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A review by cellardoor10
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
5.0
My review doesn't contain any specific spoilers, but some general references and character descriptions. Marked to be cautious.
I wish I could give this 4.5 stars, but I will round up to 5 for being a really thoughtful depiction of LGBTQIA+ Latinx teens and a breath of fresh air in YA fiction.
I frequently got really frustrated with the protagonist's inability to just talk. The number of times we heard "I ... I ..." come out of his mouth eventually felt comical, almost a crutch for making all his plans go badly so the plot would move in the right direction. My other frustration was how often his best friend, Maritza just faded to the background in a lot of scenes. She was there, and a much better communicator than Yadriel, but for whatever reason, would just stand there and watch while he kept messing up explaining things. Didn't feel realistic given her strong personality, and how much she supposedly wanted to help him. It didn't feel like they were real life partners in crime so much as she was a background character that came forward when convenient.
Julian is ... difficult to deal with. He is angry, and hyperactive, and frequently leaves the people trying to help him completely out to dry. And I got frustrated with how little anyone called him on his awful behavior. From my own personal experience, I would not be surprised if he was diagnosed with ADHD at some point in his life, and as someone who made it 30 years before being diagnosed, I can say that people with untreated/undiagnosed ADHD can be extremely frustrating in a lot of the ways that Julian is frustrating in this story.
In short, these are three somewhat maddening teenagers, and if you can't deal with teenage decision-making (or lack thereof), this book will be a struggle. It usually strikes me as realistic, with the few exceptions I mentioned above.
That said, there's a lot to love about this book. Clearly written from a place of love and deep experience, Yadriel effectively shows the reader all kinds of facets of trans experiences, from affirmation to microaggressions to grooming and betrayal. Seeing the arc of Yadriel's father and his level of understanding/acceptance in contrast with his brother, Tio Catriz, is particularly poignant and effective. The magic system is interesting and creative, and grounding it in real life cultural traditions was really effective. Latinx literature has a long history of magical realism, often in relation to the afterlife/Dia de Muertos, etc. Being steeped in that tradition gives this novel a warmth to it, like a family gathering in the kitchen to cook together. Appropriate for the secretive, insular community at the center of the story.
The book shows how long-held traditions can evolve and grow to incorporate new people and concepts, and makes the point that none of these "new" concepts are actually new. Trans and LGBTQIA+ folx have been around forever, even in a society like the brujx. Adding in Maritza's veganism as a "new" cultural norm is a nice touch, as well.
Highly recommend giving this one a read. I listened to it on audiobook, and I might have been less irritated with the protagonist if I had read it rather than listened to it, as an FYI. All those awkward pauses are much longer and more exaggerated out loud than written (not a criticism of the reader).
TW: transphobia of many different kinds, including deadnaming and incorrect pronoun use, etc. Death of loved ones (parent, family), death and a few references/limited descriptions of abuse of teens. A couple violent scenes.
I wish I could give this 4.5 stars, but I will round up to 5 for being a really thoughtful depiction of LGBTQIA+ Latinx teens and a breath of fresh air in YA fiction.
I frequently got really frustrated with the protagonist's inability to just talk. The number of times we heard "I ... I ..." come out of his mouth eventually felt comical, almost a crutch for making all his plans go badly so the plot would move in the right direction. My other frustration was how often his best friend, Maritza just faded to the background in a lot of scenes. She was there, and a much better communicator than Yadriel, but for whatever reason, would just stand there and watch while he kept messing up explaining things. Didn't feel realistic given her strong personality, and how much she supposedly wanted to help him. It didn't feel like they were real life partners in crime so much as she was a background character that came forward when convenient.
Julian is ... difficult to deal with. He is angry, and hyperactive, and frequently leaves the people trying to help him completely out to dry. And I got frustrated with how little anyone called him on his awful behavior. From my own personal experience, I would not be surprised if he was diagnosed with ADHD at some point in his life, and as someone who made it 30 years before being diagnosed, I can say that people with untreated/undiagnosed ADHD can be extremely frustrating in a lot of the ways that Julian is frustrating in this story.
In short, these are three somewhat maddening teenagers, and if you can't deal with teenage decision-making (or lack thereof), this book will be a struggle. It usually strikes me as realistic, with the few exceptions I mentioned above.
That said, there's a lot to love about this book. Clearly written from a place of love and deep experience, Yadriel effectively shows the reader all kinds of facets of trans experiences, from affirmation to microaggressions to grooming and betrayal. Seeing the arc of Yadriel's father and his level of understanding/acceptance in contrast with his brother, Tio Catriz, is particularly poignant and effective. The magic system is interesting and creative, and grounding it in real life cultural traditions was really effective. Latinx literature has a long history of magical realism, often in relation to the afterlife/Dia de Muertos, etc. Being steeped in that tradition gives this novel a warmth to it, like a family gathering in the kitchen to cook together. Appropriate for the secretive, insular community at the center of the story.
The book shows how long-held traditions can evolve and grow to incorporate new people and concepts, and makes the point that none of these "new" concepts are actually new. Trans and LGBTQIA+ folx have been around forever, even in a society like the brujx. Adding in Maritza's veganism as a "new" cultural norm is a nice touch, as well.
Highly recommend giving this one a read. I listened to it on audiobook, and I might have been less irritated with the protagonist if I had read it rather than listened to it, as an FYI. All those awkward pauses are much longer and more exaggerated out loud than written (not a criticism of the reader).
TW: transphobia of many different kinds, including deadnaming and incorrect pronoun use, etc. Death of loved ones (parent, family), death and a few references/limited descriptions of abuse of teens. A couple violent scenes.