This adventurous tale embraces Mexican folklore, friendship, family and personal feats sure to build a well defined character for the protagonist, Paola.

Paola's scientific mind has never had any room for her mom's superstitions and stories. But when her best friend goes missing near the "haunted" river Paola begins to question everything. Soon she and her other friend find themselves deep in a fight against all sorts of creatures. Can Paola find Emma and close the rift before it's too late.
I am thrilled with Rick Riordan's continuing efforts to get books out there in folklore of other countries and cultures. This Mexican inspired story was a lot of fun.

Super scientific 12-year-old Paola Santiago has always been told to stay away from the Gila River and warned by her superstitious mother about the legend of La Llorona (the wailing ghost woman who searches the banks of the river for children to drown). But Pao is a scientist through and through and knows there are quite reasonable explanations for the many drownings that have taken place in the Gila over the years. Disgusted with her mother’s humiliating superstitions, Pao and her two best friends, Emma and Dante, decide to hang out near the river one night since it’s the best stargazing spot. But Emma never shows up. When the police refuse to listen to Pao and Dante, the two kids are thrust into the middle of a mystery that will overturn everything Pao has ever believed to be true. To save Emma, Pao must enter the world of her nightmares and face both the monsters that threaten her life and the monsters within herself.

Tehlor Kay Mejia has crafted a simultaneously chilling and heartwarming story that fits perfectly into the Rick Riordan Presents universe. Pao is a wonderful heroine: feisty, brave, and immensely loyal. She is aware of her faults and is constantly trying to become a better person. The friendships and relationships between the characters are strong, and the depictions of tensions that can arise between friends in that terrifying time known as middle school are spot on. The Mexican-American mythology was so much fun to learn about through Pao’s eyes, and when things started getting magical, I enjoyed the descriptions and dialogue that kept me from becoming lost or confused. As Pao struggles to understand her worth, readers will be able to identify and sympathize with themes of family hardship, forgiveness, and what being a hero truly means. Fans of ghost stories, fantasy, and magic will love this middle-grade adventure.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Oh. My. Goodness. I can't even begin to explain how much I loved this book!! Paola is such a fun protagonist; she doesn't believe in no stinking ghosts, thank you very much! Science for the win! Of course, with a Rick Riordan Presents book, there are absolutely supernatural things occurring and seeing Pao try to balance her belief in science and her new understanding that mythical creatures exist is so much fun. I love that Mejia didn't shy away from ICE or racism or not-so-great family connections. It made the book so much more believable and can inspire important conversations with kids.

I struggled on writing this review. As an adult, I loved this book. I would absolutely share it with my own children. My husband is from Mexico, so my kids have grown up hearing stories such as La Llorona from their abuelita.. I was thrilled to find a book that explores Latinx culture and folklore so that I can familiarize my children (and myself) with the stories my husband was raised on. I adored the main character Paola, and her love for science and logic. I thought it was wonderful that Paola got to learn that logic and faith are equally important. The uncomfortable but important social issues of racial profiling, systemic racism, immigration were handled well.

I think this would be a wonderful book for families to read together because there is a lot of room for open discussion on the topics mentioned above.. The only thing I struggled with was whether I could recommend this book without question to parents or teachers of young readers. There is talk about children getting abducted and murdered. This wouldn't stop me from giving the book to my own children, but it may be important to mention for other parents/teachers. It definitely had a creepy factor to it which again, I loved and my own children would love, but may not be enjoyable for all young readers.

I'm rating the book 5 stars because the writing is superb and the story is engaging, educational but yet still fun and enjoyable. I decided not to take off a star for the things mentioned because those didn't hinder my own enjoyment of the book, and I would still love to purchase a copy to share with my own children and for several young readers in our family.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and The Disney Book Group for the ARC of Paola Santiago and the River of Tears in exchange for my honest review.

Paola Santiago loves science. Creating and testing hypotheses, conducting experiments, seeking rational and logical explanations for why things happen. Which is why it frustrates her that her mother relies on tinctures, tarot cards, and candles as solutions to their problems. Pao may not take her mother's superstitions and stories seriously, but she does listen to one thing her mother always tells her: Don't go near the Gila River. After all, last year a girl supposedly drowned in the river, her body never found. But things change when Pao's best friend goes missing... and Pao knows that she didn't drown, and can be rescued. Suddenly, Pao's world changes; logic has failed her, nothing makes sense, and legends are coming to life. To include one of the most terrifying legends of all time.

The infamous La Llorona....

An amazing addition to the Rick Riordan Presents line-up, and an action-packed middle grade debut for Mejia, "Paola Santiago and the River of Tears" is a fantastic exploration of Latinx culture and folklore, beautifully (and, in many ways, grotesquely) brought to life. Paola is a fierce protagonist, with a lot to learn about being a hero and understanding herself, and that sometimes faith is more important than facts.

Ooof. This is a tough one for me to review. (And, can I just say, that up until the very end, it was looking like a 2-star review, because if you kill a dog -- or, in this case, a dog-like, lizard beast -- I automatically deduct a full star. I don't play like that. But, Mejia came through in the end -- but it was bit like the end of Frozen, where Sven is underwater for just a *beat* too long, before he breaks through the surface of the water. It's like that.)

There were times I struggled with this book -- as in, I fell asleep multiple times while reading it, so I lost the thread of the plot a few times.

I don't think that's necessarily a knock on Mejia's writing...these are COVID times, after all, and #quarantinelife has been especially draining lately.

That being said...I think this book succeeds, as it's intended to, as a middle grade book. But I'm not sure it works for me. I can see this being a great family-read book: the kind where the entire family reads together before bedtime, a chapter being read aloud each night.

✔︎ -- Paoloa is a flawed protagonist -- she's impulsive, has a temper, is snarky, and petty -- and I think that's refreshing for a middle-grade audience. Especially since her flaws are qualities she seems to be aware of and often reflects on them, making the lessons a little more explicit. She's also a curious, smart, inquisitive girl -- also *super* important for a middle-grade audience -- who loves science. Refreshing, and sorely needed, as this is about the age girls often lose interest in STEM as its "not cool."
✔︎ -- I love that this story draws on Mexican folklore and mythology. I think Anna-Marie McLemore is a goddess and I just want to reread her books over and over again, losing myself in the worlds she creates. Mejia is drawing from the same traditions, and I think that's important in terms of #weneeddiversebooks.
✔︎ -- I thought Mejia did a great job weaving in timely social issues in a way that was honest, didn't shy away from the discomfort of it, and also set it up to open the conversation between kids and adults. Things like racial profiling, systemic racism, immigration were all handled deftly.
✔︎ -- No love triangle!

So, yeah. I think this book works as a middle-grade novel, and I could see myself reading it with my kids in the future. But I don't think this is a book that I would revisit on my own...

✘ -- The pacing was *waaay* off for me. For example: Paola leaves the camp for the climactic battle around ~60% of the way through the book. (I read it on my Kindle, so didn't have page numbers.) The next 40% is basically the climactic fight, and IDK, but ~40% or so, is just too long.
Especially when 2-3 chapters are basically Paola walking around the cactus field following a twisty beam of light. It was like the Trio in Deathly Hallows all over again.
There were moments when the plot just stalled for me -- the same thing happened over and over again. Like Paola following the twisty light, or Pao disagreeing with Ondina. It felt like there was a lot of "No! You're wrong!" until finally someone else was like, "You're right! I'll do it!"
✘ -- There were a lot of threads to follow -- made harder by the fact that they just kept popping up without a seeming connection to what came before. We went from folklore stories, to chanclas and the Dreamer, to Pao as the Chosen One, to an underwater abandoned sea palace, to mysterious glowing pearl of power...it was a lot.
✘ -- This may be a bit contradictory, but as much as I appreciated that Pao was a flawed character (which, again, I think is great for middle-grade age girls to see and understand) there were times when she was...a bit much. Much was made over the "darkness" in her, and how she thought she was "wicked," and...I just didn't see that. Was she perfect? No. But her flaws were human and fallible -- and nothing too serious. Was she annoying at times? A little bit. But she wasn't evil and that just felt like too melodramatic of a leap.
✘ -- I get that Mejia, and Pao, were going for a girl-power vibe. And for the most part, it was fine. But one of the things that bugs me about deliberately feminist stories is when they swing too wide in the other direction: like, the females are raised up at the expense of the male characters. And here, it seemed like most of the male characters kinda got thrown under the bus. Both of the father figures left their families; Dante, even though he was the love interest, was (from Pao's POV, at least) spending time with his soccer friends and flopping his hair and while he was loyal to Pao (and Emma), he was also impulsive and had a hero complex. And poor Franco was the pretty boy who woefully misjudged La Llorona and then "died" for it, because of his pride. They weren't terrible, per se, but there wasn't a lot to redeem them either, and even Dante never felt like a fully realized character.
✘ -- Finally, there's something about the way the mother/daughter relationships were portrayed that didn't sit well with me...and I can't quite put my finger on it. The La Llorona story is a fascinating one but the Evil Mother figure trying to advance her own daughter's cause at the expense of others felt a little too...fairy-tale stepmother to me. Maybe because I didn't fully understand her goal -- didn't understand what she was trying to achieve for Ondina -- but her "evil motivations" also felt fairly flat, and I was just a little disappointed.
Also, I think after all that build-up -- with Pao realizing her mother was right, with her seeing the relationship between La Llorona and Ondina -- I really wanted some sort of cathartic scene with her and her mother...but we never got it.
I think there's going to be a Book #2...but I said this in my review of The Guinevere Deception: I don't find it effective if an author deliberately withholds answers/resolution for subsequent books.

I really, really enjoyed this new title in the Rick Riordan Presents line. Pao is a stubborn, fierce, and wonderful heroine who just wants to save her friends and other people she meets along the way. She's not afraid of doing what's right even when it's hard. So easily root-able, and the story was funny, atmospheric, and super cute. Can't wait for the sequel!

Rating: 3.5 stars

I am wildly in love with these Rick Riordan presents books! Paola Santiago is a wonderful hero, and I love that she is a strong female character; a great role model for young readers. She is practical, smart, adventurous, but she makes mistakes, too. Her world is that of diversity; she feels equally appalled and proud of her Hispanic heritage. Her mother is too "woowoo" and too quirky for Pao - but she loves her at the same time. Pao is a scientist and is practical in nature, and she wishes her life was more orderly and organized. All of her life she's heard tales of La Llorona, the ghostly woman who is rumored to haunt the banks of the nearby Gila River, luring unsuspecting children into it's murky depths. Tragedy strikes close to home when her dear friend Emma disappears, and Pao and her best friend Dante set off on a fantastical adventure to discover the truth.

These stories give children a modern view on tales from many diverse heritages. Like Percy Jackson, Sal & Gabi, Tristan Strong, Ahru Shah, and many others, Rick Riordan presents books allow children to explore a reading adventure filled with mythology and local legend, helping them to appreciate tales of a variety of their own and other cultures. Paola Santiago is a wonderful character....and this book is the first in a series!

This book has a great female lead with a folktale twist. Pao and her two friends embody the experiences of preteens, Friendship is paramount and parents (and generally all adults) are too much! When Emma disappears, Pao and Dante have an adventure that’s based in ghost stories and folktales from Mexico. Supernatural threats add just the right amount of tension for this middle grades book.

Thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears is about Paola Santiago, a young scientist with a superstitious mom and two best friends. When her friend Emma goes missing near the Gila river, the place her mother always warned her about, Pao-as her friends call her-is determined to find her. This leads her right into the middle of a war between the corrupted rift and the children that defend Paola’s home town, Silver Springs.

Paola Santiago was an amazing book that I loved a LOT. It has something for everyone. Mystery, comedy, romance, action. This book was a really good page turner that is easily my favorite Rick Riordan Presents book. And I’ve read them all. The characters were funny, and they were one of my favorite parts of the book. Another thing I loved was how descriptive the author was. It was the perfect amount, descriptive enough so that I could form a good picture in my head, but not too descriptive so that the story moves along too slowly. Tehlor Kay Mejia really put the images of the characters and events deep inside my brain.

I had almost no problems with the book. Though the entire book was awesome, the ending angered me, since the book built up a perfect event in my head, but then it never happened, and I can only hope it comes in the second book. This is a very good technique for keeping a reader hooked, so I can’t bad-mouth it too much. My other problem is that a lot of the images were a little too graphic and the stories a little too creepy. I know that this is necessary for the story, but I couldn’t help but think that this would scare a few younger readers. It was still a really great book, but that is an important warning to any reader.

But, overall, Tehlor Kay Mejia perfectly captures the mind of a twelve-year-old in this interesting take of the legend of La Lorna.

Unlike other books that are based on mythology or stories from a particular culture, this one just didn’t catch my attention. It seemed like new things were popping up, & they weren’t characters or situations I could easily picture or imagine. It was a decent read but not for me. Full review on Goodreads.

This book is a complete delight. I love all the Rick Riordan Presents books, but a few of them have felt a touch derivative of Percy Jackson. This one is completely unique, with a wonderfully flawed main character who readers will identify with. Wonderful supporting cast, exciting plot, really looking forward to the next one!

I loved this book! What a great middle grade adventure! Not only was the plot compelling, but the characters all went through pretty amazing arcs. Almost every one of them had a satisfying and serious arc that made them better people in the end. Paola is a really great protagonist. She fights with emotions that all people, regardless of age, but especially at 12, deal with. She faces jealousy, anger, sadness, and pride, and comes out at the end stronger and better than before. The sidekicks were great, and all read like their ages, even though they were put into insane situations. The book focuses on serious topics like racism, deportation, illegal immigrants, legal immigrants, and abandonment with grace and tact, and I think it can be really beneficial to anyone who has faced these issues in their real lives. Overall, a great book, and although I don't know where it would go from here, I'm excited for the next one to come out.

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Book Group through NetGalley.
Mejia created a flawed and likable main character, Paola. She lives in real life poverty and sees the current reality - ICE raids, etc. and has unexplained dreams and nightmares that spring from Central American mythology. Her mom believes in superstitions and reads tarot cards for life information. Pao believes firmly in science so struggles with her mom's philosophy of life. One of her best friend's disappears after Pao dreamed about it. She and her other best friend, Dante, set off to find and save Emma. They get help from an unexpected person, Dante's grandmother, who sends them off with mystical weapons and opens a magic doorway to start them on the journey.
Typical middle grade interactions and relationships interweave with creatures from myth to keep the story moving forward. In the end, Paola defeats La Llorona and rescues her friends. She has to face herself and decide whether she will connect with the part of herself that desires power and acceptance or choose to come back to her own life. Readers take this journey with her and will identify with how many of the characters feel.
Looking forward to Book 2 next summer.

School is out, and Paola Santiago, an analytic and science-loving mind, is excited to spend more time with her best friends, Emma and Dante. Their first get together involves trying out a new telescope on the banks of the infamous Gila River. But all three must keep their plans from their parents, especially Pao. Pao’s mother lives in a world where ghosts, myths, and legends are very much real. To the fact-based, logical Pao, her mother’s “nonsense” has created a very wide and very real chasm between them. Despite recent abductions in the area and Pao’s mother’s warnings about the evil river, Pao and Dante go to meet Emma. However, Emma is a no-show. When Pao and Dante begin searching for their friend, they are thrust into an alternate reality where the ghosts, myths, and legends Pao’s Mother always believed in are indeed alive and well. As a result, Pao must fight demons, both inside and out, to save her friendships, save her relationship with her mother, and save the world. Hopefully, Pao can do it all before it’s too late.

Paola Santiago and the River of Tears is an action-packed adventure that will appeal to those that love mythology fantasies. Similar to other Rick Riordan Presents others publications, Tehlor Kay Mejia’s novel incorporates all the classic, familiar elements of a hero’s journey. These elements, along with excellent character development and the inclusion of Mexican culture and folklore, create an engaging, fun quest that young readers will devour. Unfortunately, readers may experience mythology/fantasy/quest fatigue depending on the number of Rick Riordan Presents books they have read. While Tehlor Kay Mejia writes a unique story, its similarity to other series in plot structure and even writing style prevent it from standing apart from other offerings. This is no fault of the author. La Llorona’s story is captivating and the focus on Mexican folklore is another strength of the novel. This could still yet separate it from other tales with similar arcs; those plotlines have appeal for a reason. Paola Santiago and the River of Tears is a gripping tale that demonstrates why all over again.

Young readers will surely love Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, especially those that cannot get enough of the Rick Riordan-esque novels. If considering classroom applications, it would be a perfect addition to literature circles that use 5-6 mythology fantasy novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher, Rick Riordan Presents, for an eARC of this book!

I read this book outloud to my entire family (husband and 6 and 2 year old). Everyone was equally captivated and drawn into the story. I actually grew up in Arionza close to where this story took place and was just drawn in from the beginning. The author does an amazing job of setting the scene and drawing in all readers.

While this is aimed towards middle school children it can easily be loved and appreciated by the whole family. There are spooky bits, and humor, and tenderness. It is just very wholesome and down to earth. There is more than enough to suspend reality and make for a great fiction read but a great balance of honesty and real people to keep you rooting for everyone until the end.


I do want to add that while it is mostly about la llorona type legends, family, and growing up. It also deals with some really heavy topics like racism, ICE, and stereotypes. Everything is done in an age appropriate way that leaves a lot of room for discussion. And I really appreciate that the author went there and was honest and didnt sugar coat things.

I had the opportunity to read a NetGalley digital ARC of this exciting middle grade novel. Young readers will definitely have a hard time putting this tense, thriller down. Ghost stories have always been popular with my students, and this one is one that kids in this age group will be able to relate to. The voices seem authentic and the storyline is engaging. I also think it's great that the story shows that girls can be brave heroines and embrace science as a way of working through problems.

Paola Santiago is an scientist and I love her for it. She's logical and believes in things she can explain. Certainly not the ghosts & creatures in her mother's stories. But when one of her best friends goes missing. Pao finds herself in a world she can't explain to save her friend. And maybe learn more about her feeling towards her other best friend.

Paola Santiago and the River of Tears was a fun, creepy, exciting adventure. I love that Paola's love her science was a strong topic and even tinged her inner monologue. I think she could be a great role model and encourage readers interest in science fields as well. There's some brief mentions of racism that and immigration. The latter done in a more vague way. Ultimately, I feel like Pao is relatable. She struggles with her relationship with her mom and friends. While she obviously is the main character and hero of the book she doesnt have the usual "chosen one" personality or abilities. She's a girl trying her best to save her friend

The eponymous Paola believes in science — and nothing else except unfettered loyalty to her friends Dante Mata and Emma Lockwood, all aged 12. Paola especially doesn’t believe in the witchy old wives’ tales so dear to her desperate Mexican-American single mom. La Llorona, los ahogados, el Chupacabra, spirits from beyond and all the spooky rest of it — including the velas (candles) lit around the house — simply reflect ignorant, backward-looking minds.

But when Emma vanishes, leaving nothing but her expensive ring behind, Paola discovers that there’s way more to life — and death — than science. And in this new supernatural realm, what can she trust? And other Dante, whom?

Author Tehlor Kay Mejia has crafted a wonderful middle-grade novel that provides plenty of suspense and thrills; she also includes plenty of Mexican-American folklore and a nuanced reminder of how different life can be in this world when you’re brown and poor. Latinx kids will love it, of course; so will everyone else, regardless of ethnicity or age. Highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from Disney Book Group and Rick Riordan Presents in exchange for an honest review.