Title: Cemetery Boys
Author: Aiden Thomas
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Date Published: September 1, 2020 (US), October 1, 2020 (UK)
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal, LGBTQ+
Date Read: August 31, 2020
Format: eBook – NetGalley
I was provided with a copy of Cemetery Boys in return for an honest review as part of the Xpresso Tours blog tour.
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Cemetery Boys Synopsis
A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas’s paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys.
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
Cemetery Boys – Book Review
How can I even begin to try and talk about Cemetery Boys?
At first, I went in expecting a fun story with some LGBTQ+ romance thrown in. But what I ended up getting was so much more than that.
The Story
The story follows Yadriel, a trans teen, whose traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true identity. When Yadriel’s cousin Miguel goes missing, assumed to be murdered, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo — by performing his brujo ceremony himself, and summoning his cousin’s spirit in order to set him free into the afterlife.
But when Yadriel accidentally summons the spirit of a teenage boy called Julian, things are about to get a heck of a lot more complicated, taking Yadriel and his best friend Maritza on a journey to try and get Julian’s spirit free and find Miguel. But what happens when Yadriel finds himself falling in love with the teen spirit he mistakenly summoned?
Cemetery Boys is an adventure, a mystery, a love story, and so many other things. Most importantly, it’s a beautiful coming-of-age tale about a boy who spends his whole life feeling like he doesn’t belong; like he has to prove his true identity to those closest to him, and so desperately wanting those around him to see his worth.
The Setting & Characters
Aiden Thomas’ world feels so enriched with vivid descriptions and characters with a great amount of depth. I don’t have a lot of knowledge about brujo and the culture surrounding dia de muertos, so as well as being completely enthralled in the story, I also loved learning a lot about the culture.
Thomas does an incredible job of weaving in Spanish phrases throughout the dialogue, and even if you don’t speak the language, it doesn’t hinder the story in any way. It adds to the realness and the depth of the world that is being built, and I felt almost as if I was standing right inside the story.
Cemetery Boys has so many characters that bring its story to life, but Yadriel is right at its core. It’s a story driven by gender and the roles people are given, and how it can be difficult to break down those barriers — but determination and self-belief can conquer all. Yadriel is so motivated and so determined to show others that he belongs as a brujo, and he proves that how others perceive you doesn’t determine your worth.
LGBTQ+ Romance
Finally, let’s talk about the LGBTQ+ romance. I’m not a romantic in the slightest and I often prefer stories that don’t have any romance at all, and instead focus on friendship and the power of platonic love. But here’s the thing: the relationship between Yadriel and Julian was SO WONDERFUL. It’s a slow-burn, and at first, Yadriel and Julian seem like they could never in a million years fit together. But the progression of their relationship felt completely natural and realistic, and I loved it a lot.
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Cemetery Boys Review: Summary
- A mystery, adventure, romance and coming-of-age tale all bundled up into one beautiful story
- Vivid descriptions and in-depth characters bring Aiden Thomas’ world of brujx and magic to life
- The story is driven by gender and the roles they’re expected to play, but Yadriel smashes down the boundaries with a solid determination that proves his worth
- Wonderful slow-burn LGBTQ+ romance that feels natural and realistic
If you’re looking for a perfectly atmospheric, magical, character-driven read this autumn, pick up a copy of Cemetery Boys when it’s released on 1st September in the US or 1st October in the UK!
Click the image above or this link to see the full list of stops on the Cemetery Boys blog tour. Make sure you go and check out some of the other posts!
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About Aiden Thomas
Aiden Thomas is a YA author with an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, OR. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden’s special talents include: quoting The Office, Harry Potter trivia, Jenga, finishing sentences with “is my FAVORITE”, and killing spiders. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color.
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