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Cemetery Boys

Aiden Thomas (Goodreads Author)

4.42 · Rating details · 14,723 ratings · 4,159 reviews

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, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking."

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 de ...more

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Hardcover, 352 pages

Published September 1st 2020 by Swoon Reads

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 4.42 ·

Rating details

· 14,723 ratings · 4,159 reviews

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Mar 17, 2020 chai ♡ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, poc-rep, lgbtq-trans, favorites, own-voices, trope-it-s-about-the-yearning, trope-platonic-soulmates, ya-sff, read-in-2020, trope-omg-they-were-roommates

✧ find this review & others on my blog ✧

I knew from the very first few pages of Cemetery Boys that I was going to love it so dearly.

Aiden Thomas lured me into their imaginative and vibrant narrative with an enchanting mix of mystery and magic, then hooked me on their winning characters. The sense of fall was immediate then, the swiftness and depth of it. I wanted to hold time like a breath in my chest, and never stop reading. When I turned the last page, I felt like something inside of me h ...more

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Sep 27, 2020 Regan rated it it was amazing

My HEART is GLOWING I caNt SToP SMILING

Read this.

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Dec 12, 2019 Miranda Reads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: published2020, received-to-review, grchoice_round1

OHMYGOSH. Goodreads Choice Nominees are in and My Reaction Video is up! Don't forget to vote!

Annnd here's my original reaction to this book!

Happy Pride Month y'all! Click the booktube link to check out my favorite PRIDE books

The Written Review

Oh my gosh. Can I rate this more than 5 stars???

I cannot even BEGIN to talk about how BRILLIANT this one was.

I was hooked from the start - the way Aiden set up the characters and the Brujx world was so intriguing and exciting.

The plot felt so unique ...more

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Nov 01, 2020 myo (myonna reads) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-favorites, 2020-anticipating

yeah i cried, and?

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Nov 20, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing

I haven’t read something like this fantastic novel which is equally entertaining, smart, funny and also sad, heartfelt, emotional, intense at the same time. It’s uplifting but it is also heart wrenching. Your emotions are everywhere. You smile and cry at the same time.

There are too many sensitive issues blended harmoniously at this novel. Transphobia, deep parental issues, deportation, grief are the main ones were discussed and approached from the POV of LatinX community.

Yadriel is our brill I haven’t read something like this fantastic novel which is equally entertaining, smart, funny and also sad, heartfelt, emotional, intense at the same time. It’s uplifting but it is also heart wrenching. Your emotions are everywhere. You smile and cry at the same time.

There are too many sensitive issues blended harmoniously at this novel. Transphobia, deep parental issues, deportation, grief are the main ones were discussed and approached from the POV of LatinX community.

Yadriel is our brilliant MC who just wants to approval of his family to accept his gender. For proving his point he attends to secret brujo ceremony. He summons a ghost and the ritual works perfectly! Nope, not exactly: because the ghost they summoned is Julian Diaz, school’s resident boy has no intention to accept the death before tying his loose ends and dealing with his own unfinished businesses.

Yadriel plans to find his missing cousin and a few runaway boys from LatinX community. To accomplish this mission he truly needs help of Julian and his cousin Maritza. So they team up together to solve each other’s problems but as you may see Yadriel finds himself fall for Julian. ( that’s the heart wrenching but also sweetest part of the story)

There are so many things about this story. But I
want to start with my favorite character: Julian was so adorable, vivid, full of energy! Once upon a time he was the member of the gang! When you read the dysfunctional family relationships and traumatic experiences of abandoned kids, dysfunctional foster care system, you may understand why those kids want to be a part of gang : they only need to be a part of something and people who they can trust.

