Tristan Strong

Tristan is the titular and central protagonist of the novel. He is a seventh grader from Chicago. He has top-notch boxing skills as well as special storytelling abilities. When the novel opens, Tristan is on his way to spend the summer with his grandparents on their farm in rural Alabama. Tristan gets transported to a world of mythology and folktale characters where he learns he is an Anansesem, a storyteller with magical abilities that can influence his environment.

Tristan is both artistic and athletic. Tristan comes from a family of boxers. Like his dad and granddad, he turns out to be quite a boxer. At the same time, he has a nerdy, artistic side. He likes comic books, mythological tales, and superhero stories. Tristan's top two fears are heights and large insects. When the novel starts, he is recovering from a tragic bus accident that happened a...