The Way to Rio Luna by Zoraida Córdova

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Way to Rio Luna by Zoraida Córdova Natalie Berglind Córdova, Zoraida The Way to Rio Luna. Scholastic, 2020 [336p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781338239546 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 4-7 Eleven-year-old Danny is passed from home to home in foster care, always getting in trouble for his unwavering belief in magic. Two years ago, his sister disappeared without a word; when Danny takes a school trip to the New York library, he is led by golden arrows to the original copy of The Way to Rio Luna, a book of fairy tales his sister repeatedly read him. With the help of Glory, an archeologist’s niece, Danny must enter the tales of the story and collect the last page from each in trials that could lead him back to his sister, if the Shadow Queen doesn’t stop him first. Córdova lovingly references other fantasy fiction—Danny is obsessed with Peter Pan and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Leigh the Bard (a hat tip to YA author Leigh Bardugo) is one of the characters Danny meets from the fictional fairy tale book. Unfortunately, the plot logic is strained at times, and Córdova struggles to breathe life into the tropes of the well-worn storyline. Names like Shadow Queen and Forever Gardens give the story a generic feel, failing to distinguish it from other fantasy portal worlds like Collins’ Gregor the Overlander (BCCB 1/04) or book-based fantasies such as Funke’s Inkheart (BCCB 3/04). Readers already passionate about magic may still want to add this to their collections of portal fiction, wherein kids can necessarily escape from some of the pressures of the real world. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois