Cemetery Boys

by Aiden Thomas

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys.

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

• ISBN10: 1250250463
• ISBN13: 9781250250469
• Publish Date: 1 September 2020 (first published 9 June 2020)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[lessthelonely]

4.75/5 stars.

The only reason I don't give this book 5 stars without rounding up is the typos, which will be fixed in future editions, I hope, but I still got a book with typos, and when I care about typos, it's because it did dampen the experience a bit.

Either way, this is delightful. This is surprisingly dark for how sweet and tender the book is in general. I gobbled this shit up, for real. Took me three days to read because on the day I started it I had just finished another book and I didn't want to tire myself out with reading.

The romance is just *chef's kiss*. I genuinely feared for the ending of this book, because I didn't know if it was labelled a romance, but pretty sure it was. I was teary-eyed in the last 3rd of the book, to be honest, and the closer we got to the ending, in only got worse. I predicted half of the plot twist, but the other half actually surprised me. Goes to show just how nice this book is. I wasn't expecting to be surprised and I was already going to rate this book quite high, but I was surpised.

Almost cried. 10/10, would read again.

[writehollydavis]

I absolutely loved this book! Can't believe it took me so long to finally read it. The trans and Latinx representation was so well done and the story was gripping and had me on the edge of my seat! To know the narrator is also trans and Latinx made the audiobook feel even more special-- kudos to McMillan. I'm excited to read more by the talented Aiden!

[moraa]

Let's do this, brujo.

4.5 stars

favourite bits
-representation (queer trans, Latinx)
-the plot: it was entertaining without being bogged down by too many world building elements
-the characters: Yadriel was the perfect protagonist for this story and his friendship and family dynamics were wonderful to watch unfold (though some characters could have been more fleshed out)
-the romance: sweet and wholesome (definitely didn’t grin like a fool)

not-so-favourite bits
-the writing: it was good but a few sections could have been better
-the antagonist: I guessed who it was early on and though I don’t necessarily dislike that in a book, I would've liked to see some plot subversion.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Cemetery Boys has definitely found its way to my reread list.

No, it wasn't the end. It was a better beginning.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Yadriel, a trans gay teen desperately wants to be brujo (warlock, magician, sorcerer). It is a tradition of his family/community. The brujo are healers and protectors of souls. Their powers are gifted by the god of death. Each year they prepare food for both the living and the dead.

When his cousin goes missing, Yadriel longs to help but hasn’t been accepted by the god of the dead. He takes it upon himself to enter the cemetery and perform the ritual. He accidently summons Julien Diaz. Julien wants to find out what happened to him, and Yadriel reluctantly agrees. He enlists the help of his friend and cousin Maritza.

The tale is rich in culture with an underlying theme of acceptance. The romance is a slow burn and felt both honest and tender. I loved the family dynamics and the growth we witness from characters as events unfolded.

Día de Muertos (The Day of the Dead), the gods, the brujo/bruja was a blending of the Latin cultures. I enjoyed the stories, beliefs and traditions. The dishes and foodie talk will leave your mouth watering. I also may never look at marigolds the same.

The mysteries of Julien’s death and the missing cousin drove us to a climactic scene before the story brought closure and hope. At times, I felt the pacing dragged, and that we were given information dumps, but the characters particularly Julien were rich.

Avi Roque was delighted as the narrator and captured the characters. I love that the publishers and author chose a latinx trans gay to narrate. It gave the story an authentic vibe. Avi captured these young characters.

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Mercy]

I loved this book so much!! The characters, latinx and queer rep. It was WHOLESOME!!!

I only knew it was about a trans boy falling for a ghost shortly after performing a ritual to prove his family he was a real brujo and friends, it delivered!

It was relatable in the latinx culture aspects and now I need to read more books like this. Throw in the most soft and chaotic boys resolving a mystery AND slowly falling in love and it had me hooked.

I would have given it 5 stars if it weren't for some issues I had with how the story developed relating to the bad guy and some magical object missing. I might have rolled my eyes at this but for everything else, it was fantastic and I need more people to read it.

Go read it please.

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

“Yadriel was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. To his foolhardy charm and striking features. Julian was achingly beautiful, but in the way a thunderstorm was beautiful—wild, rough, electric.”

[ Thank you, my darlin’ Darce for surprising me with this wonderful gift! You’re the best friend a bookish girl (or anyone for that matter!) could ever ask for (!); I love youssss!

[Inkslinger]

ARC provided by Swoon Reads/Macmillan Publishing and Aiden Thomas via Xpresso Book Tours/NetGalley. All opinions are mine and freely given.

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In addition to the following review, you can also read my interview with the author here: AIDEN THOMAS INTERVIEW

"Am I dead?"
"Yeah...."
"Oh, Jesus." -- "My brother is gonna kill me.."
"Looks like someone already beat him to it."


09-01: 'Cemetery Boys' by Aiden Thomas has been one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I'm still feeling a little raw from reading it..

Following the path of a trans boy named Yadriel, the story centers around his determination to prove his status as a brujo to his traditional Latinx family as he struggles with the inherent prejudices both inside and outside their community.

Wielding ancient magic gifted to them by their goddess, Lady Death, those who carry her gift are able to see spirits. Women have the power to heal bodies and souls, while men can release lost spirits into the afterlife, but as a trans boy.. Yadriel has never been able to heal like the brujas.. and the leader of the brujx has never allowed him to prove he can fulfill the role of a brujo.

Having been prevented from going through his quinces, Yadriel and his best friend Maritza take it upon themselves to see his opportunity come to fruition. When his cousin dies suddenly, Yadriel's focus on proving himself becomes laser-sharp.


"You don't need anyone's permission to be you, Yads..."


When the spirit he summons turns out not to be his cousin, but rather the resident bad boy.. Julian Diaz, things grow even more complicated. Julian isn't interested in passing quietly into the afterlife. He's intent on discovering what happened to him and taking care of some things before he leaves.. and with Yadriel unable to force him, the two make a deal to help each other.

Much of the mythos here is born of a mixture of Aztec and Mayan legend that makes up the more recent Mexican-American folk Catholicism.. such as Mictecacihuatl, the Aztec goddess and queen of the underworld, also known as Santa Muerte (Saint Death or Holy Death).. la Niña Blanca (the White Girl).. la Huesuda (the Bony Lady).. la Flaquita (the Skinny Lady).. and many other names.

The magic origins are built largely from the stories of Xibalba (roughly translated as Place of Fright or Place of Fear), which is prominient in both early cultures.. though Bahlam, the Jaguar god and one of the Hero Twins of the Popol Vuh (though there are three translations of this text so it varies slightly), is born of Mayan sources who were said to have defeated the Lords of the Underworld (Xibalba) who had tricked and killed their father and uncle, also twins. Here though, Bahlam is no benevolent being.. and it is conflict between him and Lady Death that actually begins the story of the generations of brujx.


"You're insufferable..."
"Yeah, but I think you're kinda into it..."


Obviously, the story is full of mystique and the tales from which portions of it are created only make it more interesting.. if that's possible. I've always been entranced by myths of gods and goddesses from all cultures and of the pantheons, the Aztec and Mayan remain amongst my favorites.

It's impossible not to feel for Yadriel, not to want to shout at those who make things unnecessarily difficult for him.. and not to warm to Maritza for being that ride or die chick by his side. The best friend who will fight the world for him, who wants to see him succeed maybe even more than he does.. even if she has a moral aversion to aspects of the lifestyle for herself.

Thomas did a fantastic job of painting Julian as an obnoxious, stubborn spirit with a wicked temper, all the while managing to offer us peeks of those parts of himself he preferred to keep hidden. If I'm being honest, Luca broke my heart more than anyone.. but there's a lot of beauty and a lot of pain sprinkled deftly throughout this bewitching debut novel with all the skill of an old hand.

I caught myself laughing and couldn't stop myself from crying. It's emotional and lovely.. and everything I could have hoped for...

PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSAMILLION | GOOGLEPLAY BOOKS | INDIGO | KOBO

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08-31: Going to finish this up today, review to come tomorrow!

08-30: Starting today! Yay!!

08-28: I will be starting this toward the end of the weekend for the blog tour on launch day, September 1st! My interview with Aiden will be posted on Betwixt The Sheets that day as well!

07-10: I'm so excited to have scored not only an ARC for this book.. which is one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year.. but to have also landed a spot on the blog tour and possibly an interview! *breathe*

[kalventure]

✨ You can read an excerpt on Teen Vogue here!

4.5 stars I absolutely adored this book and its characters; I cannot WAIT for you to be able to read it when it releases on September 1st... it's coming just in time for your Spooky Season TBRs!

Cemetery Boys is a delightful YA paranormal fantasy debut set during Día de Muertos that features a trans main character, a ghost love interest, gay romance, and brujeria that is bound to capture your heart! Please do yourself a favor and pick up this heartwarming story so you can fall in love with Yadriel, Julian, and Maritza as well!

I absolutely adore the world Thomas created with Cemetery Boys. It's so fresh and different from what is currently available in the YA market. Urban / paranormal fantasy is such a delight to read because of the fast pace, and I love how Thomas doesn't sacrifice building up the world or muddy the pacing of the book. He manages to balance descriptions with pace masterfully: I could envision every setting and person and the pacing didn't suffer for it.

"Spirits had blurry edges and were a little less vibrant than the world around them. They looked like a photograph taken out of focus and with the saturation turned down."

While the worldbuilding and plot are engaging, where the book shines the most for me is with its characters. I was so invested in their journeys and well-being... almost obsessively so!

Words cannot express how much I love these characters. Each of them has so much life that the book sparks with chemistry. Yadriel's home feels lived in with the bustle of the multi-generational family ribbing on one another; the cemetery comes alive with the brujx and ghosts going about their lives (and afterlives).

"Just because he said he was a boy, that didn't change the way Lady Death gave her blessings. They wouldn't even let him try. It was easier to hide behind their traditions than to challenge their own beliefs and understandings of how things in the world of the brujx worked."

In this world were the brujx care for the dead, gender places everyone into strict roles where men are brujos and women are brujas. It has always been this way, so Yadriel meets a lot of pushback for going against tradition. I love how fierce and strong Yadriel is despite his struggles being accepted as a trans-boy in a strictly gendered society. He doesn't let microaggressions lay unchallenged and he has people who support him as he is to help correct people's language. But Yadriel is not the only one bucking tradition; his cousin Maritza refuses to practice magic as a bruja because she opposes the use of animal blood as the only vegan in their community. I like that Yadriel wasn't the only "black sheep" in his community and that he wasn't completely alone without support. his relationship dynamic with Maritza is amazing, and I love how Julian immediately fits into their group. Yadriel just wants to be accepted as he is and takes matters into his hands the way any sixteen-year-old would... and he has a group of people determined to help him.

"Julian was the most alive person he'd ever met. Even as a spirit, we was bright and full of constantly moving energy. A sun crammed into a body."

Julian is my son and must be protected at all costs! He never shuts up and his lack of understanding being dead is literally iconic. But he is also fiercely protective of those he loves and I adore how accepting he is of Yadriel from the get-go.

"'You don't need permission to be you, Yads.'"

Cemetery Boys is an amazing coming-of-age story. It is honestly such a heartwarming tale with one of the best found families in fiction. Unapologetically Latinx with characters you cannot help but love, this is a story of fighting for change and being comfortable as you are that everyone should read.

Representation: anxiety rep, poverty rep, Latinx rep, m/m romance, trans main character,
Content warnings: abuse, gendered roles, internalized classism (challenged), racism, use of deadname (challenged)

Buddy read with Kate & Krisha!

Pre-order Incentive: preorder a copy & submit your receipt by August 31, 2020 to receive a signed bookplate and 5 character cards.

ARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. This has not affected my opinions in any way. Quotations are from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon final publication.

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