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.

Pao's mom is a devotee of the supernatural, frequently warning Pao about possible dangers especially in regard to going near the Gil's River. Pro scoffs st the supernatural and puts her faith in facts and science. The open space around the Gila River is the perfect spot for best friends Pao, Dante, and Emma to observe the stars through Emma's telescope. The night that Emma fails to show up begins this epic adventure that draws on Latinx folktales, ghost stories, and legends - particularly La Llorona. As Pao struggles to come to terms with everything she denied as true, she also struggles to understand her changing feelings for Dante. The racism and classism that Pao and Dante face when dealing with the police add present day relevance to this highly entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoy the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.

I love all of the Rick Riordan Presents books and this is no exception. I loved the female protagonist and the moving action of the book. I only gave this 4 out of 5 stars on goodreads because as much as I enjoyed the story, I felt the characters were a little too mature at times. For example, Pao knows so much about a culture she claims she doesn't pay attention to as she is growing up. However, at times, she is clueless. I also thought the villain was a little predictable. I still give it high marks because the plot kept me interested. I'm curious to see what the next book in the series will be about. I can't wait to recommend this to my students especially Rick Riordan fans. I know they will love the different cultural aspects of this book because it will hit closer to home with many of my students.

This book is spooky, and exciting, with an underlying theme of redemption and second chances, of trying to do-over past mistakes. I anticipate that it’ll really appeal to fans of the supernatural.

Paola is a young girl who’s scientific mind doesn’t believe in her mother’s superstitions. But when her friend Emma disappears, her and Dante travel through the curtain into a dark world to save her. There they meet warriors and fight monsters with magical tools they didn’t know they had. The ending was a little drawn out and I had trouble following it as they battled the one in charge. But overall I connected with the characters and really enjoyed the story. I believe that my middle grade students will like it as well. Looking forward to the sequel to see what happens to this trio of friends next!

Paola Santiago is a scientist and logical thinker, she believes all the old stories her mom told her are just that stories so scare Pao into not doing things. Pao, Dante, and Emma are the inseparable trio they are always together and have all been told to stay away from the Gila river, and even more so when a classmate drown there a year ago. But the Gila is the best place to watch the stars from Emma's telescope. Pao and Dante must fess up that that is where they where going the night Emma disappears. Is it the kidnapper from 4 towns away, or is it one of the bad ghosts from Pao's mom stories.

You will need to read this awesome book filled with Hispanic lore, action everywhere, and suspense big enough to fill Emma's house to find out. This is a fun book especially if you want to be scared but alas it does not take place on Dia de Muertos. But the characters are fun and true to themselves, their friends, and their families. This is such a wonderfully diverse book that our shelves so desperately need these days and I can't wait to see what Pao and her friends are up to next.

This review will appear on my blog on Aug 4th.

A solid addition to the Rick Riordan presents titles, but doesn't stand out from that company. I like how the main character recognizes that she has both good and not-so-good within her, and yet is still able to forgive herself and accept that about herself. The other characters are pretty flat. Good descriptions of settings and characters -- I was able to easily picture them in my mind's eye. Good for fans of the others in this category.

Through Paola’s adventures we get a glimpse into Latin America mythology. I enjoyed the story and the pace but I found Paola’s character annoying. There were to many tween/teen cliche’s where she is whiny, knows way more than everyone else, and everyone doesn’t understand that I was just annoyed with many of those parts of the story. The other characters, and the mythology were great though.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rick Riordan Presents for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Paola Santiago lives with her mother in a small apartment not far from the Gila river in Arizona. Pao is very smart and obsessed with science in contrast to her mother who warns her to stay away from the river out of fear of the ghost La Llorona. Along with her two best friends, Dante and Emma, the trio frequently go down to the river to hang out or just stargaze. That is, until Emma goes missing like several other children in that area. Pao and Dante are determined to do whatever they can to help. Pao’s nightmares have returned along with other odd occurrences, including one very odd event with Dante’s abuela which starts them on their journey. But, time is limited as they must find Emma before the summer solstice in a few days.
This is another great addition to middle grade folklore/fantasy. It is realistic in its telling, especially as scientific Pao tries to rationalize what is happening. It also addresses the prejudice many Latinx face, particularly when dealing with the authorities. It is fairly quick-paced, slowing down a bit before the climax, before picking up again. I would definitely recommend this for readers in grades 4 and up.
#PaolaSantiagoAndTheRiverOfTears #NetGalley

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC of this delightful story.

I'm not a normal reader of fantasy. I try, but I lose interest quite quickly. I'm a middle school librarian and this was my first "Rick Riordan Presents" story. (An embarrassment, I know.) However, my middle grade students LOVE everything Rick Riordan and this book will knock their socks off - especially because of our large Latinx population.

The story of La Llorona has always fascinated me, and that was my draw to this book. Mejia is a great writer - not too simple but still perfect for the 8-12 age range. Paola, Dante, and Emma are BFFs who love to hang at the Gila River - even though Paola's mom has forbidden her to go there. One night as Pao and Dante go to meet Emma, she doesn't show up. When the police don't look serious about looking for her, Pao and Dante go on their own. What follows is adventure, mythology, warrior battles, and the supernatural. I can't wait to talk up this book to the kids at school.

Highly recommended for grades 4 and up.

Another excellent mythological adventure in the Rick Riordan Presents series. This one takes place in Arizona and focuses on Mexican and Mexican American mythology like chupacabras, La Llorona, and more. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

I love a middle-grade that’s actually spooky, and Mejia delivers on that promise! But there’s also great comic relief, and the kids don’t forget their real-life problems when they’re transported to the magical realm.

Paola Santiago is an Arizona girl growing up close to the Gila River. Pao is a girl with a rational take on the world there is a scientific explanation for everything and her mom's tarot readings and her best friend's Dante's grandmother's stories are just that stories. There are stories of the river as well, tales of children gone missing, supposedly drowned and tales of La Llorona. When her friend Emma goes missing it's up to Pao and Dante to rescue their friend and it opens up a whole new supernatural world to Pao the rules make no sense, magic works and La Llorona may not be a myth after all. This books is an amazing ride into myth that feels so familiar yet it's brand new. Pao is becoming a young woman and there will be changes in her friendships, she is learning all sorts of new things about herself, about her friends and the most important lesson of all she is learning how to trust herself. This is an adventure and well worth the time.

This was a lot of fun. I particularly enjoyed being introduced to some new (to me) folkloric/mythic characters. Paola is a feisty heroine, and I liked the way she examined her own anger as both a strength and a liability. The story is suspenseful with just the right amount of scariness. I gather it's to be a series, and I'll certainly look forward to the next one.

Paola Santiago and the River of Tears explores the world of Mexican folklore like chupacabras, La Llorona, El Cucoy and more. This was definitely a fun read, but it lacked the wit and humor I have come to expect from a Riordan book. Granted this is a "Rick Riordan Presents" book, but I had hope for a little bit more of that humor and it seemed as if the chapter titles were one of the only aspects that were carried through to this one. Putting that aside, this will still be an enjoyable read for middle grades and even young adults. This novel not only pulls in traditional folklore but also brings in many issues today, like racial prejudice and immigration. The main character, Paolo, faces demons both real and personal and must rise above all of them in order to help save her friends.

Of all the Riordan Presents books that I've read so far, this one was probably the weakest, but I don't mean that In a negative way. I very much enjoyed the characters. Pao is a strong, smart girl who relies on science, and even after events begin to unfold, she has a hard time letting go of the science part and believing in the supernatural. Sometimes I got annoyed with how quickly Pao gets annoyed, and then I realized I understood because I'd been in her shoes of not wanting things to change as you get older. The fact that one of her best friends gets to play such a large part of the story was fun for me. I felt like this book is touted as being about the legend of La Llorona, but you hear her legend at the beginning and it wasn't until the last quarter-ish of the book that you discover who the mastermind of the whole situation is. I expected her to be a more prominent character in the story. Overall, I devoured this book. It was thoroughly enjoyable and possibly a little darker than I've come to expect from this label. The characters are lovable (especially Dante's grandma) and the book moves well for the most part. As I said, I was just a little disappointed in La Llorona not being a much bigger part of the story! I will definitely pick up the next book though!

Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Book Group and the Rick Riordan Presents team for letting me have the opportunity to read this advanced reader. When Mr. Riordan spoke of this book last Fall during his author tour with JC Cervantes and Roshani Chokshi I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of this book. I am always fascinated by mythology and folk tales. The theme of friendship through adversity and differences of opion to work together rang true throughout the book. This book truly an outstanding addition to the Rick Riordan Presents. Thank you for the opportunity to a great read.

An exciting mythological adventure filled with kids who are stronger than they think, Latin American mythology (La llorona) and monsters, and fast paced adventure.

Absolutely phenomenal book. There are so many lessons, and take aways in this book. The story follows Pao as she encounters monsters and legends from Latin mythology in the pursuit of saving her friends. I read this in one sitting and am excited to share that it is the first of hopefully many adventures.

Pao is a scientist in the making, that will need to have faith and believe in the intangible. I am so excited about this series and pray it is received well. Amazing.

Paola Santiago & the River of Tears is an adventure story for lovers of ghost stories, magic and fantasy in the vein of Rick Riordan books and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Paola and her friends, Emma and Dante, are average 12 year olds living in the small town of Silver Springs, AZ. But when Emma goes missing, Paola and Dante are determined to find her. As they venture into the unknown, Pao & Dante begin to discover that all is not quite as it seems in their sleepy town. As they slip through the barrier dividing the real world from the world of ghosts and demons, Paola is forced to admit that her mother's Latinx ghost stories, so frustrating and quaint to her scientifically-minded daughter, might just be true.

I love that this #ownvoices story brings traditional Latinx folktales and ghost stories to life. Pao is every teen with superstitious parents or grandparents, struggling to reconcile her love for the people with embarrassment at the silly stories they tell, while at the same time wondering if there might be some truth to the stories after all. (turns out, there is!).

Several subjects ripe for discussion are raised throughout the book, including systemic racism within the police force, class differences (and what that means for friendship) and Pao's changing feelings for Dante. These legitimate concerns, primarily on Pao's part, are all threads woven in to the fabric of the story, giving the reader food for thought without interrupting the flow of the story. Paola Santiago & The River of Tears could easily be included as a choice for a social justice book club or it could simply be an entertaining fantasy read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC.