A review by claudiamacpherson
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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? No

4.0

Yadriel belongs to a community of brujos: people who can see spirits and are entrusted with the responsibility to help them pass on. But Yadriel is trans, so his traditional community has had trouble accepting him as a true brujo. When another brujo goes missing, Yadriel is determined to find him and prove himself. Along the way, he accidentally summons another spirit: bold, kind, beautiful Julian Diaz and they agree to help each other.

The beginning of Cemetery Boys felt a bit slow, but by the second half I was hooked and couldn't put it down! I loved the main characters: Yadriel's honesty and goodness, Maritza's determination, and Julian's fiery love. I loved the LGBTQ+ representation, especially the way that it was treated as totally normal and common. <spoiler/>The ending was my absolute favorite type of climax: selfless sacrifice (from multiple characters!) in order to save the day! I loved how Yadriel didn't even think twice about giving his life for the others, and Maritza found a way to save him without compromising her principles.

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just my judgement of how happy the ending is because I always wish someone would tell me that before I read books): <spoiler/>Happy!! (Honestly even happier than I expected!)
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