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A review by 10thousand_megs
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
5.0
As I wipe what are, hopefully, the last sentimental tears out of my eyes, all I can do is marvel at Cemetery Boys. Aiden Thomas invokes a world as tangible as a cempazuchitl petal. The protagonist, Yadriel, and his brujx family live with one foot in the heady atmosphere of the spirit world and one in the cotidiana of East LA. Both the love story and setting are equally intoxicating to the reader. While watching Yadriel fall for ghost boy Julian, lovers of mythical worlds, queer narratives, and contemporary fiction will fall headstone over heels for Cemetery Boys.
As a trans narrative, Cemetery Boys sets itself apart. Transgender protagonist Yadriel is so loved by each member of his family. Some love him better than others, but he is not an outcast like most of the trans characters one sees in fiction, or even like the other queer characters we will meet over the course of the novel. The differing levels of ease between the cisgendered characters’ relationships with Yadriel feel comprehensive and authentic. The exception is the omission of Yadriel’s deadname. Each time an opportunity arose for it to be said and it was deliberately deflected, I felt jarred by the overtly meta message from a novel that’s otherwise free of author insertion. It’s a nitpick, to be sure, but I wish that Lita hadn’t used Yadriel’s deadname if Thomas didn’t intend on printing it or that the minor yearbook vandalism, meant to endear us to Julian’s unconditional acceptance of Yadriel, was handled more deftly.
But my God, could there be any more endearing love interest than Julian? His character vibrates off the page, and also draws out facets of Yadriel that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen. The interactions between the two boys highlight Yadriel’s naivete. Our queer Latinx protagonist pigeonholes another because he ditches, gets into trouble, or spends time on the streets, and gets summarily called out for it. Cemetery Boys plays no favorites. Although the novel consists of exclusively marginalized characters, all make hurtful assumptions, are held accountable for their prejudice, and most try to act differently in the future. There is redemption for anyone who seeks it, but it is not a magical eraser of past and future wrongs. Thomas makes clear in their last line that the end of the book is not a happily-ever-after, but “a better beginning”. In my humble opinion, the only beginning even more satisfying would be to start all over again with Chapter One.
As a trans narrative, Cemetery Boys sets itself apart. Transgender protagonist Yadriel is so loved by each member of his family. Some love him better than others, but he is not an outcast like most of the trans characters one sees in fiction, or even like the other queer characters we will meet over the course of the novel. The differing levels of ease between the cisgendered characters’ relationships with Yadriel feel comprehensive and authentic. The exception is the omission of Yadriel’s deadname. Each time an opportunity arose for it to be said and it was deliberately deflected, I felt jarred by the overtly meta message from a novel that’s otherwise free of author insertion. It’s a nitpick, to be sure, but I wish that Lita hadn’t used Yadriel’s deadname if Thomas didn’t intend on printing it or that the minor yearbook vandalism, meant to endear us to Julian’s unconditional acceptance of Yadriel, was handled more deftly.
But my God, could there be any more endearing love interest than Julian? His character vibrates off the page, and also draws out facets of Yadriel that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen. The interactions between the two boys highlight Yadriel’s naivete. Our queer Latinx protagonist pigeonholes another because he ditches, gets into trouble, or spends time on the streets, and gets summarily called out for it. Cemetery Boys plays no favorites. Although the novel consists of exclusively marginalized characters, all make hurtful assumptions, are held accountable for their prejudice, and most try to act differently in the future. There is redemption for anyone who seeks it, but it is not a magical eraser of past and future wrongs. Thomas makes clear in their last line that the end of the book is not a happily-ever-after, but “a better beginning”. In my humble opinion, the only beginning even more satisfying would be to start all over again with Chapter One.