Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky made another big list yesterday! New York Magazine posted an article by Jordan Bowman called “10 Books Recommended by Black-Owned Bookstores.” It’s a diverse and fascinating list, putting Kwame Mbalia in such esteemed company as Colson Whitehead, Stephen King, and Octavia E. Butler. Several bookstore owners submitted recommendations, and here’s what Katrina Brooks from Black Pearl Books in Austin, TX says about Mbalia’s best-selling debut.

“A favorite with our young-adult readers! An exciting, humorous tale with relatable characters. The story explores the feelings of grief, guilt, humiliation, and disappointment from a young person’s perspective,” Brooks says. “When Tristan escapes to another world, he meets West African gods and discovers the stories told by his grandmother were true. As Tristan’s confidence in himself grows, he realizes he’s not as helpless as he thought and that through loss he gained the power to help save another world.”

We have confidence that you’ll love the novel, too . . . so much so that you’ll want to get your hands on the second book in the series, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, on sale 10/6/2020.