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njh_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Reading this story also over the dates they happened added a bit of extra magic to it. Finishing the story in the early morning/late night hours of Dia de Muertos was like being in the story.
I enjoyed all the friendship shown in the story and the interactions the characters had. It felt so realistic and also just kids being kids in the circumstances they find themselves in. Maritza was wonderful and I enjoyed the scenes with her dogs.
Julian and Yadriel are quite cute and the playful teasing is fun. The slowly blooming relationship was reminiscent of teenage years and I loved that Yadriel's mom, Camila, got to meet him in the epilogue. The reunion with his mom was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
Apparently the book should have sequel in 2024, so looking forward to that!
Graphic: Blood, Death, Torture, Murder, Transphobia, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Deadnaming
Minor: Car accident and Alcohol
aerietta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Transphobia, Death of parent, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Grief
Minor: Physical abuse, Car accident, Child death, Deadnaming, Medical content, Alcohol, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, and Kidnapping
scoodle42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Okay, so this was one of my faves on the year. The cultural elements of the book are very intricate and detailed, so the book is a bit top heavy with information but as it went along, I felt better having that understanding. And the moment I met Julian I was riveted. I didn't put the book down until it was finished. Yadriel's courage and bravery, Maritza's spunk and fire, and Julian's humor and daring were a great combination. Watching Yads and Julian push and pull, discover themselves, and fall in love took me on a wonderful ride. This book was a beautiful, magical, emotional thing. I loved the fantasy of the cemetery, the mystery of ghosts living among us, and the wonder of the humans who can not only see and communicate with them, but have a responsibility to them. Julian was every exciting and frustrating thing a teenage boy gone too soon should be, and his personality paired well with Yad's. His friends were wonderful extensions of him and I loved the representation. Yad's family and their important work was a great backdrop and it was an emotional tug to see him try so desperately to fit in.
The end had me on the edge of my seat and my heart was in my throat the entire time. I loved seeing these kids come into the power they'd always had and Julian get the answers he needed. And at the end, it was a love story and a family story and I felt the pull of both. Beautiful.
Minor: Death of parent, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Child death
merah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I felt every single emotion while reading this book.
Graphic: Abandonment, Racism, Transphobia, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Medical content, Blood, Death, Murder, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body horror, Deportation, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Dysphoria
Minor: Car accident, Confinement, Alcohol, Cancer, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Classism, Cultural appropriation, and Deadnaming
loads of knives, blades, cuts and stabbingschaotic_corvid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Graphic: Medical content, Outing, Grief, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Death, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Blood, Murder, Deadnaming, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Torture, Deportation, Racism, Cursing, Homophobia, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, and Animal death
agnela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Maybe im too old but I think there are more important things in the world than to prove yourself, for example, actually deeply caring for your family member who you know through supernatural ties, is dead and missing. Or not holding a hot ghost boy on earth if he asks you to release his spirit just because you don't want to.
And how about actually making the last big sacrifice count, huh? How about we don't fix everything just because we have magic, how about if a character does this huge thing and finally does something selfishly unselfish, we let them have it, and if they're saved, we make sure there's consequences?
I missed explanations about the magical system. Indeed it was explained shallowly and the plot moved on. But I would have loved to actually explore tradition, how it changed, how the old traditions of native Latin Americans who worshipped a death goddess were influenced by Catholicism, why it's a danger and a rosary and not something more pagan and ancient. Why men's magical item had pagan roots while women's took a more modern approach.
It felt like the author loved her characters and the plot a bit too much to make it interesting, as a self insert usually keeps you from doing it.
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, Blood, Violence, Transphobia, Murder, and Kidnapping
birdie770's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Child death, and Blood
Minor: Car accident, Deportation, and Dysphoria
immovabletype's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Grief, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Dysphoria, Medical content, Transphobia, and Deadnaming
Minor: Child death, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Animal death, and Deportation
bashsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death, Cursing, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Deportation, Racism, Xenophobia, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Medical content, Alcohol, and Deadnaming
-The religious bigotry is in the context of a fantasy religion wherein there is a strict gender binary that has to be followed. Functionally, it mirrors real-world religious bigotry, but it does not draw on one specifically.theotherallie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Deadnaming, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse