Tristan Strong Keeps Punching
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- Create Date：2021-10-17 08:52:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Kwame Mbalia
- ISBN：1368054870
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Summary
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents the finale of Kwame Mbalia's trilogy， in which Tristan Strong faces off with his archenemy， King Cotton， once and for all。
After reuniting with Ayanna， who is now in his world， Tristan travels up the Mississippi in pursuit of his archenemy， King Cotton。 Along the way they encounter new haints who are dead set on preventing their progress north to Tristan's hometown of Chicago。 It's going to take many Alkean friends， including the gods themselves， the black flames of the afokena gloves， and all of Tristan's inner strength to deliver justice once and for all。
Shocking twists， glorious triumphs， and a cast of unforgettable characters make this series conclusion as satisfying as it is entertaining。
After reuniting with Ayanna， who is now in his world， Tristan travels up the Mississippi in pursuit of his archenemy， King Cotton。 Along the way they encounter new haints who are dead set on preventing their progress north to Tristan's hometown of Chicago。 It's going to take many Alkean friends， including the gods themselves， the black flames of the afokena gloves， and all of Tristan's inner strength to deliver justice once and for all。
Shocking twists， glorious triumphs， and a cast of unforgettable characters make this series conclusion as satisfying as it is entertaining。
Reviews
Jessica Robbins
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*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for。This is an amazing finale for what has been a highly enjoyable trilogy for middle grade readers。 Kwame really brings the mythological people and creatures of Alke， the magical world of the myths and legends of the African diaspora， to life making them feel real。 Tristan and his allies must chase the haint King Cotton over the U。S。 and defeat his new plan that involves all sorts of things。 Full of plenty *I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for。This is an amazing finale for what has been a highly enjoyable trilogy for middle grade readers。 Kwame really brings the mythological people and creatures of Alke， the magical world of the myths and legends of the African diaspora， to life making them feel real。 Tristan and his allies must chase the haint King Cotton over the U。S。 and defeat his new plan that involves all sorts of things。 Full of plenty of surprises yet still leads to a very satisfying ending that is sure to delight readers of all ages。 I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars。 。。。more
Drew's ambitious reading
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Wow what a crazy finale！ I'm not going to spoil u guys of what happened but dang this book was amazing and gave me all the feels and loved how this trilogy wrapped up！（: Five out of five stars！（: Wow what a crazy finale！ I'm not going to spoil u guys of what happened but dang this book was amazing and gave me all the feels and loved how this trilogy wrapped up！（: Five out of five stars！（: 。。。more
Alysha DeShaé
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I love these books so much。 This last book， though。。。 This was more than we deserved and everything we needed。 I wish I had the ability to buy classroom copies for every school in my state。I live in Louisiana， where this book starts out。 New Orleans is filled with so much history， and most of it is whitewashed。 Seeing Tristan peel back the layers of history is phenomenal。 And not just in NOLA。 Tristan gets/gives history lessons throughout the book and in various places。 History that is buried an I love these books so much。 This last book， though。。。 This was more than we deserved and everything we needed。 I wish I had the ability to buy classroom copies for every school in my state。I live in Louisiana， where this book starts out。 New Orleans is filled with so much history， and most of it is whitewashed。 Seeing Tristan peel back the layers of history is phenomenal。 And not just in NOLA。 Tristan gets/gives history lessons throughout the book and in various places。 History that is buried and hidden and deliberately ignored is unearthed and shared by this phenomenal book。I'm already planning to reread the entirety of the series。 It never disappoints me and regularly astounds me with how wonderful it is。（Oh， fun fact， Gum Baby hints at some adventure that she won't explain - it's the short story included in The Cursed Carnival。） 。。。more
Beth Mendelsohn
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Thank you to Rick Riordan Presents， Disney， and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。The third title in the trilogy picks up shortly after the final events in book 2 – the gods and Alkeans are in the present world and scattered across the country。 Tristan is on a family reunion in New Orleans when his “spidey-sense” is activated （the SBP with Anansi）。 King Cotton is back and as evil as ever and has his minions kidnapping children。 This book is much d Thank you to Rick Riordan Presents， Disney， and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。The third title in the trilogy picks up shortly after the final events in book 2 – the gods and Alkeans are in the present world and scattered across the country。 Tristan is on a family reunion in New Orleans when his “spidey-sense” is activated （the SBP with Anansi）。 King Cotton is back and as evil as ever and has his minions kidnapping children。 This book is much darker than the previous two in that Tristan is able to see and feel the suffering of Black people of the past。 King Cotton is growing more powerful and it’s up to Tristan and his friends to stop him。While I truly enjoyed the previous two， this one was a bit of a slog for me。 The plot seemed to meander before coming back to the central theme。 I really wanted to like this book as much as the others but it just was not of the same caliber。 Still worth the read if only to see the conclusion。#TristanStrongKeepsPunching #RickRiordanPresents #NetGalley 。。。more
Eileen
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4。5 starsThis was a wonderful conclusion to this series， although the way it ended leaves it open for future miniseries， similar to the Percy Jackson books。 Whether that will actually happen is something only the author can answer， but I would definitely be open to future series with Tristan。In this one， Tristan has to find the Alkeans who were basically saved from their world but separated and released into our world。 At the same time， King Cotton is obviously up to no good， but the Gods keep t 4。5 starsThis was a wonderful conclusion to this series， although the way it ended leaves it open for future miniseries， similar to the Percy Jackson books。 Whether that will actually happen is something only the author can answer， but I would definitely be open to future series with Tristan。In this one， Tristan has to find the Alkeans who were basically saved from their world but separated and released into our world。 At the same time， King Cotton is obviously up to no good， but the Gods keep telling Tristan to listen to what they're telling him and he keeps on not listening。 Which I will admit was very frustrating for me。 And yet--it's totally in keeping with who Tristan is and there is a much larger lesson about anger that he needs to learn。 And the author gives him the space to learn it。 Without revealing any spoilers， I love how the author wove all the various characters from all three books into this finale and I liked that with every lesson for Tristan， there was a lesson for us as well。 I did not listen to this one， but I could hear Gum Baby's voice every time she spoke。 She was hilarious as ever， but I also enjoyed watching her view of Tristan and their relationship develop over this series。There was another reason I loved this book and that was that Tristan is from Chicago and part of this story takes place there。 Tristan mentions a history of Chicago that he did not know and I didn't know it either。 Honestly， this is part of what makes this series so important。 The stories of those who have suffered are so important and I like how storytelling is such an integral part of this series。 I really enjoyed this series and I will be revisiting it in the future。 I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Leah M
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book。 I am providing my honest opinion voluntarily。CONTENT WARNING: violence， slavery， grief， death， racismI absolutely adored the first two books in this series， so obviously I happy danced when NetGalley approved me for the third book。 The author is a fresh voice in fantasy， and I love the creativity and conversational tone of the story。Throughout this series， Mbalia has skillfully combined African mythology and Black American folktal Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book。 I am providing my honest opinion voluntarily。CONTENT WARNING: violence， slavery， grief， death， racismI absolutely adored the first two books in this series， so obviously I happy danced when NetGalley approved me for the third book。 The author is a fresh voice in fantasy， and I love the creativity and conversational tone of the story。Throughout this series， Mbalia has skillfully combined African mythology and Black American folktales to create a completely engrossing story。 The brutal history of slavery isn’t avoided， but rather creates the crux of the central conflict。 Central tenets that upheld slavery are portrayed as the villains （as they should be）， and remembering the history rather than allowing it to be covered up is the key to overcoming the challenges the heroes face。Tristan himself learns a lot on his journey in this book as well。 His grief over the loss of his friend was a main challenge in earlier books， but in this one， he has to learn how to accept help from others and stop being so headstrong。 At times， I wanted to shake him， but I had to remember that he’s only 12 and needed time to grow and stop making the same mistakes。 Sometimes watching him struggle was painful， but he kept his sense of humor and understood the value of the great people surrounding him。The pace of the story was fast。 I read this book incredibly quickly， and there’s a lot of action。 Nothing dragged， and this is the kind of the book that can be read in just a few sittings。 I couldn’t put it down， and always wanted to know what was going to happen next。 The best part of this was that I learned things while reading， but it never felt like a history lesson。 It touches on a lot of the things that aren’t taught in the educational system， but are important aspects of American history。 This is the kind of book that would be ideal to include in school curricula。 It could help kids get interested in books while learning history， without being boring in any way。 These are the kind of books that provide kids with characters who look like them， and have important messages without being overly obvious。 If more books like this were taught in schools， maybe more kids would be interested in reading。 I’m thrilled to see that this series is being released as graphic novels as well， to make this even more accessible。 Kwame Mbalia is a highly talented voice in MG fiction， and I can’t wait to read his other books。 。。。more
