Reviews with content warning for Racism - Cemetery Boys

First of all, Cemetery Boys was my first major re-introduction into YA fantasy after taking almost two years off from the genre, and let me say that it was literally one of the best possible stories I could have chosen to break my hiatus with. YA fantasy used to be my most commonly read genre, so I got a bit burnt out and thought I had just worn out my welcome with it, but Cemetery Boys reminded me of everything I adore so much about the incredible offerings the world of YA fantasy gives us. This is a story full of self-discovery, and self-love, and hope, and forgiveness, and healing, and it is full of some of the most lovable characters I've read in a long time.

Yadriel is such a delightful narrator to spend time with. He's impossible not to love and root for, and I just wanted to climb into these pages and grab some of his family members by the shoulders and shake them for not recognizing the wonderful human he is. Watching him deal with the casual transphobia and erasure in his home was a painful reality to witness, which made his emotions when some of those family members apologized and began to truly realize how wrong they were even more powerful. And then there's Maritza, who is such a hilarious and fiercely protective cousin and best friend, I knew I'd adore her from the moment she was introduced.

Finally, Julian exudes all of the best himbo energy I love to see in a love interest. He's dopey at times, a little oblivious, volatile and young — but compassionate, protective, supportive, and honest, and I love him. I think one of my favorite moments in the entire book was when Yads spotted Julian's graffiti message about transphobes (IYKYK). Loving Julian so much made the entire scenario tug on my heartstrings every step of the way, because knowing that he's a ghost and his entire life should have been ahead of him just hurts once you realize how important this kid is, and how much everyday greatness he's meant for.

The magical elements in Cemetery Boys are captivating and lovely, and feel like the most brilliant love story to many walks of Latinx spirituality that I found myself needing more, more, more information about how the brujx magic and rituals worked and about the deities referenced throughout the book. The mystery that plays out was probably the only part of the story that I didn't fully connect to, but I think that's because I was so enraptured by the characters and the magic that the mystery felt like a side arc that I could have taken or left. That said, I still enjoyed how it played out and was quite surprised by some of the developments near the end!

All in all, Cemetery Boys is a gorgeous book from start to finish and is entirely deserving of every ounce of the hype it's received since it came out. I'm so grateful to have read this, and will absolutely be reaching for more of Aiden Thomas' books in the future. ♥

Buddy read with Malka!

✨ Representation: Yadriel is Cuban-American, gay, and a trans boy; Julian is Colombian-American and gay; most side characters are Latinx; one side character is a trans girl

✨ Content warnings for: transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, loss of a parent, grief, loss of family members, minor self-harm for magical purposes, use of animal blood for magical purposes, murder, extensive discussion of death and spirits, mentions of anti-Latinx racism and cultural appropriation

Content Warnings

jesse_0405's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

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deadpoetsam's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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chrisljm's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

3.75

I really liked the concept, and the execution wasn’t bad, but I felt like it could’ve been so much better.

I wasn’t convinced with the chemistry between Yadriel and Julian. The trajectory of their relationship felt more along the lines of it’s happening because they’re the two main leads and this is supposed to happen. They spend majority of the book together but there’s not really a slow build from them being strangers to friends to lovers, instead it seemed more like leaps to each one. Another character I wish was handled better was Maritza. I felt like she was often included as a second thought and only placed in certain scenes only so that she could help another character.

My last gripe has to do with how predictable the plot was. The predictability itself was not the issue itself because a book can be predictable and still carry the tension and suspense needed for readers be swept away in the story. The problem was that a character in the book literally predicated what was happening only for Yadriel to ignore it, when it was obviously the most logical answer to what was happening. This made me want to yank my hair out.

I still think this book is good, but I think it has the potential to be so much better, and it probably could’ve been done with 100~ extra pages to work on character/relationship development as well as making the overarching plots tie together better.

To paint a picture of what the book felt like to me, it’s similar to sewing the hem on a shirt but the tension isn’t there because you haven’t pulled on the thread to tighten it yet. So all the working is there, the only thing left is the author just has to pull on that thread to tighten up the plot and tie it all up.

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abarnakwn_ourcolourfulpages's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the Spanish and the Latin culture and holidays brought into the story. It was so amazing to read. And I really liked the characters! I will admit that I saw the twist coming, it was kind of predictable. But that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. Perfect read for the autumn season, especially October and Día de los Muertos.

Definitely check the trigger warnings though!

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thenovelmaura's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

So much has already been said about this lovely little book that I'm not sure what to add! The characters and culture were so richly described that I couldn't help but get swept away. Yadriel and Julian were people you wanted to keep hanging out with, making it hard to turn that final page. And Thomas touches on many important issues like transphobia, racism, deportation, and parental acceptance in such a thoughtful way.

I had issues with the pacing and the mystery aspect of the story (the villain was written in such an obvious way that I figured out who it was long before the climax), but this book has so much heart that I can see how these critiques didn't even cross the minds of its biggest fans. (Several of these fans looked very confused when I brought up these points at our book club meeting!) Overall, the representation alone is a breath of fresh air in a YA fantasy; this one of those stories where I'm just glad that it exists.

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breadwitchery's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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