Paola and her two best friends, Emma and Dante, know they can never tell anyone about their hangout spot by the Gila River. Stay away from the river has been the number one rule as long as they can remember, but since a girl drowned there, it's been worse. Paola's mother is the worst, though. She believes in all kinds of superstitious stuff and is always warning Paola that La Llorona haunts the riverbanks.
Paola believes in science, and while she loves her mother, she's embarrassed by her mom's obsession with tarot cards, candles, and folktales. When Emma disappears one day, Paola's frustrations with her mother come to a head. The police won't even listen to what she and Dante have to say and mock them by mimicking the people who are afraid of La Llorona and chupacabras.
But then strange things start happening, and suddenly Pao and Dante find themselves on a journey through a magical land where chupacabras and every other monster they can think of, are coming after them. How is it possible, that all her mother's crazy superstitions are real? Not even the laws of physics seem to work correctly in this place!
But she will have to get over her disbelief quickly if she and Dante will have any chance of saving Emma. And what about the nightmares she's had her whole life? Are they somehow connected to this supernatural world?
The newest addition to the Rick Riordan Presents world is this reimaging of La Llorona by Tehlor Kay Mejia, and it is definitely worth the read. Pao is a great balanced of flaws and loyalty, and Mejia describes the awkwardness of boy/girl relationships in middle school perfectly. La Llorona is always popular with my students, and I anticipate this one will fly off the shelves! Highly recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment