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[katara]

Title: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Tristan Strong #1)
Author: Kwame Mbalia
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.5/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: February 12, 2020 to February 13, 2020
Book Summary: Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it — is that a doll? — and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?
Book Review: This book is part of a series of books under the Rick Riordan Presents label that offers a series of mythology stories with middle to junior year school heroes.

In this book, we meet our young hero Tristan Strong. Recently he not only lost his first fight which not only disappointed his father and grandfather but he also lost his best friend, Eddie, to an accident the two of them were in. Sent to stay with his grandparents in rural Alabama, Tristan is struggling to decide who he is and who he wants to be. The only thing consolation prize he has is the book Eddie has given him. When the book is taken from him, Tristan is determined to get the precious book back and goes after Gum Baby. While the two struggle over the book, Tristan accidentally punches a hole into the fabric of the universe. It opens a door into another universe called MidPass. Tristan finds himself in a world where African folklore mixes with mythology.

First off, this book was an amazing read. The characters, the world-building, the mixture of folklore and mythology were wonderfully crafted together. This book will draw you in and make you laugh especially whenever sarcastic Gum Baby appears. I have to admit she is one great character to come from this book. Love or hate her, she makes the book.

This book can really be taken as a stand-alone book because when I first picked this up, there seemed to be no sneak peek into book two and on Goodreads, it never came up as a series. I can only surmise that the author decided upon a second addition but I can see why. The book does offer an opening for a return to MidPass and more adventures with Tristan.

You need to pick this book up. Even if it did not have the Rick Riordan Presents label to it, it is still a wonderful and fun read. The characters are relatable and the mythology adds a wonderful twist to the tale of Tristan Strong.

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[katara]

Title: Star Wars: The Rise Of Kylo Ren (2019-) #3 (of 4)
Author: Charles Soule, Clayton Crain (Cover Art), Will Sliney (Artist)
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.9/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: February 14, 2020
Book Summary: BEN SOLO, KNIGHT OF REN? Soon, BEN SOLO’S path will end in a place of fire and blood, and a shadow will rise to take his place. He is with the KNIGHTS OF REN now, and they will welcome him, if he can pay their price. But before that destiny is fulfilled, a battle must be fought at an ancient JEDI Outpost on the planet ELPHRODA - between Ben and those who know what he could have been... and fear what he might become. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Everyone here is afraid - Ben Solo most of all!
Book Review: Another solid issue for Ben Solo's rise to become Kylo Ren. Soule, who has written many Star Wars comics prior, doesn't deliver something half-full but a complete story that will take you upon a journey of a young man determined to find a place where he belongs. A place where Snoke has wanted him all along and has played into his hands. Ben's rise gives us a glimpse of a boy who feels uncertain of not only himself but of his own abilities.

When Ben finds the Knights of Ren, Ben wants to join their group but Ren is not going to open his arms to welcome Ben right away. No, Ren wants to know what exactly has Ben done to cause any good deaths. Ben tells him of the Jedis he has "killed". Ren wants to know what makes them good deaths. He wants to know how far these deaths have pushed Ben and becomes satisfied with the answer Ben's gives. Ben is going to be given a trial period among the Knights.

This issue was great and although this series is limited to only four issues, It doesn't need to have more added. The simplicity is enough for Ben's integration into the Knights of Ren. Charles Soule has delivered what is needed and his storytelling offers us something we have been wanting to know all along. I will be sad to see this series end soon but it was needed to give Ben's story more depth.