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emiliehomme's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Homophobia, Murder, and Transphobia
recycled_personalities's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Genuinely such a good read. It was really comforting queer representation and that definitely made me happy. It’s a LITTLE slow at the very beginning but please don’t make the mistake of giving up on it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gore, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia
bluberrybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
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 really enjoyed the book. I felt it was very educational and I learned more about the Hispanic community.. It was diverse and had great Hispanic, trans, and queer rep, etc.. Ioved the characters. and felt emotionally connected to them.
It was also very funny! Listening to the audiobook, I laughed out loud a number of times.
There was two things I didn't like. First ones a spoiler. I hope I did the wrap text correctly <The uncle being evil was very blindsided and unnecessary imo there was no hints of build up. It was just so out of no where. I think it could have been someone else or have some hints leading up to it, so that we have an idea, but it's still a surprise. There could have been better/ alternative ways to reveal/show the mystery imo> Another thing I didn't like that much was that there was a lot of telling how Yadrial was feeling which I know could just be that he's aware and in tune of his emotions, but it could be more show not tell. It wasn't that huge of a deal just a critique I guess.
Back to things I enjoyed. The relationship between Julian and yadrial was very cute and natural. I liked the epilogue and the book overall. besides the part I disliked, it was a great book and I would love a sequel.
It was also very funny! Listening to the audiobook, I laughed out loud a number of times.
There was two things I didn't like. First ones a spoiler. I hope I did the wrap text correctly <The uncle being evil was very blindsided and unnecessary imo there was no hints of build up. It was just so out of no where. I think it could have been someone else or have some hints leading up to it, so that we have an idea, but it's still a surprise. There could have been better/ alternative ways to reveal/show the mystery imo> Another thing I didn't like that much was that there was a lot of telling how Yadrial was feeling which I know could just be that he's aware and in tune of his emotions, but it could be more show not tell. It wasn't that huge of a deal just a critique I guess.
Back to things I enjoyed. The relationship between Julian and yadrial was very cute and natural. I liked the epilogue and the book overall. besides the part I disliked, it was a great book and I would love a sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Transphobia, and Blood
Moderate: Grief and Xenophobia
dusksolace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Xenophobia and Child abuse
criticalgayze's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
I tried this one on audio several times last year and couldn't get past the first few chapters, so I was apprehensive when my grad school literature group picked this as one of our class reading selections. I am very thankful that I was forced into reading the whole thing in print because I wound up really enjoying the book, and it was the first book to make me cry this year.
I most appreciated the way that Aiden Thomas gets to live in so much of their truth and culture with their writing. There is such a clear awareness here of what it is like to inhabit a transgender body and to navigate a Latinx community, and I found there to be an incredible care and attention to detail here that you cannot get when people are not allowed to be the ones to tell their own stories. Thomas also does a lot to incorporate so many perspectives through pan-Latinx inclusion and a wonderful feminist lens. Yadriel and Julian were very cute together, their families (found and otherwise) were wonderfully crafted and loved in the writing, and the whirlwind amateur sleuth storyline was really enjoyable.
I do think the sleuthing does not get quite enough time, and the reader is kinda rushed along at the end to wrap things up. The emotional climax suffered as a result, and I don't think the reader got to live in that final tension as effectively as it could have been handled. I also don't know if approaching this through a lens of literary evaluation for class study made me notice the twist about halfway through the book or if it wasn't supposed to be difficult to spot.
Quotes:
They wouldn't even let him try. It was easier to hide behind their traditions than to challenge their own beliefs and understanding of how things in the world of the brujx worked. (Page 24)
Yadriel knew better than to decline an offer of food from a Latinx mom more than once. Carefully, he took a bite, shifting it to his cheek to avoid the cut. (Page 117)
Yadriel didn't think that was possible. He didn't see how anyone could get a clean break from Julien once they entered his orbit. (Page 157)
"Growth isn't a deviation from what we've done before, but a natural progression to honor all those who make this community strong." (Page 339)
I most appreciated the way that Aiden Thomas gets to live in so much of their truth and culture with their writing. There is such a clear awareness here of what it is like to inhabit a transgender body and to navigate a Latinx community, and I found there to be an incredible care and attention to detail here that you cannot get when people are not allowed to be the ones to tell their own stories. Thomas also does a lot to incorporate so many perspectives through pan-Latinx inclusion and a wonderful feminist lens. Yadriel and Julian were very cute together, their families (found and otherwise) were wonderfully crafted and loved in the writing, and the whirlwind amateur sleuth storyline was really enjoyable.
I do think the sleuthing does not get quite enough time, and the reader is kinda rushed along at the end to wrap things up. The emotional climax suffered as a result, and I don't think the reader got to live in that final tension as effectively as it could have been handled. I also don't know if approaching this through a lens of literary evaluation for class study made me notice the twist about halfway through the book or if it wasn't supposed to be difficult to spot.