I also enjoy to follow Yadriel’s journey: his self exploration about finding his own powers, strengths and capabilities. He finally finds who he is and his main purpose which also help the people around him understand his choices and give him the approval he needs. ( especially his father’s understanding and approval are the highlights of the story)

Overall: this is a Mystical, enjoyable, emotional journey I wish it never ends. But it ended eventually with great conclusion. So I’m giving my blazing, shiny five stars and looking forward to read the new works of the author! ...more

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Apr 03, 2019 ari marked it as to-read

Shelves: tbr-lgbt, own-in-hardcover, tbr-aoc, owned-tbr, anticipating

"Latinx trans teen boy, hoping to release his cousin's spirit and prove himself as a brujo, accidentally summons the wrong ghost and ends up falling in love with him"...............this honestly sounds like everything i've ever needed in my life, 2020 already serving us ...more

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Nov 07, 2020 Unknown Reviews rated it liked it

Writing this review after a month long absence doesn’t seem very fair, as I don’t have a copy of Cemetery Boys at my bedside anymore and I can’t flick for appropriate plot references and so on. However, there’s no way I can move onto another book and not feel guilty over not having this review done, so, alas, a late Christmas present.

Yadriel, a young, trans boy desperately wants to be seen as a brujo by his family – a wielder of magic who assures spirits pass safely into the next life. To prove ...more

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Mar 06, 2020 Adri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ownvoices, queer-lit, arc, latinx-authors, favorites

CWs: Misgendering, allusions to deadnaming, depictions of gender dysphoria, exploration of parental death, non-violent references to blood magic, some descriptions of self-harm (for ritualistic purposes)

☑ Watch my spoiler-free #ownvoices reading vlog for Cemetery Boys!
☑ Check out this interview I did with Aiden Thomas!
☑ Read my second CB review for even more detailed feelings!

I am THRIVING. I am LIVING. I am convinced this book was written for me and me alone and I will be accepting no other ...more

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May 28, 2020 Sahil Javed marked it as to-read

Shelves: bookshelf, lgbtq

a gay book about a trans boy who may or may not be in love with a ghost? i didn't know i needed this until right now. ...more

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Oct 01, 2020 Fadwa (Word Wonders) added it

Shelves: 2020-releases, fantasy, 2020-favorites, lgbtq-m-m, bipoc, young-adult

CW: death of a loved one, talk of loss of a parent, misgendering, mention of parental abuse, mention of transphobic parents and deportation.

Genuine question: How do you review a book that feels like it nudge a piece of yourself forward, shifted it slowly to make you click in place and make that slight feeling of wrongness go away? If you think I’m being hyperbolic, I am not. Cemetery Boys brought me more than I can put into words and I have been struggling to write this review for over a month, CW: death of a loved one, talk of loss of a parent, misgendering, mention of parental abuse, mention of transphobic parents and deportation.

Genuine question: How do you review a book that feels like it nudge a piece of yourself forward, shifted it slowly to make you click in place and make that slight feeling of wrongness go away? If you think I’m being hyperbolic, I am not. Cemetery Boys brought me more than I can put into words and I have been struggling to write this review for over a month, always putting it off to tomorrow, because maybe then I’ll wake up with the words to do it justice, but at this point, I don’t think that will happen and all I can do is give it my best shot.

The writing is fairly simple, straight forward and quick to read at first glance, and while all of that does hold true, it’s also beautiful in the fact that it burrows itself deep into the reader’s soul and hits you with the most beautiful quotable lines that live you thinking about them for a while afterwards. Quotes that although specific, can and will speak to a lot of people and maybe, just for a moment, make them feel less alone. And that’s exactly what it did for me, reading Cemetery Boys felt like home, it shone a light on some of deepest darkest corners of my soul and said “hey, I got you. I see you. All of you. Even these tiny bits and pieces that you have been looking away from”. This book made me feel seen in ways I didn’t expect or account for when going in, it made me smile, made me rage, made my cry and laugh. Oh and it’s also really fucking funny.

This book is equally fun, funny and joyful as it is at time sad, heartbreaking and painful, and for me, that’s where its strength lies. Cemetery Boys is one of the most, if not *the* most nuanced book I have ever read in term of its exploration of queerness, transness, and the way both of these things are treated in brown patriarchal communities. In this specific case, it’s the Latinx community, but you can broaden it to encompass other brown communities, as a lot of them mirror each other in the way they treat all the above as well as identity, family and community. Yadriel is a trans boy whose only wish is to be accepted in his brujx community as a brujo, which is a thing that has always been denied to him. While on a surface level Yadriel’s community seems like they’re accepting him, using his chosen name as well as his correct pronouns, on a second look, you find that he is anything but. This acceptance feels like humoring him, because when it comes to real test, to giving him his quinces and thus access to his brujo powers, they refuse to do so. Waiting for something to change, maybe for him to “grow out” of being a boy, for him to finally relent and be ready to accept the “girl” powers.

Read my full review on my blog Word Wonders ...more

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Oct 10, 2020 Mrinmayi rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: If u want a fluffy , feel good book

Recommended to Mrinmayi by: tappkalina

Shelves: lgbtq-rep, urban-fantasy, poc-rep, adopted-these-characters, great-food-rep, fantasy, ravenclaw-mc, pure-innocence, gryffindor-love-interest, good-tier

*3.75🌟
Buddy read with Drama Queen
How I expected that this book will end

How it actually ended

I mean don't get me wrong...I LOVED the book
BUT I just expected an emotional read
The book was fluffy and cute!!(Not complaining)
But it felt like WE (Joshita and Mrin) were chilling with the characters xD
This book had a "chill" vibe going on..as against to the "spooky" vibe
The premise was pretty simple:
The MC summons a ghost and is not able to get rid of the said ghost
Thats all I will say...Go into this bo ...more

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Apr 15, 2020 sunkissed-miranda rated it it was ok

Shelves: lgbtq, young-adult, supernatural, diverse-reads, witches, 2020-reading-challenge, latinx, romance

EDIT: 6/24/2020

So, I did NOT edit in a few days but that's okay because I wrote a TON of notes for this book. Here we go.

2/5 stars

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oof, this review is going to be controversial, so fair warning! To be clear: it has nothing to do with the latinx, trans, or gay representation throughout the novel. All marginalized identities are presented in a positive, fulfilling, and engaging light, and my review does not take away from Thomas' ...more

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Apr 03, 2020 Xandra (StarrySkyBooks) rated it really liked it

Shelves: june-july-tbr-2020, favorites

DID I FINISH THIS BOOK OR DID IT FINISH ME?

- - -
(spoiler free review. tw list at the bottom. this is a Latinx ownvoices review)

I really experienced so many different emotions while reading this book, and most of them were just some form of happiness. Happiness for Yadriel, whenever something good happened to him, and happiness for myself, because I was blessed with this ARC. (Thank you to MacMillan, Swoon Reads, and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC!)

It’s difficult to put my feelings for t ...more

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Dec 26, 2020 Larry H rated it really liked it

Aiden Thomas' Cemetery Boys is a magical, emotional story about finding the courage to show everyone—including yourself—who you really are, with some terrifically creative fantasy thrown in.

First, let me say that I cannot believe I’ve read 300(!) books so far this year. I will read a few more (I’m one of those who reads up until the very end of the year) but this is the most I’ve ever read—and I don’t expect to ever read this amount again! (COVID has really messed with my sleep patterns.)

Now ...more

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Jun 15, 2020 Tucker (TuckerTheReader) rated it really liked it

Recommended to Tucker by: Miranda Reads

Shelves: 4-stars, fantasy, lgbtqia, young-adult

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audio file in exchange for an honest review

"Don't mourn me.
If you cry for me, I grieve your pain.
Instead, if you sing to me, I'll always live and my spirit will never die."

I probably wouldn't have picked this up if my friend Miranda hadn't recommended it to me but I am very glad she did. It was spooky, funny, and so, so adorable. It also had a pretty hefty plot twist in the end.

So, what's this book about?
When his traditional Latinx fami ...more

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Oct 27, 2020 Kevin (Irish Reader) rated it it was amazing

I loved this so freaking much!!

This story was so beautiful and had such a great cast of characters. I loved Yadriel, the main character, so much. He was such a strong character, that was struggling with so many things, such as being accepted by his family for being transgender. His best friend and cousin, Maritza, was another one of my favourites, as she was so sarcastic and witty. Finally, of course, I loved Julian Diaz so, so much! He was such a great character and I empathised with him a lot. ...more

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Sep 17, 2020 Elle rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

This book was a fun time! I’ll admit it took me a little bit to get into, but it eventually was able to find its groove.

Yadriel is a teenager from a long line of brujx, those with the power to bridge the living world with the dead. After he and his cousin, Maritza, perform the coming-of-age ritual for brujos that’d been denied to Yadriel, they meet Julian, a recently departed spirit who’s in the dark about his own passing. Both boys have things they need to accomplish, one wanting to prove hims This book was a fun time! I’ll admit it took me a little bit to get into, but it eventually was able to find its groove.

Yadriel is a teenager from a long line of brujx, those with the power to bridge the living world with the dead. After he and his cousin, Maritza, perform the coming-of-age ritual for brujos that’d been denied to Yadriel, they meet Julian, a recently departed spirit who’s in the dark about his own passing. Both boys have things they need to accomplish, one wanting to prove himself and the other unwilling to leave unfinished business, so they decide it’d be better to work together.

I liked the Latinx cultural elements as well as the Trans rep with Yadriel. The brujx are an interesting way to bring paranormal aspects into the story and I enjoyed reading about Yadriel, Maritza and their family as they prepared for the Día de Muertos celebration. What I appreciated with Yadriel was that this wasn’t a story of him ‘struggling with his identity’; he firmly knows who he is. What Cemetery Boys depicts is Yadriel’s family struggling with it instead, and how their refusal to see him as he is negatively impacts him. Even at times when they don’t mean to be hurtful, they can still cause harm.

This novel was also a refreshing way to approach death. Día de Muertos is probably responsible for that tone, as celebration of life rather than wallowing in death. I don’t think you have to necessarily believe in any kind of afterlife to appreciate this storyline, but if you do then you may find The Cemetery Boys to be a comforting way to remember those you’ve lost.

In all, this was a good YA novel. It’s as intriguing as it is inclusive, and as an #OwnVoices book by a Trans and Latinx author, I don’t think you’re going to get a much more authentic story. Especially as a debut, I think Aiden Thomas did a great job writing interesting and layered characters, and I look forward to seeing how he grows as a writer. Thomas already has a book slated to come out in 2021, Lost in the Never Woods, which looks like it’s going to be a fantastic Peter Pan retelling—I can’t wait! ...more

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Dec 21, 2020 Kai rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned, queer

“Queer folks are like wolves. We travel in packs."

Reading this book is like seeing a ray of sunshine break through eternal grey clouds. This is a straight up feel-good book. The characters are instantly loveable, honestly such an adorable bunch, from the trusting and kind main character and the loyal, sassy best friend, to the cutest pair of dogs alive (in fiction) and the chaotic good love interest. I love a character-driven story which is why the book worked really well for me, because the plo “Queer folks are like wolves. We travel in packs."

Reading this book is like seeing a ray of sunshine break through eternal grey clouds. This is a straight up feel-good book. The characters are instantly loveable, honestly such an adorable bunch, from the trusting and kind main character and the loyal, sassy best friend, to the cutest pair of dogs alive (in fiction) and the chaotic good love interest. I love a character-driven story which is why the book worked really well for me, because the plot itself wasn't outstanding. It was pretty predictable - even when the author laid the groundwork for the plot in the beginning I could tell exactly where it was going and it didn't hold much of a surprise. The finale was very stereotypical, including the standard spiteful villain soliloquy and something I will mark as a (view spoiler) even though it's fairly common. It wasn't the most original part of the book, but it didn't bother me much because I just really liked the characters and the message behind the book. There's a chosen family trope that's really well done, it's super inclusive and portrays a great variety of Latinx cultures, there are many queer characters and I genuinely enjoyed reading a fantasy story with a trans main character, something we don't get to see often but more and more as of late. My only other criticism is that the writing could've benefitted from a little more attention to detail. When an author tells me "the dancers danced" I can't help rolling my eyes just a tiny bit knowing that they can do better than that.

I'm struggling to decide whether to give this four or five stars. From a craft perspective it wasn't perfect, but it has so much heart and it's a very empowering story. So I think it's fair to give five stars. Aiden Thomas is someone to watch and I'm really hyped what he's going to do next. I'm not the biggest Peter Pan fan buts Lost in the Never Woods is a guaranteed 2021 read for me.

Find more of my books on Instagram ...more

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Dec 04, 2020 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020, favourites

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

representation: own voices trans Latinx (Cuban Mexican) MC, Haitian side character, Columbian side character, gay MC & love interest.

[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]

★★★★★

This was EVERYTHING. Also the fact that the audiobook was also narrated by a trans Latinx dude was awesome!!! This book was absolutely HILARIOUS, heartwarming and so, so endearing. I'm obsessed.

trigger warnings: misgenderi ...more

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Sep 02, 2020 Anniek rated it it was amazing

Shelves: author-of-colour, mc-of-colour, trans-mc, 2-ya, latinx-mc, latinx-author, lgbtq, 1-2020-releases, 3-sff, mlm

When a book has you crying at 5% in, you know it's going to hit hard.

Cemetery Boys was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020. I've been desperate to read it for months. So even though I'd preordered a book box with the book, I couldn't wait for it to arrive and purchased the ebook so I could start it on release day. And I have zero regrets, because as high as my expectations were, this book lived up to them perfectly.

I firmly believe this will be a new comfort read for me, one I'll reread ...more

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Nov 01, 2019 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hypewagon, edelweiss, netgalley

"Queer folks are like wolves," Julian told him. "We travel in packs."

description

Two ownvoices reviews: Caidyn & Adri

Step aside, all those of a close mind—this one isn't for you. This is a book for those looking to see themselves so vividly, so wonderfully in a story. This is for the trans readers who have been pushed aside, misunderstood, unseen, and who've been told they're not enough.

Disclaimer: I'm a white, cisgender gal who regrettable hasn't taken the time to dive into Latinx culture despite being rai ...more

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Oct 08, 2020 Sleepless Dreamer rated it really liked it

Cemetery Boys is about Yadriel, a sixteen year old trans guy who wants to prove to his family and community that he is a brujo. One thing leads to another and he ends up accidentally resurrecting Julian, a snarky classmate who mysteriously died. We join this duo on their quest to uncover secrets and win over Yadriel's community.

When it comes down to it, there's a lot that isn't great in this book. The plot is not particularly compelling and ends rather abruptly. There are several poor decisions ...more

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Oct 05, 2020 anna (½ of readsrainbow) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2-mlm, 2-authors-of-color, 2-ownvoices, pub-2020, 2-protags-of-color, 1-fantasy, 2-lgbt, 5-young-adult, 4-mythologies, 4-witches

rep: Latinx cast, Mexican-Cuban-American gay trans mc, Colombian-American gay li with ADHD, Puerto Rican-Mexican-American sc, Cuban-American scs, lesbian sc, trans sc
tw: deadnaming (name not on page), misgendering, transphobia, mentions of death of a parent, mentions of past gang violence, blood

4.5 ☆

this might be about ghosts but i have never felt more alive

also chapter 24 is the gayest shit i have ever read in my entire life

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Sep 26, 2020 tappkalina rated it liked it

Shelves: best-standalones, lgbt-read, 3-star

“You don’t need anyone’s permission to be you, Yads,”

Watch me being the queen of theories lol. I had two and both of them turned out to be true.

Buddy read with ᴄᴏʟᴇᴛᴛᴇ ♡, ✨ Christy ✨ and Krisztina Imbre. ...more

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Oct 17, 2020 Kayla Dawn rated it liked it

Shelves: owned-books

3,5* - I'd love to see this as a movie! ...more

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May 23, 2019 leo | 飛べ is currently reading it

Shelves: trans-enby-mc

I think 2020 should be renamed 20TRANSty just because of this book and all the #ownvoices transgender umbrella releases coming up.

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Nov 05, 2020 Lucy Tonks rated it really liked it

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

I really liked this book, it was so cute, I do have a few complaints which I'll get to in a second, but at the time that I read this book this was just what I needed!

