rynflynn12's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
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
danie_is_reading's review against another edition
5.0
So Good!!
Kwame Mbalia is my favorite author. His writing style is so comforting! He writes humor so well. I actually laugh while reading.
Kwame Mbalia is my favorite author. His writing style is so comforting! He writes humor so well. I actually laugh while reading.
katemch's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
daisey's review against another edition
3.0
I read books one and two in this series back to back, so it is a little hard to review this one independently. There is nonstop action as well as great characters. Gum Baby is definitely a character that adds plenty of humor to the story. I appreciate that Tristan is a kid dealing with real-life difficulties while also becoming a mythic hero. The books also made me want to learn more about the mythology and folk tales that inspired these stories.
* I received an ebook version of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
* I received an ebook version of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
_geminigenres's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
paigereitz's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing novel of a young Black boy gaining insight and understanding to the culture that has been targeted for erasure by white supremacy, plus an amazing exploration of trauma and trauma responses.
leahsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
CONTENT WARNING: violence, trauma, mention of death
I’m not sure if I can adequately find the right words to express how much I loved this book. Tristan is back in a new book, for another adventure with even higher stakes. The narrational style that Tristan uses is a laid-back and conversational tone, with no shortage of snark and sarcasm, although Tristan isn’t afraid to talk about his feelings. I truly appreciate that, and love that there are books showing young people, especially boys, that it’s okay to show your feelings.
This story not only picks up where it left off with the African and African American mythology and legends, it also further expands on them. Even the villains are related to Black history, featuring characters derived and depicting the evils of slavery. There’s even more of a focus on how these stories link Black Diaspora populations together, and I loved how it emphasized the interconnectedness of all of these groups. There’s characteristics associated with Diaspora populations, and this story highlights so many of those: hope, strength, power, resilience, and determination.
“The stories in each quilt square were unique, representing different places and experiences. The Diaspora. But when they were collected like this, they came together to make a beautiful artifact we all could appreciate.”
It wasn’t a stretch to get me to love the characters in this story. So many of them were already favorites of mine from book 1 — Tristan, Ayanna, Gum Baby (even if she does kind of remind me of a sassy little sister), and so many others. But there’s also some new ones, and I also got to see new facets of characters that we didn’t really get to see as much of, like Anansi. Mbalia has a true talent for developing a variety of characters and making them all feel so well-rounded and realistic. This story also has the incredible task of bringing folk heroes to life, and they’re done in such a beautiful way.
This is a story that is published on Rick Riordan’s imprint. While it is most certainly an OwnVoices book that is told in a way that feels incredibly genuine and honors the strong, difficult, and often painful journey of Africans and African-Americans, it is also clearly the kind of book that fits with Rick Riordan’s imprint. The characters are hilarious, and it embodies that underdog spirit that I love to read and root for. This was the line that really stuck out to me the most, and I love that it’s highlighted here:
“No story is perfect for everyone, but everyone can find the perfect story when they need it most.”
I’m not sure if I can adequately find the right words to express how much I loved this book. Tristan is back in a new book, for another adventure with even higher stakes. The narrational style that Tristan uses is a laid-back and conversational tone, with no shortage of snark and sarcasm, although Tristan isn’t afraid to talk about his feelings. I truly appreciate that, and love that there are books showing young people, especially boys, that it’s okay to show your feelings.
This story not only picks up where it left off with the African and African American mythology and legends, it also further expands on them. Even the villains are related to Black history, featuring characters derived and depicting the evils of slavery. There’s even more of a focus on how these stories link Black Diaspora populations together, and I loved how it emphasized the interconnectedness of all of these groups. There’s characteristics associated with Diaspora populations, and this story highlights so many of those: hope, strength, power, resilience, and determination.
“The stories in each quilt square were unique, representing different places and experiences. The Diaspora. But when they were collected like this, they came together to make a beautiful artifact we all could appreciate.”
It wasn’t a stretch to get me to love the characters in this story. So many of them were already favorites of mine from book 1 — Tristan, Ayanna, Gum Baby (even if she does kind of remind me of a sassy little sister), and so many others. But there’s also some new ones, and I also got to see new facets of characters that we didn’t really get to see as much of, like Anansi. Mbalia has a true talent for developing a variety of characters and making them all feel so well-rounded and realistic. This story also has the incredible task of bringing folk heroes to life, and they’re done in such a beautiful way.
This is a story that is published on Rick Riordan’s imprint. While it is most certainly an OwnVoices book that is told in a way that feels incredibly genuine and honors the strong, difficult, and often painful journey of Africans and African-Americans, it is also clearly the kind of book that fits with Rick Riordan’s imprint. The characters are hilarious, and it embodies that underdog spirit that I love to read and root for. This was the line that really stuck out to me the most, and I love that it’s highlighted here:
“No story is perfect for everyone, but everyone can find the perfect story when they need it most.”
erickabdz's review against another edition
3.0
No story is perfect for everyone, but everyone can find the perfect story when they need it most.
Such a lovely, impactful and funny story! I very much loved [b:Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky|39884337|Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Tristan Strong #1)|Kwame Mbalia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549350938l/39884337._SX50_.jpg|61695419] so I was a little let down by Tristan Strong Destroys the World that suffers, for me, second book syndrome. What I loved the most about this book was the talk about trauma, generational trauma, and the whole story around the Shamble Man. His scenes, too, were the most impactful for me. I also deeply loved the
Spoiler
knitting scene of the end. It just felt warm and powerful and I loved that it made epic something women are known for and included Tristan in this beautiful tradition without questioning his masculinityHowever, I didn't much enjoy the plot; more like, I couldn't justify much of the plot. It was entertaining while it was happening but it had me really asking questions like,
Spoiler
are the gods really that busy not to help? Doing what? Why was the Shamble Man so easily defeated when he was supposed to be this big thing?Anyhow, the story does hold itself together and makes an interesting promise for the final book. The sole idea of giving power to the stories, stories that go across generations, is such a beautiful concept that definitely deserves attention and I'll stay to see how Mbalia finishes this series.
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.