Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Cemetery Boys

What an absolutely incredible story. Major props again to Aiden Thomas for creating something that just completely captivated me and made it so hard to focus on anything else aside from the book! It was almost the same level of obsession I had while reading Lost in the Never Woods, which made me so happy. I had high hopes after enjoying that one so much and Cemetery Boys did not disappoint.

Y'all, this book is a major tearjerker. Like, expect to find yourself welling up at least once every few chapters. It made my heart hurt so much for those who are currently struggling with acceptance of their identity. But there was something so freeing in this book. The way that Julian and Yadriel related with one another was absolutely beautiful! And the diversity throughout the entire journey was really wonderfully done. Yes, there were challenges, but there was also so much acceptance, love, and changed hearts along the way.

One of the things that was so cool to me about this story was actually the magic in it. It was unlike anything I had read about before and it was totally fascinating! I loved learning more about the brujx and all the different abilities.

As I hoped (like with all my heart) there was a fantastic twist - and I didn't see it coming. Yet again, Aiden has surprised me with storytelling that took me on a totally wild ride. I loved every second of it and can't wait to continue reading more of their writing in the future!

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vicariouslyy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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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laesterlurch's review against another edition

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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

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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

1.0

in a tragic case of 'did i read the same book as everyone else?', im so fcking sad to be giving this only 1 star despite the importance of its diversity and representation, both in terms of gender and culture. although the book is full of queer characters whose real-world struggles are effectively explored, and i enjoyed (and learned from) the vibrant latinx culture...thats pretty much it and i have issues w/ almost everything else.

the pacing is weird and the writing couldve used some more editing--currently it's a lil unpolished w/ some typos, making the story awkward at points and feel almost juvenile. in terms of characters, julian's the only i actually like, while some others (w/ the exception of yadriel) seem flat and couldve been more fully fleshed out. the story's also predictable--which isnt always a bad thing if the journey getting to the reveals are enjoyable, but it isnt in this case. many blurbs and reviews call this book romantic, but i dont find it as such at all.

now, my biggest qualm w/ this book: the crux of the story and the characters' actions dont make sense. for the former: spirits are such bc they're dead, so why is so much fuss made over julian's fate? and if he wasnt truly dead yet, how did he even become a spirit? this is the literally the very crux of the book yet it has a major logical lapse. it's also ridiculous that he was alive even after being stabbed in the fcking heart like?????? for the latter, there are too many instances--both big and small--to name, i basically had sth to frown at in every chapter. ig one baffling example is near the end when help comes down to the cave, and no one literally bats an eye or seems concerned that julian has a huge bloodstain on his chest. and so many things wouldve gone easier if yadriel and maritza used their heads a lil more. also the mechanics of spirits couldve been explored more: can they float around? since they move thru things, why did julian have to go sneaking around going in and out thru the front door? i just cant...

oh AND i feel like there's a lot of wasted potential here. the spirit aspect couldve made the book so much more fantastical and unique, yet all it did was boggle down the fun. one of the major characters in your book is a spirit, yet a huge chunk of your story is basically your teenage characters tryna play detective to get more useful info by talking to ppl (and failing) while minding curfew??? i..i cant. anyways this turns into a long rant but this couldve been so much better. ultimately it boils down to the fact that i didnt like this book, and while cemetery boys is def an important story whose representation means so much to so many, in terms of pure story aspects, it's honestly not a rly good one, and yes im sad and disappointed.

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