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A review by scoodle42
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
Yadriel is a trans boy and a brujo, struggling to be accepted by his family as a boy and as a witch. He comes from a long line of gifted brux but since the death of his mother, cannot be acknowledged as a brujo because his father refuses to accept his identity. So he decides to conduct the ceremony himself, with the help of his cousin Maritza. In an abandoned church, they complete the ceremony and Yadriel is official. And then he promptly meets a ghost--Julian. Another teenage boy that needs to know what happened to him before he'll let Yadriel cross him over. So now Yads and Maritza (along with ghost Julian) are on a mission to find out how Julian died, and make sure that his friends are okay.
Okay, so this was one of my faves on the year. The cultural elements of the book are very intricate and detailed, so the book is a bit top heavy with information but as it went along, I felt better having that understanding. And the moment I met Julian I was riveted. I didn't put the book down until it was finished. Yadriel's courage and bravery, Maritza's spunk and fire, and Julian's humor and daring were a great combination. Watching Yads and Julian push and pull, discover themselves, and fall in love took me on a wonderful ride. This book was a beautiful, magical, emotional thing. I loved the fantasy of the cemetery, the mystery of ghosts living among us, and the wonder of the humans who can not only see and communicate with them, but have a responsibility to them. Julian was every exciting and frustrating thing a teenage boy gone too soon should be, and his personality paired well with Yad's. His friends were wonderful extensions of him and I loved the representation. Yad's family and their important work was a great backdrop and it was an emotional tug to see him try so desperately to fit in.
The end had me on the edge of my seat and my heart was in my throat the entire time. I loved seeing these kids come into the power they'd always had and Julian get the answers he needed. And at the end, it was a love story and a family story and I felt the pull of both. Beautiful.
Okay, so this was one of my faves on the year. The cultural elements of the book are very intricate and detailed, so the book is a bit top heavy with information but as it went along, I felt better having that understanding. And the moment I met Julian I was riveted. I didn't put the book down until it was finished. Yadriel's courage and bravery, Maritza's spunk and fire, and Julian's humor and daring were a great combination. Watching Yads and Julian push and pull, discover themselves, and fall in love took me on a wonderful ride. This book was a beautiful, magical, emotional thing. I loved the fantasy of the cemetery, the mystery of ghosts living among us, and the wonder of the humans who can not only see and communicate with them, but have a responsibility to them. Julian was every exciting and frustrating thing a teenage boy gone too soon should be, and his personality paired well with Yad's. His friends were wonderful extensions of him and I loved the representation. Yad's family and their important work was a great backdrop and it was an emotional tug to see him try so desperately to fit in.
The end had me on the edge of my seat and my heart was in my throat the entire time. I loved seeing these kids come into the power they'd always had and Julian get the answers he needed. And at the end, it was a love story and a family story and I felt the pull of both. Beautiful.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Child death