In this latest publication from Rick Riordan's publishing house, readers are reacquainted with African folk heroes and legends, rather than Greek, Roman, or Egyptian, as in his other series. At its core, it is a fantasy-adventure story. A creature steals Tristan's prize possession - his deceased best friend's journal of stories. Tristan chases the creature but unwittingly releases an evil spirit from his gradparents' woods in Alabama and they all fall down a hole into another realm. This realm is ruled by African and Black American legends and gods, like John Henry and Anansi the story weaver. By bringing the spirit into the realm, he unleashes an evil horde who would destroy their worlds. Tristan must figure out a way to seal the hole in the sky he created before it's too late. Tristan battles demons but he also tackles his own feelings of loss and guilt over his friend's death, as well as the disappointment he believes he is to everyone in his life. I loved the message of storytelling and its power. I loved the theme of owning painful memories. I also loved seeing powerful and strong black characters in a book, telling of black history. However, I found it quite confusing. A lot of the characters' stories were not explained fully enough. I also found it too long. The climax was satisfying though. It will speak to many kids who have knowledge of both the old folktales and of America's shameful and dark history of slavery. It could be confusing without that schema. (FIC MBA)
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