Kirkus Review
Paola battles the supernatural to save her friend in this follow-up to 2021's Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares. Dante, one of Pao's best friends, has been missing for 8 months: He's trapped in the void, a place full of terrible creatures and dread, and she's desperate to rescue him. But Mexican American Pao may be suffering from PTSD, and the adults in her life want her to stay home and play it safe. Frustrated, Pao and Emma, her other best friend, take matters into their own hands, brewing up a tea intended to restore Pao's magical dreams of the void. It works--and Pao realizes she must travel to San Antonio, Texas, as soon as possible if she hopes to save Dante. To get there, she tags along with Emma's new friends from the Rainbow Rogues, who are going on an environmental conservation volunteer trip to New Orleans. The bus journey from Arizona soon takes a dark turn, triggering a thrilling, fast-paced series of events that force Pao to confront El Cucuy, the lord of nightmares, and his apocalyptic plot as well as to learn to ask for help. While love is often depicted as the means to individually defeat evil, this story conveys a resonant message about the power of broader community support. As she battles monsters, Pao also privately explores her sexual identity and romantic feelings for Emma, who is queer. A brave adventure with meaningful depth. (Fantasy. 8-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