This book follows Yadriel, a trans boy, who is determined to prove his gender to his family and that he is a real brujo. With the help of his cousin, Maritza, he performs a retual to try an summon his murdered cousin's spirit. However, he end up summoning the ghost of the school's "No, it wasn't the end. It was a better beginning."

I really liked this book, it was so cute, I do have a few complaints which I'll get to in a second, but at the time that I read this book this was just what I needed!

This book follows Yadriel, a trans boy, who is determined to prove his gender to his family and that he is a real brujo. With the help of his cousin, Maritza, he performs a retual to try an summon his murdered cousin's spirit. However, he end up summoning the ghost of the school's resident bad boy, Julian Diaz. Julian is determinated to find out what happened to him, so left with no choice Yadriel makes a bargain to help him. But the longer they spend time together, the less Yadriel wants let Julian leave.

The plot was intriguing, but quite predictable. From the beginning of the book I said please let this character not be the villain, but low and behold, they were the villain. I was quite surprised by how predictable it was since I hear so many good things about this book and I never heard this book being depicted as predictable. But taking into consideration that this was a debut novel, the author did an amazing job. I loved learning more about Latinx community and the brujos, and I'm really interested to learn more about this topic and this culture.

To be honest, I also found this book to be a bit more younger than I expected. This wasn't as dark as I expected. Like when I heard the word "ghost", I thought it would be a but more spookier, but, well, that did not happened. This book ended up being more of a rom-com, than spooky book.

I really loved having Yadriel as a main character and, oh boy, I loved Julian. This was just the cute book that I needed. Although, I felt like the romance was a bit rushed and there could have been more development, I still really liked it. I love how Julian was so understanding of Yadriel. Yadriel struggled so much with his family and them not being able ot understand him, that was just what he needed, somebody to understand him.

Maritza had to be my favourite character. She was so badass and, most importantly, she was always there for Yads, she was always there to help him when he needed. By the way, can we talk about her purple hair?! LOVE IT

I really liked this book, but I am still sad that it ended up being predictable. Overlooking that, I am really excited to read more from this author in the future! ...more

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Sep 08, 2020 alana ♡ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-arcs, fantasy, from-publisher, lgbt

“Just because we follow the ancient ways, does not mean we can’t also grow.”

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

My heart!

Aiden Thomas’ debut Cemetery Boys was absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. Before we even start talking about this book can we just talk about how MONUMENTAL of a moment this author had being the first trans author to hit the NYT Bestselling List?! We love to see it and I hope that a book like this continues to inspire more authors to fight fo ...more

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Sep 11, 2020 jocelyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 3-fantasy, 5-queer, 1-favorites, 5-gay, 4-witchy

5 / 5
this made me cry but it also made me so so happy omg 😭 to start off, the characters were the best part i think. i loved yadriel, julian, and maritza so much. i can relate to yadriel in some ways. he’s more anxious than the others and he can be awkward af, but he’s also so driven. i wanted to FIGHT everyone misgendering him, and i was so proud of everything he did. i can’t believe i can’t give him a hug. julian, on the other hand, was so funny and hyper, but he’s also protective and can get 5 / 5
this made me cry but it also made me so so happy omg 😭 to start off, the characters were the best part i think. i loved yadriel, julian, and maritza so much. i can relate to yadriel in some ways. he’s more anxious than the others and he can be awkward af, but he’s also so driven. i wanted to FIGHT everyone misgendering him, and i was so proud of everything he did. i can’t believe i can’t give him a hug. julian, on the other hand, was so funny and hyper, but he’s also protective and can get angry easily. i loved him IMMEDIATELY. he’s also a ghost, which made yadriel’s and julian’s growning relationship sadder :( but i love how they balance and support each other. one of my favorite moments was with the yearbook and how julian crossed out his deadname, and i just KFHSKHFJD and i found maritza is so cute and an amazing friend, and i imagine her to be sooo pretty. pink and purple ombre hair? yES.
of course, the rep in this book was great! we have a trans gay main character, with a gay love interest, and pretty much everyone is latinx. the descriptions of their culture, dia de muertos, and history were gorgeous and taught me new things. i’ve even learned some spanish 💀 i could read some of it due to its similarities with english and latin, though i had to google translate a lot of the phrases... but i determined to know what all of them said. the magic wasn’t used too, too often, but it was very interesting, with the portaje and using blood. magic is different for brujos and brujas, which is what causes the conflict with yadriel being trans. i did find the plot predictable, but damn i loved the ending.
getting into spoiler-y territory, but seeing yadriel, julian, and maritza fighting so hard for each other broke me. i think i might’ve cried when we saw what yadriel did and julian’s reaction, but seeing them reunite was TT and the second time i cried was when yadriel was finally accepted as a brujo. i was soooo happy for him, and he deserved it so much.
the book gave me many many emotions and i’m better for it 😭 ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Lauren Lanz rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, 3-stars, author-of-colour, i-own

Cemetery Boys is a solid debut novel which I think features both prevalent pros and cons. The vibrant culture and outgoing characters in this story were wonderful to read about, however, I was let down with the pacing and plot.

~★~ What is this book about? ~★~

Yadriel is a transgender boy struggling to prove to his Latinx family that he is a real Brujo. As Día de los Muertos approaches, Yadriel decides to stop waiting for his family’s acceptance, and performs a ritual in attempt at summoning h Cemetery Boys is a solid debut novel which I think features both prevalent pros and cons. The vibrant culture and outgoing characters in this story were wonderful to read about, however, I was let down with the pacing and plot.

~★~ What is this book about? ~★~

Yadriel is a transgender boy struggling to prove to his Latinx family that he is a real Brujo. As Día de los Muertos approaches, Yadriel decides to stop waiting for his family’s acceptance, and performs a ritual in attempt at summoning his cousins spirit. Things don’t go as planned, though, and Yadriel ends up summoning the ghost of Julian Diaz- a reckless high school student determined not to pass over into the afterlife.

~★~

While I neither loved or hated this book, I think my opinion can be considered unpopular due to the amount of praise Cemetery Boys has received.
Things started off well; I was fond of the established atmosphere as well as Yadriel’s narration of events. Things got even better when Julian was introduced, he’s just so charming!

This is definitely a character driven book, which I normally prefer, but I actually ended up wishing for more from the plot. For a large part of the story, Yadriel is helping Julian look for his friends. After a while I lost interest in this storyline, hoping for something more intricate or suspenseful. The pacing seemed to slow down in the middle as well, which made me feel a little bored until things picked up again at the end.

I could feel Aiden Thomas’ voice through Yadriel, which is a really powerful thing for an author to pull off (both the author and the protagonist are transgender, queer and latinx). It was great to feel that bit of authenticity in the narrative, as well as what I can imagine were some of Thomas’ struggles represented through Yads. Overall, I feel slightly let down by the hype surrounding this book, but in no way do I regret reading it. It seems that the vast majority have come to love Cemetery Boys, and I’d still recommend it! ...more

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Diverse Book Club: YA Jan 2021 - Cemetery Boys Week 2	2	3	Jan 18, 2021 04:45PM
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/r/Fantasy Discus...: * January 2021: Cemetery Boys	1	27	Jan 04, 2021 08:36AM

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About Aiden Thomas

Aiden Thomas

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Aiden Thomas is a New York Times Bestselling author with an MFA in Creative Writing. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, Oregon. As a queer, trans, Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden’s special talents include: quoting The Office, finishing sentences with “is my FAVORITE”, and killing spiders. Aiden is notorious for ...more

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Quotes from Cemetery Boys

“Queer folks are like wolves," Julian told him. "We travel in packs."

(p. 125)” — 45 likes

“There's no way y'all have been around for thousands of years without there being one person not fitting into the 'men are this, women are that' bullshit." Julian sounded so convinced, so sure. His obsidian eyes locked onto Yadriel's. "Maybe they hid it, or ran away, or I dunno, something else, but there's no way you're the first, Yads.” — 24 likes

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