Quotes:
They wouldn't even let him try. It was easier to hide behind their traditions than to challenge their own beliefs and understanding of how things in the world of the brujx worked. (Page 24)
Yadriel knew better than to decline an offer of food from a Latinx mom more than once. Carefully, he took a bite, shifting it to his cheek to avoid the cut. (Page 117)
Yadriel didn't think that was possible. He didn't see how anyone could get a clean break from Julien once they entered his orbit. (Page 157)
"Growth isn't a deviation from what we've done before, but a natural progression to honor all those who make this community strong." (Page 339)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Blood
Moderate: Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Confinement, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Homophobia
jfield351's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this book especially because it was partly written in spanish, a language i understand! if i had not been able to understand it i don’t think i would have enjoyed it as much. It did make it a tiny bit hard to read, switching between languages. Maybe if i didn’t know spanish i could have skipped over those parts with no problem. Obviously, the LGBTQ+ representation was brilliant and unlike anything i’ve ever read (especially the trans representation) as well as the representation of the Latinx culture. I learnt more about the day of the dead festival and was charmed by the decorations, the mouth watering descriptions of food and the attitudes towards the day. Blending in fantasy, my favourite genre also made it a very fun read for me. The characters were well written, especially at the start. I read this within 24 hours from 1-2 March 2022. I did guess that the jaguar knives would have a role in the twist, because they were a seemingly insignificant detail that was mentioned in depth twice. however i had no idea it would be tío catriz (he seemed sooo nice!!) or that the sacrifices would be miguel and julian. . I was left wondering at some plot holes, such as, if only the one family was gifted with the power to see the dead, why could the whole family see it and not just the ones who weren’t married in? I did read this fast so maybe I missed something. I was hooked though, and I felt pain when Yadriel did, particularly when he faced transphobic comments and also in chapters 22/23. The ending was good, but to me i found it strange how the epilogue was literally just an hour after the ending - both boys were up and running without pain an hour after they had been dead. the ending felt a bit rushed . On the whole it was a great book and I want to read more like it!! And I want to read more from Aiden Thomas!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Violence, Deadnaming, Child abuse, Murder, Transphobia, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Bullying, Car accident, Racism, Medical content, Alcohol, Gun violence, Child death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, and Xenophobia
laesterlurch's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Dysphoria, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
bluee_b's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Death
Minor: Deadnaming and Xenophobia
cemeterygay's review against another edition
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
I do not think I can emphasize how much I adored this book.
As a main character, Yadriel resonated with me in a way that few main characters do. Not only is this one of the few books I've read that has a Latine trans main character but it deals with that aspect of his identity so well. I love how well-integrated the cultural elements are in this book and how it is allowed to be explored in relationship with Yadriel's gender identity and sexuality. Julian is also an amazing character, I only wish we had a bit more time to see his relationship with his family. The relationship Julian and Yadriel had was incredibly sweet.
While not revolutionary or that shocking I really enjoyed Yadriel's journey discovering what happened to Julian and how it related the death of Miguel. I found the ending to be pretty satisfying although some aspects weren't the most believable.
The magic system was explained quite well and Dia de Los Muertos was integrated incredibly well into the worldbuilding. I do think though that if you are not familiar with any of the cultural elements, there will be a learning curve for you which absolutely isn't a flaw but is something to note.
I also really loved the full cast of characters in this book and I thought Aiden Thomas did a pretty great job in helping to differentiate the characters.
Of course, I would be remiss not to mention how much I adore Thomas's writing style and prose. It is incredibly engaging while still being suitable for their target audience.
I will say that this book does trend to the younger side of YA so it may be hit or miss for adult readers.
Beyond that, I would absolutely recommend this book to others.
As a main character, Yadriel resonated with me in a way that few main characters do. Not only is this one of the few books I've read that has a Latine trans main character but it deals with that aspect of his identity so well. I love how well-integrated the cultural elements are in this book and how it is allowed to be explored in relationship with Yadriel's gender identity and sexuality. Julian is also an amazing character, I only wish we had a bit more time to see his relationship with his family. The relationship Julian and Yadriel had was incredibly sweet.
While not revolutionary or that shocking I really enjoyed Yadriel's journey discovering what happened to Julian and how it related the death of Miguel. I found the ending to be pretty satisfying although some aspects weren't the most believable.
The magic system was explained quite well and Dia de Los Muertos was integrated incredibly well into the worldbuilding. I do think though that if you are not familiar with any of the cultural elements, there will be a learning curve for you which absolutely isn't a flaw but is something to note.
I also really loved the full cast of characters in this book and I thought Aiden Thomas did a pretty great job in helping to differentiate the characters.
Of course, I would be remiss not to mention how much I adore Thomas's writing style and prose. It is incredibly engaging while still being suitable for their target audience.
I will say that this book does trend to the younger side of YA so it may be hit or miss for adult readers.
Beyond that, I would absolutely recommend this book to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Grief, Death of parent, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Xenophobia and Dysphoria
Minor: Deadnaming
diana314's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
I was going to give this one 4.75 stars (because the bad guy and main problem was kinda obvious, just kinda, hinted across the book ) but then I remembered that /that’s/ what a story should do, and then I remembered that the climax resolution made me cry like a baby and said it deserves the full 5 stars 🥺✨
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dysphoria, Murder, Transphobia, and Xenophobia