The latest entry in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint introduces a reworking of the Mexican La Llorona myth. In Tehlor Kay Mejia's compelling Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, the title character is a precocious tween who eschews her single mother's beliefs in the supernatural for the fact-filled certainty of science.
The skeptical middle-schooler is part of an inseparable trio that includes the more affluent Emma Lockwood as well as Dante Mata, her next-door neighbor and possible crush. When Emma misses their stargazing meet-up at the Gila River one evening and the authorities don't take their hunch that something's wrong seriously, Paola and Dante resolve to find her in the Arizona desert. Things start to get weird when Dante's grandmother arms them with a magical chancla (house slipper), shopping bag and Florida water. One by one, Paola comes face-to-face with all of the legends that her overprotective but flighty mother had taught her about--chupacabras, La Mano Pachona and La Llorona herself, the ghost of a woman who murdered her children and was cursed to wander the riverbanks for eternity in search of their bodies and looking for her next victim. But Paola's quest to save Emma keeps pushing her forward. The pair meet an army of lost children who have been fighting off the mythical monsters, reunite with a classmate who supposedly drowned in the river the year before and are guided by a sarcastic, ghostly girl who might have ulterior motives for helping them.
Mejia's middle-grade debut follows the Rick Riordan series formula: a driven and conflicted heroine, a trio of tightly knit friends, a fate-of-the-world plot and immersive mythology that introduces some readers to a different culture and welcomes other readers into their own cultural history. She also imbues this series opener with vulnerability and fierceness--Paola is an often angry girl who bucks up against her mother's traditions. She's tired of being short on money because her mother accepts IOUs or eggs as payment for her curandera (healing) and tarot services. She's angry at Dante, who has been slowly pulling away from their group to join the cooler soccer team. She's angry at the local police officer who discredited her theories about Emma's disappearance because of the color of her skin and her socioeconomic status--and at the shame she felt when he treated her with disdain. This anger often propels Paola on her hero's journey.
The author adeptly showcases not only details about Mexican American culture, but also weaves in the protagonist's love for science and problem-solving. Clever chapter headings add humor in between harrowing scenes, and duplicitous characters will keep readers guessing as to whom to trust. There are moments where Paola's triumph is truly in doubt, and other instances when the villains are almost sympathetic. Love is the saving grace here. Paola's love for her friends is key to her survival. But a mother's love--in all of its fierceness and fury--is what drives the narrative forward. --Shelley Diaz, supervising librarian, BookOps: New York Public Library & Brooklyn Public Library
Shelf Talker: This Mexican American mythology-infused adventure starring a smart-alecky tween will delight middle-grade fantasy readers and fans of Rick Riordan's series.