didn't ever have to really figure anything out. When he did come up with an idea it felt unearned because Tristan is not written to be a particularly smart character. He’s not dumb by any means, but without genuine pitfalls to learn from his epiphanies felt convenient rather than a facet of his personality that had been built upon.
Like the first book I didn’t buy any of the relationships in this book. It blew my mind that once more I was subjected to an entire 390 pages without learning something as simple as how old Ayanna is. Did she even exist before Tristan met her? It certainly doesn’t feel like it. Gum Baby is even further reduced, lacking even the little bit of nuance she had in the first book. I appreciated that the new character was added a lot earlier this time. I did not appreciate that a major story beat hinged on this new character when we didn’t develop him enough for that to matter.
It also was abundantly clear what the reveal would be in regards to this character and I was frustrated it took so long to be exposed. It would have been better if this was established immediately because it could have created interesting dynamics within the group.
I didn’t mention this in my review of the first book, but the Gods weren’t all that relevant. It wasn’t too big a deal due to the nature of that story though I did make a note of it. This book goes one step further. The Shamble Man is wreaking havoc on Alke. The Gods are keeping it underwraps. That part is okay. They don’t want to cause mass panic especially while relations between the various parts of Alke are so strained. What’s not okay is that the Gods never take steps to do anything to help. The Shamble Man seriously wounds one of the Gods, kidnaps another, yet the rest of the Gods are nowhere to be found. They’re ‘too busy’. Except that doesn’t make any sense? There’s a huge, glaring threat to the country rapidly getting worse. It bothered me a lot because there was a super easy way to fix it that also feeds into Tristan’s arc; the Gods should have already had a special team that was going to be dispatched and Tristan secretly muscles his way onto it. This plays to Tristan’s ‘need to be the hero’ (a trait he is often criticized for that I rarely see evidence for so two birds one stone) as well as his desperation to find his grandmother. Instead, I’m expected to believe that while Alke is about to burn the Gods are just...twiddling their thumbs?
Speaking of Tristan’s arc. Once again there are some strong emotional beats presented at the beginning that disappear only to resurface at the end when it’s time to learn the lesson. Per the very first line of the plot synopsis Tristan is traumatized. I appreciate that this book wants to help kids recognize how trauma can, even unconsciously, begin to consume all aspects of your life. It even touches on intergenerational trauma which, in my experience at least, has only recently become a topic of conversation in the Black community. I think all of that is important to talk about early because it can help kids to better understand their own feelings about things that have happened to them or have empathy for other people who are encountering hardship. That being said, I do not feel like Tristan is traumatized.
The moment he gets to Alke, Tristan is fine. He doesn’t have any breakdowns. He doesn’t see things that aren’t there. He doesn’t have any problems focusing. He doesn’t sleep because of the short timeframe so no nightmares. He never becomes uncommunicative due to his fears. He never recedes into himself. He doesn’t lash out in order to create distance between him and other people out of fear. I, unfortunately, have firsthand knowledge that trauma manifests itself very differently for everyone. So I understand that the way Tristan processes his trauma will not look the same as how I have processed mine or even how another kid who has gone through the exact same tragedy would process theirs. And to be fair Tristan does have a problem accessing his powers as Anansesem after his grandmother is kidnapped. Kudos for that. But, the story is written in a way that Tristan doesn’t need his Anansesem powers at all so that particular issue is rendered moot. And outside of this one aspect that was easily sidestepped Tristan does not have any internal upheaval. I’m taking this line from my review of the first book - “my problem is that his choices do not reflect his emotional turmoil”. If Tristan is supposed to be traumatized I want to see how his trauma impacts his actions and thus, affects the course of the novel.
I actually loved the whole basis for the Shamble Man. I thought that it fit super well into the theme of trauma that this book was going for. He was the only character whose trajectory I felt was executed well in this regard. If Tristan’s issues had been fleshed out more The Shamble Man would have been a wonderful parallel to what Mbalia intended to be Tristan’s psychological journey.
However, the Shamble Man is also really insignificant compared to how big a deal he’s made out to be. I already mentioned that the Gods do not take any steps to stop him. Another problem is that the bulk of this book is taken up trying to fix the SBP to talk to Anansi. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why. All of the pieces were there to pursue the Shamble Man without the SBP. All it did was further solidify how much of a plot device the SBP was. Tristan could get across Alke without it and figure things out without it. The fact that it’s the Story Box is important in general, but it has no relevance to the events of this story specifically. Tristan could have fixed it later. It’s not like he could put stories in anyways so it wouldn’t have mattered if he waited until the end to do it. Or better yet, if it was fixed on its own by Tristan’s efforts. I also think it was dumb because it doesn’t make sense that the Story Box could be broken as it was even in the form of a phone like it was. The Story Box is the physical embodiment of all of Alke’s stories. I don’t think something literally made of magic that can become what the user needs at will should just stop working. It’s made of magic. And the only parameters we’ve ever seen given are that it needs the stories as a kind of lifeblood to work. There could have been a connection between Tristan’s struggles as an Anansesem to the SBP not working. Instead it’s because the ‘phone’ got wet.
In this book Tristan learns his grandmother had her own history with Alke. I think the book would have been way stronger if it focused on Tristan learning his grandmothers’ story as he traverses Alke to find her. That not only would have highlighted the relationship between the two, it also would have emphasized the importance of stories which is probably the biggest theme of the entire series.
I also think there should have been an index for the stories used in the book. African American folktales aren’t the typical curriculum within the American educational system so it would be nice if there was a quick resource to find out more information or read the tales. I’ve read middle grade books that have done this before when the book was historical fiction or there was a lot of research involved so I was surprised to not see something at the end.
Anyways, I was really hoping that after the foundation was laid the series would flourish. Unfortunately for me, nothing changed. I think this is competently written and that it does have a charm to it or else I would have been way more upset. More than anything I’m frustrated that a series with so much potential isn’t reaching it. I can really see a great novel hidden in this book. Despite my misgivings the ending did leave it in an interesting place so keep an eye out for my review of the next book in a year or two.
evamadera1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
4.5
While I prefer the first book in the series, primarily for the impact of the reveal of the villain identity (obviously that can be revealed only once), I still love this book. Mbalia explores real, complicated, deep topics like healing from trauma at a middle grade level, not simplistic but realistic, how a middle schooler would experience these events as well as an explanation that makes sense for the intended audience. It has an impact for me as well. He also uses the reveals at the end to pack such a punch. (I left that in even after realizing that I did not mean to make such a direct allusion to the series.)
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
Just like the first book, Tristan opens his story with boxing in his grandfather's boxing club, this time sparring in the barn with a partner who's bigger and faster than he is. Unfortunately, Tristan's been traumatized by his earlier journey to Alke, the land of John Henry, Gum Baby and Anansi, where Tristan ended up having to save the world by becoming a powerful storyteller, an Anansesem.
Anansi is safely contained in a phone-like device Tristan keeps on him at all times, but when, after the sparring is over, two panther-like ghosts attack him and his grandmother stops time to help him combat them, Tristan learns he must go back to Alke and confront a whole new threat -- The Shamble Man.
He's not sure what or who the Shamble Man is, but one thing's for certain: he used John Henry's hammer against the hero. Henry's legs are disintegrating. He can't come to Alke's defense this time. With Alke's biggest, staunchest defender on his back and not growing back his leg, saving Alke's is all up to Tristan this time.
Who will ally with Tristan? Other than Gum Baby, who's back again and the book really picks up once she's back in the picture. Love her! This time, there is a whole new cast of heroes, a lot of them heroines, who ferry Tristan on a raft or fight for him and get him to where he needs to be to save Alke from The Shamble Man.
This is a book 2, and the first book felt a LOT longer. And although this one clocks in at nearly 400 pages (395 to be exact), the pacing is quick and the story moves.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Anansi is safely contained in a phone-like device Tristan keeps on him at all times, but when, after the sparring is over, two panther-like ghosts attack him and his grandmother stops time to help him combat them, Tristan learns he must go back to Alke and confront a whole new threat -- The Shamble Man.
He's not sure what or who the Shamble Man is, but one thing's for certain: he used John Henry's hammer against the hero. Henry's legs are disintegrating. He can't come to Alke's defense this time. With Alke's biggest, staunchest defender on his back and not growing back his leg, saving Alke's is all up to Tristan this time.
Who will ally with Tristan? Other than Gum Baby, who's back again and the book really picks up once she's back in the picture. Love her! This time, there is a whole new cast of heroes, a lot of them heroines, who ferry Tristan on a raft or fight for him and get him to where he needs to be to save Alke from The Shamble Man.
This is a book 2, and the first book felt a LOT longer. And although this one clocks in at nearly 400 pages (395 to be exact), the pacing is quick and the story moves.
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dmn5678's review against another edition
adventurous
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
florrl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
3.5
babyv's review against another edition
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0