Rick Riordan Presents: Paola Santiago and the River of Tears-A Paola Santiago Novel Book 1 - by Tehlor Mejia (Paperback)

About the Book

Space-obsessed 12-year-old Paola Santiago and her two best friends, Emma and Dante, know the rule: Stay away from the river. It's all they've heard since a schoolmate of theirs drowned a year ago. Pao is embarrassed to admit that she has been told to stay away for even longer than that, because her mother is constantly warning her about La Llorona, the wailing ghost woman who wanders the banks of the Gila at night, looking for young people to drag into its murky depths. Hating her mother's humiliating superstitions and knowing that she and her friends would never venture into the water, Pao organizes a meet-up to test out her new telescope near the Gila, since it's the best stargazing spot. But when Emma never arrives and Pao sees a shadowy figure in the reeds, it seems like maybe her mom was right. . . .Pao has always relied on hard science to make sense of the world, but to find her friend she will have to enter the world of her nightmares, which includes unnatural mist, mind-bending monsters, and relentless spirits controlled by a terrifying force that defies both logic and legend.

Book Synopsis

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents author Tehlor Kay Mejia's thrilling adventure based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona.

*"A new hero's fantastic and fantastical adventure--her next appearance can't come soon enough."--KirkusReviews (starred review)

Space-obsessed 12-year-old Paola Santiago and her two best friends, Emma and Dante, know the rule: Stay away from the river. It's all they've heard since a schoolmate of theirs drowned a year ago. Pao is embarrassed to admit that she has been told to stay away for even longer than that, because her mother is constantly warning her about La Llorona, the wailing ghost woman who wanders the banks of the Gila at night, looking for young people to drag into its murky depths.

Hating her mother's humiliating superstitions and knowing that she and her friends would never venture into the water, Pao organizes a meet-up to test out her new telescope near the Gila, since it's the best stargazing spot. But when Emma never arrives and Pao sees a shadowy figure in the reeds, it seems like maybe her mom was right. . . .

Pao has always relied on hard science to make sense of the world, but to find her friend she will have to enter the world of her nightmares, which includes unnatural mist, mind-bending monsters, and relentless spirits controlled by a terrifying force that defies both logic and legend.

Part ghost story, part family story, and part hero quest, this exciting and imaginative tale will transport readers to another world.

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS

"I am really envious of you, reading this book for the first time."
--Rick Riordan, New York Times #1 best-selling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

"Paola Santiago and the River of Tears is just plain marvelous. Paola is a brilliant, furious girl who often trusts her brain but trips over her heart. This book is a thrilling adventure from start to finish, with a bright core of emotional honesty anchoring it to reality."
--Sarah Gailey, Hugo and Locus Award-winning author of River of Teeth

"A clever, twisty, imaginative take on the ever-spooky folktale La Llorona. Filled with love and fear and courage. Readers will delight!"
--J.C. Cervantes, New York Times best-selling author of The Storm Runner

"Mejia pulls no punches in showing us the monsters--whether fantastic or all too real--that children who live on the border between two cultures face every day."
--Carlos Hernandez, award-winning author of Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe

" Has the perfect blend of action, heart, and honesty in showing a painful world that most readers will already recognize--and proving the perfect amount of hope that they will survive and thrive. Tehlor Kay Mejia's writing is pure magic."
--Karen Callender, Stonewall Book Award-winning author of Hurricane Child

"Paola Santiago is a whip-smart Latina who dares to explore the shadows between folklore and middle-school friendship."
--Nina Moreno, author of Don't Date Rosa Santos

★ "This fast-paced journey into Latinx folklore, with its clever protagonist, is sure to keep readers turning pages into the night."
--Booklist (starred review)

★"A new hero's fantastic and fantastical debut--her next appearance can't come soon enough."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ "A warm, thrilling Mexican American ­adventure. An essential purchase."
--School Library Journal (starred review)

★ "Mejia draws upon her Latinx heritage to conjure creatures from folklore, such as chupacabras, La Llorona, and disembodied hands, arming Paola and her allies with fantastical weapons and layering in realistic plot points."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

PRAISE FOR PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES

"Fast-paced and action-packed, this is a must-read for fans of book one."
--Booklist

PRAISE FOR PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE SANCTUARY OF SHADOWS

"A brave adventure with meaningful depth."
--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Tehlor Kay Mejia is an Oregon native in love with the alpine meadows and evergreen forests of their home state, where they live with their daughter. When Tehlor's not writing, you can find them plucking the guitar, stealing rosemary sprigs from overgrown gardens, or trying to make the perfect vegan tamale. Tehlor is the author of three middle grade novels about Paola Santiago as well as the YA fantasy novels We Set the Dark on Fire and We Unleash the Merciless Storm. Follow her on Instagram @TehlorKay.