Hoping the typos and mistakes get cleaned up for the final copy, because this is a book teens will be clamoring for. Imagine all the romance of the movie "Ghost," combined with the colorful Day of the Dead setting of "Coco," with a trans brujo falling for a ghost. I guessed the bad guy early on, as well as the Julian: alive or dead? plot, but it was still a fun ride to the end.

.5/5 stars. There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this - I love the intersectional diversity and the brujx magic was interesting. Even though I knew who the villian was that mystery was still interesting. I was, however, not completely convinced by the love story. I felt like it became too intense, too fast? I totally get why Yadriel liked Julian and it was cute in the beginning, but as soon as they acknowledged it, it felt a little too intense/extreme. Like it went from 0-60.

But I don't think that'll deter most people - in fact I'm sure there will be plenty of teens swooning over them.

Also, I've already got my pitch for the book ready "The Witch Boy meets Coco"

Finally a book I've been anticipating that did not disappoint at all! This was such a fun, touching, spooky, wonderful own-voices novel with excellent LGBTQ and Latinx rep and beautiful world-building.

Full review at link to my booktube channel.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to offer an honest review.

Why You Should Read It: I need to tell you all right now how amazing this book is! It is fantastic, guys. Aiden Thomas has done something magical with this book. They've blended Latinx culture and language into the story in a way that is both beautiful and present, yet understandable even to me, the whitest person you've ever met. They also created such vibrant characters. Yadriel was so real I felt like I could touch him, and he tells us multiple times how shining and alive Julian feels to him, which makes him feel just as shining and alive to us. I'll admit, I saw the ending coming about 45% of the way through the book, but the story was still handled in such a way that I didn't even mind that I knew how it was going to end. There were still plot points to live through and emotions to experience vicariously through Yadriel and Julian. I am so in love with this book, and I can't wait until it's released so I can have a copy of it on my shelf with all my other favorite books.

Why You Should Have It in Your Library: Y'all have heard me harp on about diversity in fiction, particularly young adult fiction, more than you probably want to. But that is a major reason why you should have this book in your collection; I mean, apart from the fact that it's fantastic that is. Cemetery Boys is heavily populated with both Latinx characters (I'm having trouble remembering for certain, but I don't think there's a single white person in this book? Which is amazing?) and queer characters. There are two explicitly trans characters and two explicitly gay characters; there might be more, I don't know, but there's only two of each the narration tells us about. And one of those gay trans characters is the main character Yadriel - and fun fact! The story isn't solely about the fact that he's gay and trans! I'm not complaining necessarily about books that focus their drama solely on a queer character searching for acceptance, but it's nice to have a book where only a portion of the drama is caused by his queer identity. The rest of it is because he sees dead people, which is a much more exciting reason to have drama. So put this on your "to purchase" list, and when September comes around, this book needs to be on your shelves.

This was a stunning blend of queer representation with Latinx communities. We don’t see this intersection often in YA so as soon as I saw the summary for Cemetery Boys months ago, I was more than ready to read it.
The representation in this novel was beautifully done. Community is an incredible aspect of the narration and Yadriel is young and still learning about the LGBT community he is now a part of.
The beautiful Latinx storytelling and history intertwines with a young guy trying to figure out how to prove himself.

I have been trying to stay away from advanced review copies that were outside of the month we are in but I just had to read this one. Incredible new YA fantasy coming out in September with a fearless main trans character who not only has to fight his own family when it comes to his identity but also solve the murder of people he knows. Steeped in magic and yet so thoroughly grounded in now, this gorgeous book deserves to be read and shared widely. #pernillerecommends

Yadriel is a brujo, gifted by Santa Muerte with the power to summon and release spirits. Unfortunately, his traditional family still thinks he's a bruja. On top of the misgendering, they won't even let him perform the ceremony to claim his power, so Yadriel and his rebellious cousin Maritza do it on their own. The first spirit Yadriel summons is a hyperactive, incredibly annoying, awfully dreamy boy named Julian, who forces them to help him look after his friends and wrap up unfinished business. While Jules makes Yads live it up, the mysterious deaths add up as Dia de Muertos approaches. Delightfully vibrant and rather adorable. Thanks, Netgalley.

Yadriel’s family has been so deeply steeped in gender roles set up by old traditions tied to magic that they refuse to see him as the young man he truly is. Because of this, they keep him out of important ceremonies and responsibilities, but he’s not going to let that stop him. With the help of his (hilarious) best friend, he performs a ritual on his own, confirming that those in charge of the magic do see him as a brujo, and that he has summoned the most stubborn, unpredictable ghost this side of the cemetery: classmate Julian Diaz. Is it weird to mention that he’s really, really good-looking for a dead guy?

Before Yadriel can release Julian into eternal death, they make a deal that sends them on an adventure with a literal deadline, trying to solve a couple mysteries and tie up loose ends. During the process, the two become intertwined in ways that make knowing the end is near impossible to bear. This funny, moving, fast-paced novel is original and exciting in how it addresses family, gender, identity, tradition, and magic. (Ages 13+, Fiction)

A gay, trans brujo summons the wrong spirit and falls in love with him. Rich Latinx cultural descriptions, a surprising antagonist, and a badass vegan best friend infuse this paranormal romance with a heart pounding race to the finale.

Cemetery Boys was a joy to read, and so much fun to experience. The large shapes of the story were semi-predictable, but I think that's a result of patterns in fantasy stories and my own reading habits (predominantly YA/SciFi/Fantasy), rather than any issue with the story. I think that, as a young person, this story will be surprising and emotionally resonant. What was fun was that, even when I could see where the story was headed, I wasn't quite sure how we were going to get there. Which meant that there were some nice surprises along the way and a strong emotional connection with the major characters.

The basic plot: Yadriel is a young Latinx trans boy, whose family are part of a historical community of brujx, people who protect and care for the spirit world. Because Yadriel is trans, he's never fully been accepted by his community as a brujo, leading to self-doubt, questioning, and feeling like an outsider. When Yadriel accidentally raises the spirit of "bad boy" Julian Diaz, Yadriel embarks on a journey of self-discovery and growing up. Set just prior to Dia de Muertos, this novel places the characters' journey against the backdrop of vibrant Latinx culture with reality and fantasy mixed together beautifully for the reader.

I really loved the character of Yadriel and his journey to better understand himself. His relationships with other people, especially Julian and his best friend Maritza are revealing and Julian and Yadriel complement each other well. For me, there were times where I wish we got more information about Maritza, and her relationship with Yadriel; she occasionally felt a little flat, or just like I wanted to know more about how she and Yads came together and connected. The pacing was mostly strong; there were a few moments where events felt a bit rushed and characters didn't feel as strongly developed, but I think a part of that is really that I just wanted MORE. Thomas's character writing feels intimate and I just wanted to know more about certain moments or characters. The ending felt perfect - happy enough, not forced, not over the top, and I am a SUCKER for a happy ending. The world isn't happy enough, so finding happiness in books is always a pleasure.

The fact that this is a fantasy story centered around a queer Latinx narrator is great, since fantasy has long been the territory of the chosen white boy. I really enjoyed learning a bit more about some of the mythology of Dia de Muertos (it seems from a variety of cultures), and I also appreciated that there's just enough context for the reader, but that you occasionally do have to go look something up (although you won't miss anything if you don't).
Yadriel is real, he's scared and funny and brave and serious, he tries his best, and he has a good heart - all of the necessary qualities for a hero in a fantasy story. