Aiden Thomas

Cemetery boys

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his conservative 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

Emma Hak-Kovacs

Julian was the most alive person he had ever met. Even as a spirit, he was bright and full of constantly moving energy. A sun crammed into the body of a boy.

Julian Diaz it seems I have grown very fond of you

Diego

"So the people they brought back were, like, 

Yadriel groaned. "Not the zombies again—"

 resurrecting someone from the dead can only lead to zombies! I know it; I read books," Julian said.

"Okay, okay, okay, but I've seen enough movies to know how this goes down!" Julian corrected through barely suppressed chuckles.

Aimee :)

Things weren't magically fixed by an empowering speech, bat opened doors and built brides. It carved out space for Yadriel to step forward and be who he was, as he was. There were sill more obstacles to overcome and battles to fight, but Yadriel wouldn't feel alone in it anymore.

No, it wasn't the end. It was a better beginning.

Yadriel would happily let himself be consumed by Julian's fire.

"I think bringing four people back from the dead makes you some kind of god," Julian mused with a shrug. "Or at least a hero."

"If you ever scare me like that again," he said breathlessly, "I'll kill you myself, Julian Diaz."*

Julian's grin was sharp. Bright. Blinding.

"Shut up-" Yadriel threw himself against Julian and wrapped his arms around his neck and kissing him fervently.

He felt Julian's smile under his lips. Felt his arms wrap around him and squeeze him tight again.

As if there were any force on earth that could tear Julian from Yadriel's side.

Yadriel would let himself die, gladly, if it meant saving the four who had been so viciously and carelessly sacrificed. He refused to let them die for his uncle's selfish gains.

He would do it for them. He would do it for Julian. When he looked up at Lady Death, she smiled.

One last breath sighed past Julian's lips.

..dropped his hand back to his side, it left a smudged handprint down his chest.

"Tio?" Yadriel said, squinting in the dark and unable to believe his own eyes.

How could he possibly recover from falling for Julian Diaz?

But he wanted to keep him. Selfishly, dangerously, against all reason.

«Didn't seem right for you to not have one, especially on Dia de Muertos." He shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "It's not much, I just thought--I don't know-

Julian stood up. "It's perfect," he said earnestly.

Yadriel wanted to chase down the sunset. To not let it rise.

A soft caress ghosted over his lips, and Yadriel let himself drown in it.

Unabashed and beaming this was his favorite version of Julian.

Bright, carefree, and overflowing with infectious energy.

Yadriel closed his eyes and buried his nose in the shirt. As he drifted off to sleep, he breathed in the smell of Julian, but it was already starting to fade.

Julian's voice was too gentle, his words too soft. "I want you to release me."

Yadriel tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "I'm just thinking.

this was such an anticipated read for me and it unfortunately fell kind of flat. it felt like fan fiction and not in a good way :/ typos and excessive use of caps for shouting really took me out of the story and some of the events were such eye rolling moments :/ its good to have queer rep in ya obvs and i liked the trans mc but i want it to be well written and the plot to shock me rather than see the conflict coming from a mile away. the uncle being the traitor? bro ive seen spiderverse come on 😭 i feel like this wanted to be an andrew joseph white novel but missed the mark 

i was lured in by the ghosts and the latin culture and the trans boy and it was so. damn. boring. 

marie

Loved the lore and the familial structure of the magic system. The romance was also so freaking sweet and built on fast friendship (for reference this is YA).

Pacing was a bit slow for me but the writing was so solid for this debut I’ll read this author again!

Abigail

Loved the lore and the familial structure of the magic system. The romance was also so freaking sweet and built on fast friendship (for reference this is YA).

Pacing was a bit slow for me but the writing was so solid for this debut I’ll read this author again!

I was SO excited to finally read this, however I was quite a bit disappointed. The narrative pace is really frustrating, however the characters were likeable and I did enjoy the story. I do think this is rather aimed at younger readers, however the diverse representation draws in lots of older readers for whom it might be a bit boring and easy to figure out what was going to happen.

sharkie

Anjorin Molayo 

this is too cute! i love the plot! i love the characters! i love how issues like transphobia, misgendering, gender and identity were addressed in this book. 

it’s also funny 😂. 

i’m actually leaning towards YA books, coz they make me swoon 🥹.

A big thanks to Aiden Thomas 🫶🏾.

Bria

** spoiler alert **
           If they don’t get married, what was it for

ephe

Kaylee Ray

if you’ll excuse me i’ll be laying in bed crying about this amazing book for the next three days

Sarah Sammis

The book seems to be populated with people who don't know how to search. The adults especially brought to mind the clichéd Scooby-Doo chase. Yads and Martiza's trouble is more understandable because they do have school and chores to manage too, but the narrative pacing was still frustrating.

At about the halfway point a big clue is dropped. It was enough for me to figure out how things were going to play out. If I were younger, I probably wouldn't have caught on. I might also have been more invested in Yads and Julian. As is, though, I will admit to skimming to the end and having my hypothesis confirmed.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comm...

3300CC couple city maze

Lila Roberts

i read this in one day, almost one sitting, i could not put it down !!! 😭😭😭 so good omg

akynn 

This book was delightful and I’m so glad I finally read it. It’s a pretty standard YA book in terms of plot, but the characters breathe some much needed new life into the genre, and the writing style is both easy and engaging. After reading the Sunbearer Trials and loving that too, Aiden Thomas is now on my must read author list. 

Also, the audiobook has a bonus interview with the author at the end, which was fun. 

Cloudface

This book was delightful and I’m so glad I finally read it. It’s a pretty standard YA book in terms of plot, but the characters breathe some much needed new life into the genre, and the writing style is both easy and engaging. After reading the Sunbearer Trials and loving that too, Aiden Thomas is now on my must read author list. 
Also, the audiobook has a bonus interview with the author at the end, which was fun. 

Andréa Mellalieu

My son chose this book for a bookclub we are in together. We devoured it in 2 days, and happily suspended our disbelief to enjoy every minute. So much fun ♥️👏

Nina Verhaaff 

enjoyed it a lot, something new. 
spooky vibes, perfect time to read it.

Have I found a new favorite author ? What a beautiful book ! I am thrilled this was my first LGBT+ love interest book. It is a single book, so no string attached, still be prepared for some strong emotions.

I found the book raw, beautifully written, with loveable characters. It is medium paced, there is love, humour, mystery, magic, self-love and self-acceptance journey.

We follow Yadriel, a young brujex (spirit guardians, a connection to the dead) on his journey to becoming a brujo, as well as his true battle: having his family accept him as he is, a trans boy.

He is is determined to belong and prove himself worth it. So with the help of his cousin Maritza, he sets to have his brujo ceremony, and help a spirit cross to the other side. But things don’t go as smooth, or as easily they had hoped for, and they end up bringing the spirit of a young boy named Julian.

Erica⚔️

Have I found a new favorite author ? What a beautiful book ! I am thrilled this was my first LGBT+ love interest book. It is a single book, so no string attached, still be prepared for some strong emotions.

I found the book raw, beautifully written, with loveable characters. It is medium paced, there is love, humour, mystery, magic, self-love and self-acceptance journey.

We follow Yadriel, a young brujex (spirit guardians, a connection to the dead) on his journey to becoming a brujo, as well as his true battle: having his family accept him as he is, a trans boy.

He is is determined to belong and prove himself worth it. So with the help of his cousin Maritza, he sets to have his brujo ceremony, and help a spirit cross to the other side. But things don’t go as smooth, or as easily they had hoped for, and they end up bringing the spirit of a young boy named Julian.

So good!! Amazing representation, great story, characters to care about

Erzse Reed

i am appalled this book had the nerve to end on me. how dare you not to last forever?!

The characters in this book were so vivid and alive, ironic considering some were ghosts. I found myself hopelessly enthralled by this YA romance and constantly trying to predict the outcome of the mystery/thriller side. A novel rich in Latine and general teen culture, I would definitely recommend giving this one a read.

Angie Van Sprang

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, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking." 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. Praise for Cemetery Boys: "The novel perfectly balances the vibrant, energetic Latinx culture while delving into heavy topics like LGBTQ+ acceptance, deportation, colonization, and racism within authoritative establishments." —TeenVogue.com "This stunning debut novel from Thomas is detailed, heart-rending, and immensely romantic. I was bawling by the end of it, but not from sadness: I just felt so incredibly happy that this queer Latinx adventure will get to be read by other kids. Cemetery Boys is necessary: for trans kids, for queer kids, for those in the Latinx community who need to see themselves on the page. Don’t miss this book." —Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift

Maga P

Ok, so. 
What I liked: Wonderful characters, all the love, detail and care put into depicting the latinx diaspora and their traditions, how it built into that for the brujx lore and worldbuilding, THE YEARNING OF IT ALL, and… have I said the characters?

It being an own voices book it's not like I was expecting walking latinx stereotypes, but the fact it went above and beyond in Julian's characterization as a brown boy that everyone reads as a hopeless troublemaker because of his neurodiversity (he has adhd, I can see) was something I especially loved.
What I didn't like: Ever since the first clues were dropped I was Really hoping it wasn't going to do what it eventually did—  <spoiler> I'm not a fan of outliers being represented as extremists that go through methods considered less ethical to even the ground with those that were born into their abilities/status while the system that's ostracized them in the first place is not put in question.  I know the book criticizes the transphobia and gender roles in the brujx community and I'm content with what it did in that regard, but the fact that the question of the treatment of magicless folks born into the brujx community (which is was what caused the main conflict in the first place) was left pretty much only addressed in a couple of lines leaves much to be desired. Yadriel has magic and he's eventually recognized by his family. It seems like we shouldn't care about the other marginalized members of the community. </spoiler>  
Aside from that, wonderful read. I'll carry these characters with me for a long time.

Alexa M

this was so fun, i really enjoyed it! and all the representation was amazing.

Rebecca Obrien

I really enjoyed it. I loved the Humor in it

Aishling

3.5 ⭐️ 

I would just like to thank cemetery boys for pulling me out of my book slump, I’ll add more words to think when I’ve had time to process it all.

Cemetery boys

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