Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Second spooky fantasy keeps chills and thrills coming.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES, Paola and her friends are back in school, now in seventh grade. Whatever Paola may have thought her life would be like after she and her friends defeated the legendary La Llorona this past summer, this isn't it. Emma's busy with new friends, and Dante's avoiding her, seemingly angry or upset but without saying why. The only person she can talk to about her strange dreams of her long-gone father in a spooky, dangerous forest is Dante's grandmother, Senora Mata. But when Paola gets a chance to talk to her, Sra. Mata collapses into an unconscious state that not even hospital doctors can diagnose. It looks like the only way to save Sra. Mata is to track down her father hundreds of miles from home and hope that he has the answers she needs. Along the way she'll have to figure out how to work with Naomi, deal with menacing duendecillos (forest gnomes, fairies, and sprites), endure ultimate betrayal, and, oh yeah, fight off a 20-feet-tall ghost monster destroying everything in its path.
Is It Any Good?
This exciting fantasy series keeps the chills and thrills from River of Tears going strong with a smart, science-minded Latina as the main character. It stands on its own pretty well, but reading the books in order will bring a deeper understanding of the characters and the impact of the events in Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares. Paola's now in seventh grade, and big kids and tweens will relate to her confusion and frustration over changing friendships, and the way her mother's changing, too. They'll also admire her courage and determination to make things right.
The action, spooky atmospheres, and spine-tingling fantasy-folklore creatures are all back in full force, along with many familiar characters from the first book. Characters deal with important issues facing society and provide food for thought without getting in the way of the story. Nightmarish fantasy creatures and themes of being separated from parents make it best for big kids and up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the scary ghosts and folktale creatures in Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares. Why do we sometimes have fun being scared? What do you do to feel better when things get too scary?
Emma is learning that lots of things in life are easier or safer for White people than for people of color. What kinds of things does she mean? In what ways is she a good ally to her friends of color? What could she do better?
Did you read the first book in the series, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears? If you did, which book do you like best, and why? If you didn't read it, would you like to now?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : August 3, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate