Thank you to Netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. In this third installment of Tristan Strong's story, we see the embodiment of racist beliefs manifest into King Cotton and Angola and their followers. Tristan must defeat these monsters with the help of his friends even though they are angry with him. Adventures and dangerous mishaps around every turn and his titles, friends and family are in peril, can Tristan save the day again?

An excellent ending to the Tristan Strong trilogy, both of my children raced through this book! They loved the characters and have recommended the series to many friends.

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.

(I completely forgot to post this review on Netgalley when I initially posted it on Goodreads 10/01/2021.... oops!)

While attending a family reunion in New Orleans, Tristan Strong is also doing his best to find his scattered friends from Alke that were brought into the real world. However, friends are not the only things that came from Alke. When Tristan has an unexpected run-in with Alke's oldest foe King Cotton, Tristan pursues him and discovers a nefarious plot involving haints and departed spirits of the past. Now, Tristan must rally gods and heroes and new allies in the real world in order to defeat King Cotton once and for all.

One of the most notable things about the book is how it skillfully bridges the fictional world of Alke with the real world. Given that the folk heroes, gods, and other Alkeans now have their world literally stitched together with the real world, it is both fun and educational to see how they have been impacted. This is especially notable because of the connections to the past and present that certain Alke characters and certain real-world inspired characters have. For example, there are the USCT, the United States Colored Troops, a group of soldiers that fought in the Civil War. The spirits of these soldiers not only serve as one of many guides to Tristan, but they also have a surprising link to one of the Alkean folk heroes.

In fact, having the Alkean characters brought into the real world also allows for teachable historical and modern moments that aren't sugarcoated for its younger audience. Instead, they say, "Look closer at the complicated world you're living in, see it's ugly racist roots, and then build something better." Lessons like this often involve Tristan coming to a realization after using his powers to see the untold stories of cities and places like New Orleans, Louisana and Vicksburg, Tennessee. On the modern side of things, Tristan also encounters certain human individuals that are just as bad as King Cotton due to their desire to "discipline" Black kids by kidnapping them and stripping them of their spirits.

On the modern side of things, it is delightful to see how some of the Alkeans manage to adapt to the real world despite everything going on. A really cool facet of this is a group of children who form the skateboarding group called Rolling Thunder, partially as a refuge. With a new character Grannie Z watching over them and Thandiwe (the princess of Alke's region of Isihlangu) leading them, they are a pretty resolute and exciting bunch. There is also the contemporary version of High John's spirit bird Old Familiar, which has a coolness similar to Alke's Story Box becoming a high tech cell phone.

Both the past and present of the real world and the Alkeans allow for a variety of Black experiences to be shown. Moreover, these experiences are summed up in a beautiful allegory, "Black is a rainbow." Black joy and Black pain are shown to be neither worse nor better than the other, but experiences that are connected and worth acknowledging. Despite the pain and hardship that Black people have and continue to experience, we are also capable of fighting for and making our own Black joy. In fact, the character Gum Baby is probably one of the best embodiments of this as she can literally fight and laugh at the same time.

In order for Tristan to fight for the past and present properly, Tristan Strong undergoes brilliant character development when he slowly confronts his anger in full. In the first book Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky, Tristan's anger was part of the grief he experienced after losing his best friend Eddie. Now, Tristan's anger isn't just personal; it is felt by the entire community of Alkeans and amplified through their losses and untold stories. Since Tristan is an Ananseem, the anger of the Alkeans becomes his and manifests in a literal fire that Tristan must learn to control.

Given that the world often associates angry Black people as threats, seeing Tristan learn to acknowledge and harness that anger is wonderful. Tristan puts it best when he says that "Anger uncontrolled is chaotic; anger given purpose is a tool." Tristan shows that anger is multi-faceted and a necessary emotion, because anger can fuel the desire to set wrong things right.

Not only is this book filled with amazing characters, real-life facts, and magic, but it is also a testament to resilience, surviving, and thriving. Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is an epic conclusion to the tale of Tristan Strong, burning bright and high.

I just really love this collection of books. I've said many times that none of the Rick Riordan imprint titles have disappointed, and this one certainly doesn't either. Kwame Mbalia tells a compelling story with rich characters that teaches readers about pieces of mythology that they may not have encountered before. An easy choice to buy.

Another phenomenal book from the Rick Riordan Presents line of books. Kwame Mbalia brings back Tristan Strong to defend the Alkeans against King Cotton. I loved the way that Tristan has grown as a character. It takes a person with true character to see the flaws within themselves and make a change, even when it hurts. Gum Baby may still be my favorite secondary character ever!

The audiobook was fantastic. I loved the narrator's voices for the different characters.

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.

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is the third and final book in Kwame Mbalia's courageous Middle Grade Adventure series and Kwame Mbalia did not hold back or disappoint in this final adventure. Kwame provides a fresh voice with this entire series. Although I could not imagine saying goodbye to Tristan and Gum Baby (how is she so EPIC!) I loved every moment of this adventure and HIGHLY recommend this to anyone thinking about reading it.

Thank you Kwame Mbalia for creating this amazing world for us to join!

This was a great third book in this series! Is there more? If there’s more, I’m all for it, but if there’s not, this book stands strong on its own. I love that in this book, we get to talk about Tristan’s anger and we get a glimpse into black history at the same time. I love that Kwame weaves real history into his stories! I also like that the story seems to follow a trail up the Mississippi river. Of course, Gum Baby is still my favorite, and it wasn’t until this book that I realized Gum Baby’s connections to Tar Baby. Overall, this book, and the whole series, is always a great one filled with adventure and black boy joy.

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!(:

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

4.5 stars

This 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.

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.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Tristan is in New Orleans at a family reunion when the people of Alke and King Cotton come a calling. Add in Angola Penitentiary and you have an ending for the ages. The author explores the dark history and present of Angola while also providing hope and new roots for Alke. A fitting finish to an amazing series. Can't wait to see you all in the theater for the first film installment.

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Tristan Strong Keeps Punching is the third and final book in Kwame Mbalia's courageous Middle Grade Adventure series. This was my most anticipated Middle Grade novel of 2021 and unsurprisingly, Mbalia DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

In this installment, which I won't get too far into because it is the third book in the series, we see all of our old favorite characters return, including the absolute star, Gum Baby. Unfortunately for Tristan and friends, however, we also see the return of one of the most heinous villains to ever grace the pages of a Middle Grade novel, King Cotton.

Starting at a family reunion, heading to New Orleans, then up the mighty Mississippi all the way to his hometown of Chicago, this story is never want for action!

In addition to great action, these books contain enormous amounts of heart and humor. Mbalia doesn't shy away from exploring important societal issues as well, making this a great book for parents to discuss with their children.

Looking back at the series as a whole, I am so impressed with Tristan's growth as a character. He seemed to have a lot more introspective moments in this finale and I think those moments will be highly relatable to a lot of young Readers.

Mbalia's ability to blend the serious moments with laugh out loud humor is really unmatched. If you want a action-packed series that will make you laugh, make you bite your nails in anticipation and make you think, look no further, Tristan Strong is where it's at.

While I am really sad this trilogy had to come to an end, I am so happy with how it turned out. The Epilogue filled my heart to bursting. I highly recommend this series to Readers of all ages. It's a ton of fun, but more than that, it provides a necessary voice and an equally important hero for our time!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Books and Rick Riordan Presents, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am a huge fan of this series and will carry it in my heart for a long time to come!!

Kwame 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!

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.

Guest review by my 15yo son who loved this trilogy:
“I really enjoyed the book Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia, because it was interesting to see how the author would fold Alke, the mythical realm, into the normal world after Tristan Strong takes the mythological world into the real world at the end of the second book.
It is sad to see this trilogy end, but it was a great finish taking us back to the beginning with Tristan having to fight King Cotton, this time in the real world.
The book takes place in a couple cities like New Orleans or Chicago and let’s each of these have a very distinct feel. Each of the characters continued to have their own arcs and development with actions and reactions changing them. It meant you really felt it when some characters passed away while you were also getting to know the new characters. I devoured this book in just a couple of settings !”

Thank you to @netgalley and @disney_hyperion for providing us with an eARC in exchange for an honest review !

CONTENT WARNING: violence, slavery, grief, death, racism

I 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.

Thanks to @netgalley and @disneybooks for the advance Kindle copy of this book. It released TODAY! All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I have been ANXIOUSLY awaiting this third installment of one of my FAVORITE series, and @mbalia1 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. #mglit #librarian #librariansofinstagram #middleschoollibrarian

I absolutely ADOREDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD this conclusion to the Tristan Strong Series! Kwame seriously put everything into this book and I so appreciated the adventure he took us on. I experienced a range of emotions through this book and definitely shed a few tears. I also love how he acknowledged more of the cultures of the diaspora. I can't wait for this book to be in the hands of kids everywhere!