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Tristan Strong Destroys The World is the sequel to Tristan Strong Punches a Whole in the Sky, featuring similar elements to the first book, and obviously still Rick Riordan Presents.
Bestselling author Rick Riordan presents the second book in the New York Times best-selling Tristan Strong trilogy by Kwame Mbalia. Tristan Strong, just back from a victorious but exhausting adventure in Alke, the land of African American folk heroes and African gods, is suffering from PTSD. But there's no rest for the weary when his grandmother is abducted by a mysterious villain out for revenge. Tristan must return to Alke--and reunite with his loud-mouthed sidekick, Gum Baby--in order to rescue Nana and stop the culprit from creating further devastation. Anansi, now a "web developer" in Tristan's phone, is close at hand to offer advice, and several new folk heroes will aid Tristan in his quest, but he will only succeed if he can figure out a way to sew broken souls back together.
Been a bit since I read this, but here goes the review!
So, this review likely won't be too long since I've already reviewed the first book. And quite honestly... A lot of my feelings are the same. A good 3.5/5, but I still wished it had been higher.
Like, I'm sorry, but the handling of any character outside of Tristian is so badly done for me. We get to meet these four women that are supposed to be these big, strong figures and I just couldn't care less about them (except one but it is purely cutesy old lady bias). There is also a character from the first book who literally only gets a single line. Like... Characters don't have to have much role between books. But when this character already felt really forced in for book 1 and now this for book 2... Her existence feels like it has such little purpose. The gods were just a thing as well and felt like they had no purpose. I'll admit, some of the plot also dwaddled because of some of the character choices...
Ya know, I am almost talking myself down to a 3 out of 5 because dang, the character handling...
But what keeps it where it is, like before, is the world, plot, and Tristan. The author does such a great job interweaving the core of the story throughout these three elements. Tristan is dealing with a lot of trauma after what happened, which he really should considering everything, the world goes through its own trauma, especially a certain character whose handling I adored, and the plot focused on Tristan and the world getting through that trauma.
Like, if the characters could just feel as fleshed out as the rest of the story, I think this would be an easy 4.5 or 5, which is why reviewing this series continues to suck.
Especially with the ending. The ending is a type of thing I would adore doing, and Mbalia did it.
Did I have issues with the book? Yes. Boy, yes. But does it get saved some for me because of how it interweaves Tristan's personal journey into the narrative? Sadly, yes. Why you gotta cheat me like this, Mbalia? Let the others share in Tristian's light T^T
