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A review by roaming_library
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
4.0
Great premise, fun characters, and some engaging rating.
Cemetery Boys is the perfect fall read (which I read in spring...lets just call it close enough to summerween) with a mix of horror, mystery, and romance. Aiden Thomas sure does know how to create an atmosphere.
Cemetery Boys has a great cast of characters as well. They all had distinct voices, and helped either move the plot or add to understanding the main characters. I like how misconceptions about Julien were disproved over the course of the story.
I also loved the representation we get in the story. Particularly, Yadriel's struggle with getting his family to accept him as both a boy and brujo was handled very well. It was a nuanced depiction done with care.
I do think the pacing was a bit off in some ways. Some scenes really drag, and we cut away from action to focus on the oddest things. For example, Yadriel choosing to go to school when he as a very short deadline for solving this mystery before it is too late. I understand we are supposed to see his character as a very strict Type A, so we can get a clear contrast to how he changes later, but this didn't work well for the plot. For one, it doesn't really make sense, given the severity of the situation, for him to just waste a full day. And I didn't love sitting through entire school days either, when there was a much more exciting story line to get back to. I just feel like there are better ways to show his personality.
Otherwise, this was a fun and funny story. I love anything with folklore/magic, and Adrien Thomas' writing style works well for me. I'll have to read this again in October.
*I also listened to the audiobook, and it was fantastic with Avi Roque as the narrator
Cemetery Boys is the perfect fall read (which I read in spring...lets just call it close enough to summerween) with a mix of horror, mystery, and romance. Aiden Thomas sure does know how to create an atmosphere.
Cemetery Boys has a great cast of characters as well. They all had distinct voices, and helped either move the plot or add to understanding the main characters. I like how misconceptions about Julien were disproved over the course of the story.
I also loved the representation we get in the story. Particularly, Yadriel's struggle with getting his family to accept him as both a boy and brujo was handled very well. It was a nuanced depiction done with care.
I do think the pacing was a bit off in some ways. Some scenes really drag, and we cut away from action to focus on the oddest things. For example, Yadriel choosing to go to school when he as a very short deadline for solving this mystery before it is too late. I understand we are supposed to see his character as a very strict Type A, so we can get a clear contrast to how he changes later, but this didn't work well for the plot. For one, it doesn't really make sense, given the severity of the situation, for him to just waste a full day. And I didn't love sitting through entire school days either, when there was a much more exciting story line to get back to. I just feel like there are better ways to show his personality.
Otherwise, this was a fun and funny story. I love anything with folklore/magic, and Adrien Thomas' writing style works well for me. I'll have to read this again in October.
*I also listened to the audiobook, and it was fantastic with Avi Roque as the narrator