A review by bookishandlegal
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this one. I read it with a group and it was fun discussing the characters and what we thought might happen at the end.  The first half for me was an average YA with some spooky/ghostly elements, but wasn't anything spectacular.  I liked Yadriel and was interested in his storyline of dealing with his families mostly not great reaction to his transition.  I absolutely loved Maritza and her fierce loyalty and love to Yadriel.  Julian was obvs great and I really liked learning more about him as the book developed. 

The second half/ending of this one really sealed the deal for me! I flew through the second half and was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole ending.  I loved the reveal of the bad guy and explanation of what happened to Julian/Yadriel's cousin/and the other missing kids.  I honestly didn't see any of that coming at all, but i'm notoriously bad at guessing endings/twists. In the second half it did seem like we had forgotten a little bit about the mystery and figuring out what had happened to Miguel and the other missing kids and then Yadriel just kinda stumbled into the answer.  But in the moment I was enjoying the unraveling of the ending too much to be too bothered. 

This is a solid YA book that will be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.  It has lots of fall, Halloween, Dia de los Muertes vibes and is a perfect cozy, fall read.   It also is great for a coming of age story with a gay trans male and gay love interest.  The details about transitioning and using people's correct pronouns throughout are great and honestly is a book everyone should read just for that.  Definitely recommend this one!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings