Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

36 reviews

mileskayden's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• 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

This has become one of my new all-time favourites, and I don't give away that title easily. There is so much I love about this book. I felt like the characters were so whole, full and rounded - they felt like real people. The world was so immersive and atmospheric, the way Thomas describes things is so intricate and beautiful. 

This was my first ever trans-read and I have to say, I was so incredibly grateful for the representation and how being transmasc was portrayed in this book. It never felt like it was making a point, and I think that is thanks to the author being trans themselves. 

I cried, I laughed and I was angry. I don't think I will forget this book for a long, long time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Transphobia, Body horror, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, and Physical abuse

Minor: Deadnaming

nicamooch's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

I love loved the concept and world building  of this book. 

I also really loved the banter and relationships Yadriel has with Julian and Martiza. The love story was so adorable I really wouldn’t have been able to handle a bittersweet ending between those two 😭 

The climax had me simultaneously bawling and cursing @ Thomas for the pain! The way my gut dropped when I turned onto Chapter 24…it was narratively such a good choice but I was also pissed because it did its job of wrecking me, you know?

I found the twist/reveal upsetting, it’s like, even though I figured it out beforehand because this character was the only viable option—it’s just devastating because you don’t /want/ it to be them. But I also feel like that’s why it works 😭 yet another great narrative choice for maximum pain 😭😭!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Blood, Deadnaming, Death, Murder, and Transphobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Dysphoria, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child death, Domestic abuse, Outing, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Medical content

victoriapatella's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Transphobia

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Minor: Car accident, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Deadnaming, and Racism

ace_of_spades_'s review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted sad medium-paced

• 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? No

5.0

This book is so good holy shit. It is funny and lighthearted some times and had me in tears in others. The lgbtq rep is amazing and I can’t really speak for the latinx rep bc i’m white, but from what I can tell it was done very well. 

I loved that it dealt with difficult lgbtq issues without making it the main focus of the book and how it felt with systematic racism without it feeling forced. 


The interaction between Yadriel and Julian when they came out to each other is in my top ten scenes in this book. the contrast in someone so secure in his sexuality and Yadriel who is still filling his boots so you say. The inner monologue of Yadriel in the scene was deeply relatable and i think applies to anyone who is different. Anyways love this book and Yadriel and Julian’s relationship. 

Ok also pay attention to Yadriel and Julian’s use of nicknames, it’ll make your heart melt. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Homophobia, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence

Minor: Addiction

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Transphobia

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Homophobia

Minor: Abandonment, Deadnaming, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Racism

For deadnaming, the author is never explicit by never telling the reader what anyone’s deadname is. Also, there are some topics brought up in regards to leaving home or being kicked out of a house because of abuse or transphobia or homophobia (it is touched upon, but not too explicit—though the physical abuse mention is more explicit, but not more than a couple mentions and some hinting).

booksandcat's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I found the brujx community interesting but didn't feel strongly about any of the characters: most of them felt very 2D and flat. Aspects of the final resolution didn't make sense to me either -

how was Julian's spirit able to walk about when he was still alive? Why didn't Miguel's spirit have the same ability?

.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, and Transphobia

Moderate: Death of parent and Physical abuse

mryshells's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, and Transphobia

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Drug use, Dysphoria, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racism, and Vomit

kayle39's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Transphobia and Animal death

Minor: Deadnaming, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse

aditik's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Minor: Abandonment and Physical abuse

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Grief, Murder, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Xenophobia

Minor: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, and Gun violence