Great follow-up to River of Tears. I didn't like that it took so long to actually get to the confrontation with Paola's father/Beto. There was a lot going on and it felt almost like Mejia was shoving as much folklore into the story as she could. I loved that Naomi was a more central character this time and that Paola was learning to rely more on herself and her instincts rather than Dante and Emma. I can't wait to see what happens with Dante in book 3.

This book was different. I say this and I love it. I liked reading a book abut a completly different race of people, and it has just as much wonder and fantasy as I thought.

This second book in Paola's journey is a wonderful adventure through reality and dreams! Pao is having difficulties adjusting as her two best friends grow apart from her. And her mom has a new boyfriend, which is not helping her mood at all.

Aside from the well-handled peer issues, the story is also Pao's journey to find her father. I love how the mystery is fully solved in this book, yet there is a greater mystery that will hopefully continue into a third book. The characters are so real and dimensional, teens will surely relate to them. It's wonderful to have a Latina in the hero role!

I was lucky to be on the NetGalley arc team for this book. You're going to love this series!

Another excellent book from the Rick Riordan Presents series! I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Netgalley.. The story line is exciting and it is a true page turner! There are a lot of references to the first book in the series, but it can be read alone. I do wish there was more explanation around the entities, like in Percy Jackson, so you could easily reference the foundation myths. Great book, can’t wait to see what Pao does next!!!

This book does an amazing job of introducing difficult topics including racism , prejudice, and topics surrounding the LGBTQ community in an organic way. Could easily lend itself to discussions with children or students!

A great follow-up to the first in the series, but I'm pretty sure readers could pick this one up first with no problem. It is well paced and works well as a read-aloud, even for younger children who like things a little spooky. The opening is very strong with the tension of Paola and Dante and Emma drifting apart and Paola's mom dating. Emma's new friends provided a logical explanation for really insightful commentary from her, and she modeled allyship well. I enjoyed how it addressed the stereotypical absent Latino father of the first novel and gave it a supernatural twist, I liked how Mejia expanded on the folklore. My only complaint is that the Dante thread and ending were not resolved and made me want the third installment NOW.

I just love the Paola Santiago series, and this book was possibly even better than the first! Pao begins having weird dreams again, but when Dante’s grandmother is hospitalized, she can no longer ignore them and sets off for answers only her father can provide. But things aren’t great between her and Dante now, so this will be a much more difficult task.

I enjoyed this book a bit more than "Paola Santiago and the River of Tears." I loved how that book began, but I felt it lagged in the middle. This book's pacing was better and I appreciated the author's angsty approach the author took with the character's reaction to the resolution of the first book's events. The character's emotion depth felt real and gave the book some weight from the onset. It also helped to set the stage and refresh my memory of what happened in book 1.

An unusual sequel that's even better than the original, this entry in the Paola Santiago series adds more excitement, more angst, more folklore, and reveals a lot more about Paola's family and its secrets!

If you liked Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, you are going to LOVE the sequel Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares. This book starts up a couple of months after the adventure from book one. Paola is struggling to come to terms with the previous events and how to move forward with her friends and family. Dante (her friend/boyfriend maybe) is avoiding her at all costs, Emma has a new group of friends, and to top it all off her mom has a new boyfriend. These changes plus the fact that her nightmares are back are pushing her to her breaking point. Meiji keeps the nailbiting action going throughout the book. Once I started this, I couldn’t put it down. I love that Rick Riordan has teamed up with other diverse authors to tell their mythology stories. Fans of Percy Jackson will definitely love this series.

A wonderful addition to the Paola Santiago series. Fans old and new will love this installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to preview this book. I know many middle grade readers who are going to LOVE adding this to their summer reading list.

I truly enjoyed Paolo's continued adventure. I look forward to the next book so we can find out what happens with Dante.

Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares picks up shortly after The River of Tears. Paola is having weird nightmares where someone is calling to her. Is it her dad? Her mom has a new boyfriend, Paola is trying to navigate her changing relationships with her friends, and then Dante's grandma ends up in a coma.
Paola is off on another adventure to save the world. I enjoyed learning about more legend and lore, while also getting more insight into Paola's past and why these monsters seem to call to her.
The ending definitely leaves you wanting more. Can't wait for book 3.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy for review.

What an action-packed adventure for middle grade readers! Tehlor Kay Mejia's work, Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares really shines in this Rick Riordian Presents book that follows Paola, Emma and Dante through another adventure.
In her previous book, River of Tears, we met Paola and Dante and they fought off arguably one of the scariest ghost legends of all time, La Llorona, who wanders the banks of the Gila at night, looking for unsuspecting young people to drag into a watery grave. Again in Forest of Nightmares, we have a strange entity calling out to Paola. Could it be her long lost dad that mom never discusses? Is it just Pao being upset at her mother's new boyfriend? The book pulls some old friends together and the author fantastically weaves a plot line weaves a plot line that reveals a change in Dante. I also love that the author shows kids to be themselves through the character of Emma.
Mejia creates fantastical events in a way that also lets the reader in on what happened in River of Tears, so the title could stand alone, and she even manages to skillfully build in important and timely themes like systematic racism and themes that kids in middle school can relate to like evolving friendships.
Middle grade readers will find many reasons to love this book and series. Teachers can easily use chapter excerpts to teach about fantasy fiction and theme. I highly recommend to anyone looking for great books for the classroom that kids will pass around until they fall apart.

Fast paced, adventurous. Deals with lesser known myths that book 1, but connects well. Set up for third book was not the twist I expected!

Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares is as good as the first book in the series, I went into it having high expectations and it did not disappoint. In the beginning of the book, Pao and her friends, Dante and Emily have drifted apart. But when Dante's grandmother, Senora Mata collapses and goes into a deep coma, the three come back together in an effort to save her life. In addition, Pao has been having eerie dreams involving her father that somehow seem connected to Senora Mata. What does it all mean and how will they save Senora Mata? Another riveting read by Tehlor Kay Mejia!

I absolutely loved Paola Santiago and the River of Tears when I read it last year, so I was really looking forward to the second installment featuring Paola. And Tehlor Kay Mejia did not disappoint!! Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares picks up six months after River of Tears left off, but after her encounter with La Llorona, Paola is feeling more alone now than ever. She and her best friends, Emma and Dante, have drifted apart and when Dante's abuela falls ill, it's clear Dante blames her for everything. Paola begins to have nightmares of a terrifying green forest, where she believes her long-lost father may be held against her will. On an adventure to help Dante's abuela and to find her father, Paola hopes she'll also find answers about herself.

I love Tehlor Kay Mejia's skill in weaving such an incredible setting; many times I felt like I was in the cold, dark woods of Oregon, looking over my shoulder for monsters. I particularly appreciated her skill in character building - and while I often wanted to punch Dante in the face - Tehlor Kay Mejia's writing really showed how the characters rationalize their decisions. One of my favorite pieces of this book too is the friendship between Paola and Emma - I loved how Tehlor Kay Mejia wrote about Emma coming out and how Paola was able to support her - and vice versa, I love to see Emma trying to support Paola as best she can and how she acknowledges and uses her white privilege.

Fantastic story and I can't wait to read more about Paola in the future - I wish I had this book as a youth!

Incoming review will be posted on instagram @bookedwithemma.

Pao is having supernatural dreams about her father, who left when she was little, in this well-paced sequel, but she feels alone in her dilemma. Dante has been giving her the cold shoulder and Emily has found a new group of friends who share a common interest. Pao stops in to see if Dante’s Grandmother, Senora Mata, can give her some advice but she drops into a deep coma and now Pao and Dante must travel to the rift to save her, Can Pao figure out what happened to Senora Mata before it’s too late and what does this have to do with the dreams about her father?
#PaolaSantiagoandtheForestofNightmares #NetGalley

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide - Rick Riordan Presents in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Having first heard of the series and finding the first installment on our JFiction shelf I was debating whether to start with this book rather than putting it aside until I have finished with Paola Santiago and the River of Tears. I ended up taking a chance and reading The Forest of Nightmares anyway and I must say I was blown away. I loved the family sentiment and determination Paola had in not only finding her father but finding the truth of why her father left all because she did not approve of her mother's boyfriend. Now, her friend Dante's grandmother is very ill and destined to find her father Paola has more to gain if she finds her father. I appreciated the hoops Paola had to jump in order to find her father and the power of love and forgiveness is always triumphant. Paola Santiago series was very enjoyable that it might be a potential candidate for Battle of the Books 2022.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

A few months after returning home from her first supernatural adventure Paola finds herself once again having strange, prophetic dreams. Can she save her best friend's grandma, find her father, and protect her friends?
A nice continuation of the Paola story, with more to come. Explores friendship, jealousy, yearning, finding self; all important concepts for middle school age children.

Tehlor Kay Mejia makes another fine addition to the Rick Riordan Presents series. I frequently use and reference these books in my teaching, and it is always my pleasure to find a new entry in the imprint (and, in this case, a new entry in an already-established series). Paola Santiago is a lead female character in a mythic world, and Mejia tells these stories well. I recommend both this book and River of Tears, the first in the series -- looking forward to the next one!