Shakera
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I’m so happy this series exists。 It’s not often that you get to read a book that you can see yourself in。 So， when one comes along， I have to get it！ It’s one of the many reasons I have a deep appreciation for Rick Riordan and “Rick Riordan Presents。” I highly recommend this series。 The growth Tristan displays is phenomenal。 It was great to see and catch up with some characters。 Gum Baby will forever be my favorite， but Tristan really made me proud。 The world-building， as usual， is perfection。 T I’m so happy this series exists。 It’s not often that you get to read a book that you can see yourself in。 So， when one comes along， I have to get it！ It’s one of the many reasons I have a deep appreciation for Rick Riordan and “Rick Riordan Presents。” I highly recommend this series。 The growth Tristan displays is phenomenal。 It was great to see and catch up with some characters。 Gum Baby will forever be my favorite， but Tristan really made me proud。 The world-building， as usual， is perfection。 The tour of the South was nice。 Tristan learning more about himself and what he can do was refreshing。 While I wish this series wouldn’t end， I do appreciate it being a trilogy。 。。。more
Me-Connie
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Tristan Strong Keeps Punching and Kwame Mbalia keeps on writing fantastic books。Tristan Strong is the first in my onslaught of fall books to read and I'm really glad it was just as fantastic of a book as the first two books in the series。 I found it maybe a little bit less funny than the previous two， but Tristan Strong Keeps Punching takes place in present-day earth and not Alke， which I think gave the entire book an entirely different feel。Instead of a magical realm， Tristan uses his powers to Tristan Strong Keeps Punching and Kwame Mbalia keeps on writing fantastic books。Tristan Strong is the first in my onslaught of fall books to read and I'm really glad it was just as fantastic of a book as the first two books in the series。 I found it maybe a little bit less funny than the previous two， but Tristan Strong Keeps Punching takes place in present-day earth and not Alke， which I think gave the entire book an entirely different feel。Instead of a magical realm， Tristan uses his powers to see the horrors inflicted on Black people （often in the form of tormented spirits） at modern-day locations。 The Louisiana French Quarter no longer becomes a popular tourist destination， but is the landing location for generations of enslaved people from west Africa。 The villain's minions in this book are white supremists， using the powers of gentrification， sanitized education， and hiding their faces behind masks。 I think Tristian Strong Keeps Punching takes a tiny bit of a darker turn than the previous books because it strips away some of the allegories and symbolization that was used in Alke。The characterization in this book is absolutely amazing。 There are a number of characters whom we meet for only very briefly， but I still wonder what ended up happening to them。 I kept on waiting for them to re-appear and be involved in the story because I just admired the amount of work that went into characterizing every single side character。 I also very much enjoyed adults who behaved like adults in this book。 Needed much more often。 。。。more
Deborah Payne
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This is the last book in the Tristan Strong Series。 I gave this book 4 stars。 I though it a had strong ending。 This was actually my favorite book out of the three。 There is a lot of action and adventures to other worlds to learn what be done or not done。Tristan is also learning how to control his anger so his new magical vice won’t over take him。 His friends are the best part of the books。 They may not like how he is always getting them into trouble but they stand by him no matter what。In this f This is the last book in the Tristan Strong Series。 I gave this book 4 stars。 I though it a had strong ending。 This was actually my favorite book out of the three。 There is a lot of action and adventures to other worlds to learn what be done or not done。Tristan is also learning how to control his anger so his new magical vice won’t over take him。 His friends are the best part of the books。 They may not like how he is always getting them into trouble but they stand by him no matter what。In this finally book he has to defeat Catton or the world be different。 Cotton is kidnapping children who have any type of magic in them and having that magic sent to him by a huge machine。 Tristan has a couple of friends who have been captured and he wants to save them plus the other children。 Along the way a God is killed or is he since God’s can’t be killed， Right。 Here the adventures and trouble go on。Does Tristan accomplish his goal？ What happens to his friends？ What happens to the God？ Is Cotton finally defeated？ You will have to read the finally book to find out。 。。。more
GivernyReads
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Rating: 4。5This book was an epic conclusion to the Tristan Strong series。 Mbalia did an excellent job with this book。The plot was much better in this book， and I loved how it kept the core themes while making them better。 The world-building in this book as usual was just perfect。 I loved that the book mixed mythology and history， two of my favorite things。The characters were once again amazing。 I learnt more about Ayanna， which I loved。 Tristan was still a strong and relatable MC， however Gum Ba Rating: 4。5This book was an epic conclusion to the Tristan Strong series。 Mbalia did an excellent job with this book。The plot was much better in this book， and I loved how it kept the core themes while making them better。 The world-building in this book as usual was just perfect。 I loved that the book mixed mythology and history， two of my favorite things。The characters were once again amazing。 I learnt more about Ayanna， which I loved。 Tristan was still a strong and relatable MC， however Gum Baby is also still my favorite。 The other characters in this book also are relatable and they grow on you。 Overall， I loved this book。 I believe that young children will love this series and libraries should get these books。*I received this book in exchange for my honest review。* 。。。more
Megan Chasteen
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Review （#giftedbook）: Tristan Strong Keeps PunchingAuthor: Kwame MbaliaRating: 🥰😍If you've been with me for a while， you'll know that Mbalia's Tristan Strong books are some of my favorites out there。 In my opinion， Tristan Strong Keeps Punching， the third （and last） book in the series， was the best one in the series。 What I liked: ✨The writing。 So many lines/passages were beautifully written and heartfelt。 I love it when I pause while reading and think "damn that's good writing。" ✨Tristan's grow Review （#giftedbook）: Tristan Strong Keeps PunchingAuthor: Kwame MbaliaRating: 🥰😍If you've been with me for a while， you'll know that Mbalia's Tristan Strong books are some of my favorites out there。 In my opinion， Tristan Strong Keeps Punching， the third （and last） book in the series， was the best one in the series。 What I liked: ✨The writing。 So many lines/passages were beautifully written and heartfelt。 I love it when I pause while reading and think "damn that's good writing。" ✨Tristan's growth。 He's my favorite character out of all of the characters in the RRP line and for good reason。 ✨Once again， Mbalia's ability to craft monsters out of the US's monstrous history and treatment of Black people is second-to-none。 All of these books， but this one in particular （I hope） will be the impetus for more kids to ask questions and research about the actual history of this country that so many continue to try to hide and deny。 ✨Gum Baby。 Always Gum Baby。 I have a lot more thoughts that I think I will compile in a longer blog post。 Ultimately， I 100% recommend this book。 As always， these books need to be read in order。 Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is the first in the series！ 。。。more
Nicole
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"I'm angry because the world keeps telling me I shouldn't be angry。" This book is Important。 I really hope that everyone takes the time to read this series， but god， this book in particular， because WOW。 Let's talk about shared grief and personal grief， let's talk about race and the erasure of history， let's talk about the power of stories， let's talk about rage--cultural rage， personal rage， the impossible frustration of being powerless--let's talk about how adults treat children they don't kno "I'm angry because the world keeps telling me I shouldn't be angry。" This book is Important。 I really hope that everyone takes the time to read this series， but god， this book in particular， because WOW。 Let's talk about shared grief and personal grief， let's talk about race and the erasure of history， let's talk about the power of stories， let's talk about rage--cultural rage， personal rage， the impossible frustration of being powerless--let's talk about how adults treat children they don't know how to handle， let's talk about the power of stories。 There is so much in this book。 I hope you learn something from it。 And I hope you have fun while learning。 Also， god， SOMEONE give Tristan a HUG， DAMN BOY。 。。。more
Carli
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Thanks to Netgalley and Disney Publishing for the advance Kindle copy of this book。 It released TODAY！ All opinions are my own。•⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5。 I have been ANXIOUSLY awaiting this third installment of one of my FAVORITE series， and it did not disappoint。 I mean， I spent a tiny part of the book angry （if you read this， you’ll know why）， but the story redeemed itself。 So anyway， Tristan has been involved in a LOT in the first two books， during his summer in Alabama。 The Strong family is having a reu Thanks to Netgalley and Disney Publishing for the advance Kindle copy of this book。 It released TODAY！ All opinions are my own。•⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5。 I have been ANXIOUSLY awaiting this third installment of one of my FAVORITE series， and it did not disappoint。 I mean， I spent a tiny part of the book angry （if you read this， you’ll know why）， but the story redeemed itself。 So anyway， Tristan has been involved in a LOT in the first two books， during his summer in Alabama。 The Strong family is having a reunion in New Orleans prior to his departure for Chicago， but King Cotton Hs some shenanigans left in him。 As Tristan battles him up the Mississippi toward his home， he is faced with history， his own demons， and a score that he needs to settle once and for all。 This series has the perfect blend of history， social commentary， action， and humor。 I can’t recommend it enough。 。。。more
