Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

56 reviews

dmrains's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

I loved every second of reading this book! I was excited that I called *part* of the ending, but was still struck by the twist! Excellent use of foreshadowing. Incredibly realistic characters and development of stakes & tension, ESPECIALLY for a debut novel!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Deportation

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Car accident, and Alcohol

Brief mention/discussion of gang activity, dismissal of "Street kids"

antijeffbozo_love2read's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Deportation

Minor: Deadnaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

erikagibson126's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Medical content, Kidnapping, Outing, Abandonment, and Deportation

minnxes's review against another edition

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? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Blood

Moderate: Deadnaming

Minor: Child abuse and Alcohol

birdieex's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted sad 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? Yes

5.0

I cannot begin to explain how many tears I shed from this book! Our main character is a gay, trans, Latino boy. The rep is absolutely incredible. The language and culture interwoven is beautiful. I found myself using an online translator for some words and phrases simply to get the direct meaning, but the author makes it possible to use context clues to figure it out if you don't speak Spanish and sometimes straight up tells you in text.

I fell in love with Yadriel and Julian a soon as they appeared on the page and I highlighted so many quotes the made me laugh. The characters are so strong and I was so absorbed in the world that I had trouble wanting to put the book down.

As a trans adult who was that trans teen fighting for their identity to be seen, that aspect affected me deeply. It was hard to see Yadriel's struggle since I related so much, but it was so beautifully written.

One of my favorite books by far! Can't wait to read more!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Deportation

Minor: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Car accident, and Cultural appropriation

Women are discouraged from a certain job in the community.

nightstitch96's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Transphobia, and Blood

Moderate: Deadnaming, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol

cowardlyteaman's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

3.5

This was certainly a good book, if not a bit ... flat?

I'll be completely honest, and say that the first half of the book was rather uninteresting. The action didn't start until the last hundred pages of the book, but there was definitely potential for more action earlier on as well, to make it more exciting. There was a lot of identity issues and character dialogue during the first half of the book, which is by no means irrelevant to the plot, but to me it got dull.

I also wish that Yadriel had been given a more distinct personality. Julian was exceptional, Maritza was amazing, Catriz was fabulous, but Yadriel...? He deserved more than being a pretty standard protagonist-y type. Apart from being trans, he doesn't stand out as a protagonist at all, and being trans shouldn't be what makes him special. At least the trans people I know have personalities beside being trans.

However! I loved how Spanish was used in this book. Usually, non-English words will be written in cursive, alienating them, as it were. But here they're kind of just woven into the text as any other word, because of course Spanish isn't foreign at all to the narrator, and it makes it easier for me as a reader to relate as well, despite being the from the whitest of corners in Norway.
This applies to the rest of the culture references as well. It was all explained in a very nice way.
On a side note concerning the identity and language here: Why was there one line where author Thomas wrote «Latinx mom»? If the gender was unspecified, it would've made perfect sense, but if it's given that she's a mom, then wouldn't she be Latina...? As far as I know, you wouldn't really have a Latino mom? Maybe a Latino's mom, but... unless I misinterpreted, that wasn't the case.

Anyways, I've given my opinion, but I still enjoyed the read. Frankly quite predictable, but aren't all stories these days.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Transphobia, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Murder, and Dysphoria

Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, and Deportation

mle11's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Transphobia, Blood, Kidnapping, and Dysphoria

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Deportation

wrappingpaper's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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? Yes

3.5

I found the first half of this book really slow, however I ended up liking it. The last fifty pages were wild - I did not expect a crazy plot twist at all. 
I liked the use of Spanish and I absolutely adored Julian’s character.
I also loved the lgbt rep in this story and the (spoiler) ending with the dad accepting him was really sweet. I would recommend this book however if it feels like it’s dragging at first don’t worry because i felt that and it does get better. 
Good cute read that touches on important topics and will leave you smiling!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Deadnaming, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident

kirstenf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Transphobia, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Deadnaming, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Deportation

Minor: Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol