Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

25 reviews

livreads16's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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? N/A

4.5

This book is like a hug. The characters are well written, the plot is so interesting, pacing is almost perfect, and the end will have you crying your eyes out. I will probably re-read this at some point.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Death of parent, Deadnaming, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Grief, Religious bigotry, Torture, Child abuse, Deportation, and Bullying

rieviolet'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? No

3.5

I listened to the audiobook version so this is going to colour my review/rating a bit, because I'm still trying to get used to this medium of reading, and my mind doesn't always cooperate and tends to wander a lot.

I felt like the beginning and the end of the story were stronger and more memorable, whereas the middle part was a bit slow and, to be honest, I remember very little of what happened, it all kind of blurred together.

I really liked the representation of the trans experience thorugh the character of Yadriel. We got to see the big and more evident aspects of it, but also the little and everyday details. 

I appreciated the cultural elements, as well as their more fantastical re-imagination; though I think maybe at times the author verged into overexplanation. I also liked the interspersed sentences and expressions in Spanish.

I wasn't quite sold at the beginning on the romance but, as the story progressed, it got better and I'm not ashamed to say that

when Julian said "mi querido"

I screamed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Racism, and Transphobia

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Kidnapping, Gore, Child death, Religious bigotry, Murder, Dysphoria, Child abuse, Deadnaming, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Bullying, Classism, Deportation, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Self harm, and Torture

gemstonejasper's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

This was a fun book. The audio is great. I loved the trans rep in Yadriel. As a trans person myself, I really related to him. Julian has ADHD. That's not up for debate as far as I'm concerned. I have ADHD and relate to him so much. I loved the characters. I will say that Yadriel was kind of a jerk at times. I think growing up in a graveyard may have desensitized him to the very real horror that Julian found himself in. He's dead and doesn't know how that happened, and none of his loved ones can see him. That's a lot for anyone, especially a kid. But Yadriel keeps asking, "are you okay?" Like no. He's not ok. He's dead. Stop asking. But I loved all of the major characters regardless of that. It's a cute paranormal romance that touches on some interesting themes and I would recommend it.

I didn't care for the twist villain. He was the only living adult who supported Yadriel, so I'm not sure how I felt about him being a twist villain. But it was still good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death, Murder, Transphobia, and Torture

Minor: Deadnaming, Blood, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, and Deportation

njh_books's review

adventurous dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

A bunch of friends recommended this one and I'm glad I read it. It was thoughtful, sweet, adventurous, heartwarming, a bit spooky, a bit historical, and a bit dramatic all rolled into one.

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 will say I saw Tio Catriz as the murderer pretty quickly. I had my suspicions earlier on, but my red flags went up when Lita told the legend of Bahlam. By the time we got the half heard argument between Catriz and Enrique (which Yadriel thought was about him), it sealed the confirmation for me...and that was 100+ pages before we actually found out Catriz was the murderer.

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! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Torture, Murder, Transphobia, Violence, and Child death

Moderate: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Deadnaming

Minor: Car accident and Alcohol

jodierose14's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Grief, Deadnaming, Death, Blood, Murder, Torture, and Death of parent

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Suicide, Deadnaming, Self harm, Torture, Bullying, Classism, and Racism

Minor: Abandonment, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Deportation, Gun violence, Outing, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts

eve81's review

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Death, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Self harm

chaotic_corvid's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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? N/A

4.75

Nie spodziewałom się, że młodzieżówka może połączyć aż tak dobrze romans z wątkiem przygodowo-śledczym. Zwrot akcji nie jest w pełni przewidywalny ale są bazy by mieć swoje podejrzenia, niestety jedna postać drugoplanowa staje się przez niego trochę... słabiej napisana. Tak jak Yadriel jestem trans gejem i myślę, że gdybym miał te książkę w okresie gdy dopiero to odkrywałem to bardzo by mi pomogła w zrozumieniu siebie wcześniej. 

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Content Warnings

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

tisya's review

emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Violence

Moderate: Death, Racism, Violence, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Cursing, and Torture

journey2's review

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I *LOVED* this book. No pretext, this book is amazing.
 I felt every emotion. I cried many many many tears!
I love reading a story where you feel the love build naturally and honestly as you go. Their love was palpable. The way they saw each other and the passion they felt about everything about each other was so incredible and raw. They cared, they truly cared and wanted the very best for each other and he people that were important to them. 

This book was written with such heart, such beauty and such passion and it has immediately jumped into my favourite book collection. 
 I will read this again and again.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Cultural appropriation, Deportation, Gun violence, Cursing, Child death, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Violence

TW for transphobia, deadnaming, bullying, blood, violence, death, murder, gangs, conversation about cultural appropriation, deportation