[4] Booklist's Selenia Paz wrote, "This fast-paced journey into Latinx folklore, with its clever protagonist, is sure to keep readers turning pages into the night.

[2] Multiple reviewers commented on Mejia's inclusion of "realistic plot points" in this fantastical novel, including "socioeconomic and immigration concerns, the tension between science and superstition".

Publishers Weekly wrote, "Complicated emotional development is a particular strength—Paola wrestles with issues of anger and forgiveness, mother-daughter strife, and the new 'boy-girl weirdness' between her and Dante en route to becoming a reluctant hero".

[3] Shelley Diaz, writing for Shelf Awareness, noted how Paola helped "[imbue the] middle-grade debut with vulnerability and fierceness".

[5] Diaz also commented on how "clever chapter headings add humor in between harrowing scenes, and duplicitous characters will keep readers guessing whom to trust".