Trisha
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Tristan is at a family reunion in New Orleans when he spots Cotton and thus starts another battle between Cotton and Tristan that will involve his friends and how vulnerable they are when Tristan doesn't think things thru and just rushes in。 Can Tristan's friends teach hi everything he needs to know to beat Cotton， or will all be lost including his friends？This is another awesome book by Kwame Mbalia and I hope he keeps on going。 I love these books they are full of action and suspense， so histo Tristan is at a family reunion in New Orleans when he spots Cotton and thus starts another battle between Cotton and Tristan that will involve his friends and how vulnerable they are when Tristan doesn't think things thru and just rushes in。 Can Tristan's friends teach hi everything he needs to know to beat Cotton， or will all be lost including his friends？This is another awesome book by Kwame Mbalia and I hope he keeps on going。 I love these books they are full of action and suspense， so history and many stories from the gods and Gum Baby， who thinks she is a god。 I love hearing the old stories， some I know and some I don't。 So don't make us sap attack you and just give the book a try I think you will like these even if you are reluctant。 。。。more
Nora Martinez
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eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**5/5 stars**Kwame Mbalia strikes again and again！ Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is phenomenal conclusion to what has been my favorite middle grade fantasy series since Percy Jackson。 These books hit different though。 I tell everyone to read Tristan Strong; I don’t tell everyone to read Percy Jackson。 That’s not to say one is better than the other。 They hold different meanings。Though I am sad to part with Tristan’s stor eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**5/5 stars**Kwame Mbalia strikes again and again！ Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is phenomenal conclusion to what has been my favorite middle grade fantasy series since Percy Jackson。 These books hit different though。 I tell everyone to read Tristan Strong; I don’t tell everyone to read Percy Jackson。 That’s not to say one is better than the other。 They hold different meanings。Though I am sad to part with Tristan’s story and the magic of Alke， I think it was a wise choice to execute a trilogy。 These books hold up so strongly because it is clear that great care was put into refining the value of each installment as well as their plots。 Keeps Punching takes all of the beautiful themes of the first two books—family， trauma， community， resilience through storytelling， healing， etc— and pushes them further。 You will cheer， shout， and cry for Tristan。 And then you will cry again once you’ve finished because you will miss Tristan dearly。 I did。Replace copies of Harry Potter in classrooms with copies of Tristan Strong。 I think the world would be a better place for it。 。。。more
Cindi
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Thank you to the author， publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC of this book。Full disclosure， I love everything in the Rick Riordan Presents line。 I cannot lie。 I'm actually jealous of the kids growing up now who have these amazing books。 I have read or listened to all of the books in the line and shared the audios with my children in most cases。 We all love these books。 I have been curious to see where book 3 would go for about a year now， so very excited for this title。And it did Thank you to the author， publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC of this book。Full disclosure， I love everything in the Rick Riordan Presents line。 I cannot lie。 I'm actually jealous of the kids growing up now who have these amazing books。 I have read or listened to all of the books in the line and shared the audios with my children in most cases。 We all love these books。 I have been curious to see where book 3 would go for about a year now， so very excited for this title。And it did not disappoint！ This series contains everything you want for a middle grades book - likeable characters， comedy， serious topics， serious messages and exciting experiences。 I think Mr Mbalia has addressed several topics very well， especially for the targeted age range。 Tristan Strong is an amazing hero who is plagued by realistic uncertainties。 He feels that he has failed， and that gives his character and the book a lot of heart and soul。 We see him struggle with choices and feelings that want to take him over。 Very real characters， very real feelings and situations。 I would recommend this series to anyone - of any age。 They are so well written， so descriptive and so moving。 I can't wait for the book to be published so I can find the audiobook and listen to it all over again。 。。。more
Mary
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Stories are the fabric of the world， and nobody knows that better than Tristan Strong。 It has been two weeks since the land of Alke was destroyed， and Tristan finds himself in New Orleans for his family reunion。 With gods and children scattered around his world， Tristan’s mind is occupied by the need to find them and ensure their safety。 When a girl named Seraphine approaches Tristan and guides him to a battle only they can fight， Tristan discovers just how much strength he has within and how hi Stories are the fabric of the world， and nobody knows that better than Tristan Strong。 It has been two weeks since the land of Alke was destroyed， and Tristan finds himself in New Orleans for his family reunion。 With gods and children scattered around his world， Tristan’s mind is occupied by the need to find them and ensure their safety。 When a girl named Seraphine approaches Tristan and guides him to a battle only they can fight， Tristan discovers just how much strength he has within and how his innate tenacity can empower him to be his best。This stunning conclusion to the Tristan Strong series brings readers on an epic adventure up the Mississippi River in a quest to deliver the world from the nefarious ambitions of King Cotton。 Throughout his life， Tristan has been plagued by anger， occasionally struggling to manage his emotions in a productive manner。 Cotton capitalizes on this reality， as villains are known to do， working at every turn to convince Tristan to transition to his side。 However， Tristan begins to see the world for what it is and discovers how he can channel his anger into something good。 Mbalia’s engaging writing style connects readers to Tristan and his story， painting vivid imagery that unfolds as a film would inside the reader’s mind。 Each character has a recognizable and unique way of speaking， jumping off the page alongside Tristan’s first person narrative and internal dialogue。 As the Anansesem he is， Tristan seeks out the stories in the world and expertly communicates them to the readers who have discovered this series。 Political undercurrents flow through this story as well， and readers must pay careful attention to appreciate the intelligent wit Mbalia incorporates into the narrative。Clever and poignant， the Tristan Strong series brings tales of African American folklore and history into the present for middle grade readers。 Told through the lens of a twelve-year-old who is attempting to understand his own existence， this narrative connects the past to the present and gives these stories new life。 Readers will cheer for Tristan as he creates his own narrative and blends his contemporary reality with his roots in a way that inspires others to embrace their own histories， as well。 This is an important and profound series that is a critical addition to middle grade libraries。 。。。more
Amy
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The third installment from Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia， Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is by far my favorite of the series to date。 I am sad to say goodbye to Tristan， but it was great to catch up with him to see what adventure he gets himself into this time。 I thought this was a great way to end this trilogy。 I am giving Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is getting a very well deserved five plus stars。 I highly recommend it for readers who are between the ages of eight and twelve。 I look f The third installment from Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia， Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is by far my favorite of the series to date。 I am sad to say goodbye to Tristan， but it was great to catch up with him to see what adventure he gets himself into this time。 I thought this was a great way to end this trilogy。 I am giving Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is getting a very well deserved five plus stars。 I highly recommend it for readers who are between the ages of eight and twelve。 I look forward to reading more tales like this one by Kwame Mbalia in the future。 I received a digital copy of Tristan Strong Keeps Punching from the publisher， but was not required to write a positive review。 This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion。 。。。more
Pam
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I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley。The final book in this trilogy is everything readers expect。 The story opens in New Orleans where Tristan is attending a family reunion and continuing to locate lost Alkeans。 The action begins almost immediately with attacks from haints and other monsters。 We see Tristan struggle to make the best choices and to let his anger take control and create larger problems。 As the story progresses， he learns to control his em I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley。The final book in this trilogy is everything readers expect。 The story opens in New Orleans where Tristan is attending a family reunion and continuing to locate lost Alkeans。 The action begins almost immediately with attacks from haints and other monsters。 We see Tristan struggle to make the best choices and to let his anger take control and create larger problems。 As the story progresses， he learns to control his emotions and to see beyond the taunts， etc。 from King Cotton and others。 Love that he finally learns to work as a teammate before the final battle over evil。 The connections and allusions to US history permeate this volume。 Readers are drawn in to see how slavery's effect continues to echo today。 They come face to face with their own feelings about the Redliners and how to respond to their subtle and not so hidden hatred。 So many discussion topics can come up as a class or a small group reading this one together。 I appreciate the Epilogue as this is the end of this trilogy。 。。。more
R。J。
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Wow。。。 What a great book！ Really hoping to read more of Tristan Strong and his adventures。 I received an advance reader copy。
Jill booksandescape
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I received an advance ebook copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for review。Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia is the third and final book in the Tristan Strong series。 In this finale， Tristan is reunited with Ayanna in his world。 Tristan is dead set on tracking down his enemy King Cotton。 New haints are determined to keep Tristan and his friends from reaching him。 The journey to the defeat of King Cotton will require Tristan to harness his newfound power of flaming gloves I received an advance ebook copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for review。Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia is the third and final book in the Tristan Strong series。 In this finale， Tristan is reunited with Ayanna in his world。 Tristan is dead set on tracking down his enemy King Cotton。 New haints are determined to keep Tristan and his friends from reaching him。 The journey to the defeat of King Cotton will require Tristan to harness his newfound power of flaming gloves， along with help from his friends and the Alkean gods。This book is just as exciting as the first two！ I’ve grown so attached to the cast of characters， especially Tristan and Gum Baby。 I don’t want it to be over！ 。。。more
Sue
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In the final book of this trilogy， Tristan must learn to control his anger， use his powers but use them under control and wisely， and depend on his friends。 King Cotton is back and he wants to take the power from the spirit world and overtake the land。 Tristan has to figure out how to stop King Cotton and to do so he needs to pay attention to the African American history of the past， learn about the tragedies that aren’t taught in school and tell the stories of his people。 Recommended for upper In the final book of this trilogy， Tristan must learn to control his anger， use his powers but use them under control and wisely， and depend on his friends。 King Cotton is back and he wants to take the power from the spirit world and overtake the land。 Tristan has to figure out how to stop King Cotton and to do so he needs to pay attention to the African American history of the past， learn about the tragedies that aren’t taught in school and tell the stories of his people。 Recommended for upper elementary/middle school students。 #TristanStrongKeepsPunching #NetGalley 。。。more
Sarah Krajewski
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Tristan Strong is back， and he has noticed that evil spirits， haunts， seem to be everywhere。 With Ayanna and other Alkean friends， he travels up north from New Orleans in pursuit of King Cotton。 Along the way， he realizes how stories can be used for evil。 A great end to the Tristan Strong trilogy！ My kids and I loved this one too， and it prompted us to do a little research about some American history。
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusGood conclusion to the Tristan Strong trilogy。 Lots of different mythologies and folk lore， 400 pages， and rather challenging。 I preferred The Last Gate of the Emperor， but fantasy is not my thing。
Celia
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For me， this book embodies the heart of middle grade: likeable characters， enjoyable experiences， and comedy， all combined with serious topics and messages。 The author addressed beautifully here generational trauma and the need of remembering past hurts， particularly for the target audience of youngsters， as were broader themes of loss and guilt。 Tristan was a fantastic protagonist， a young man who aspires to be a hero but is plagued by worries and uncertainties， particularly because he believes For me， this book embodies the heart of middle grade: likeable characters， enjoyable experiences， and comedy， all combined with serious topics and messages。 The author addressed beautifully here generational trauma and the need of remembering past hurts， particularly for the target audience of youngsters， as were broader themes of loss and guilt。 Tristan was a fantastic protagonist， a young man who aspires to be a hero but is plagued by worries and uncertainties， particularly because he believes he failed and missed a crucial opportunity to be heroic。Tristan has a lot of heart and soul to give as he discovers who he is， how much he's worth， and what's at risk in his world （s）。 Mbalia's capacity to simultaneously transport Black readers into a new， optimistic realm while also confronting horrific， tremendously traumatic lived histories/experiences astounds me。 This series' antagonist is both metaphorically and practically chattel slavery。 Examine the cover carefully。 What a wonderful and therapeutic experience it is for young Black readers to read a book filled with adventure and Black community。 。。。more
Gretchen
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In this finale of the Tristan Strong series， Tristan faces off with his enemy King Cotton once and for all。 Before the faceoff， he has to deal with his anger issues and figure out exactly what Cotton has planned。 His friends become annoyed with him because he is so focused on Cotton that he keeps running off without thinking things through。 Tristan loses some more people， and just when he is ready to give up he remembers his family mantra: Strongs Keep Punching。 Can Tristan defeat King Cotton or In this finale of the Tristan Strong series， Tristan faces off with his enemy King Cotton once and for all。 Before the faceoff， he has to deal with his anger issues and figure out exactly what Cotton has planned。 His friends become annoyed with him because he is so focused on Cotton that he keeps running off without thinking things through。 Tristan loses some more people， and just when he is ready to give up he remembers his family mantra: Strongs Keep Punching。 Can Tristan defeat King Cotton or will Cotton take over Tristan's hometown and the world？ #TristanStrongKeepsPunching #NetGalley 。。。more
DJ
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Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。One of my favorite heroes， in my favorite city？ SIGN ME UP！ New Orleans plays the perfect backdrop for Tristan's adventures。 I loved reading about the city as he was racing through it。 Tristan Strong is one of my favorite middle grade series and I'm sad it's coming to an end。 However， it's a fitting end。 Tristan finds himself once again punching his way through another adventure。 I loved reading about all the character Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。One of my favorite heroes， in my favorite city？ SIGN ME UP！ New Orleans plays the perfect backdrop for Tristan's adventures。 I loved reading about the city as he was racing through it。 Tristan Strong is one of my favorite middle grade series and I'm sad it's coming to an end。 However， it's a fitting end。 Tristan finds himself once again punching his way through another adventure。 I loved reading about all the characters all and new。 I loved the underlying theme of what makes a hero。 Bravo。 A fitting ending to one of my most beloved heroes。 。。。more
Olivia ♡
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I love this trilogy so， so much。 The inhabitants of Alke are now in Tristan's world。 Tristan and Ayanna band up to travel up the Mississippi River toward Tristan's home in Chicago in anticipation of facing off against King Cotton， running into friends and enemies old and new。As usual， I loved the worldbuilding。 Especially now， with Alke no longer a separate part of the world that we know， seeing the way that history and mythology blended together in the modern-day was just a *chef's kiss*。 I lov I love this trilogy so， so much。 The inhabitants of Alke are now in Tristan's world。 Tristan and Ayanna band up to travel up the Mississippi River toward Tristan's home in Chicago in anticipation of facing off against King Cotton， running into friends and enemies old and new。As usual， I loved the worldbuilding。 Especially now， with Alke no longer a separate part of the world that we know， seeing the way that history and mythology blended together in the modern-day was just a *chef's kiss*。 I loved this tour throughout cities along the Mississippi River and the events in US history that really impacted African Americans， many of which that I didn't know about before。 I loved the return of all the amazing characters， both heroes and villains from previous books， as well as these people Tristan met along his journey in this book。 I especially loved a lot of the smaller antagonists， whose historical basis I was somewhat familiar with， and seeing the way that their manifestation in the modern-day world of this story with plenty of parallels to things said and done today in the real world was very interesting to read。 Tristan's anger is very raw and real， especially for people who are younger， who are filled with enough hope that the world can be better than it is， and is angry when it seems that the adults around them don't rise up to the occasion。 I loved the commentary on what makes a hero versus what makes a leader， and I appreciated that Tristan was guided to try to be a leader rather than a hero。 Tristan trying to grapple with all his feelings while trying to do right by everyone he cares about and struggling to balance what the adults around him wanted him to do and what he wanted to do was a classic dilemma for a hero。 I thought it was hilarious that Tristan was suddenly finding new powers that he didn't have previously， and he wasn't sure how to control them， which I think is very realistic for a child who is told he's a hero and is essentially given fairly minimal training。 Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide， Rick Riordan Presents， and NetGalley for the ARC。Blog | Tumblr | Instagram 。。。more
Shai
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Strong and compelling from the start， Tristan Strong Keeps Punching grasps the reader's attention from the first sentence and does not let go until the very last word。 The mix of traditional myths and the contemporary world。 as well as the many twists and unexpected events keep the books interesting for the audience （middle schoolers） as well as the adults that may read these books。 I read all of the Rick Riordan series and this book follows in that vein。 The plot moves along quickly with the ma Strong and compelling from the start， Tristan Strong Keeps Punching grasps the reader's attention from the first sentence and does not let go until the very last word。 The mix of traditional myths and the contemporary world。 as well as the many twists and unexpected events keep the books interesting for the audience （middle schoolers） as well as the adults that may read these books。 I read all of the Rick Riordan series and this book follows in that vein。 The plot moves along quickly with the main villain being introduced within the first few pages of the book。 I would recommend that teachers add this book to their library， especially for reluctant readers that need material that will capture their attention immediately。 。。。more
Audrey
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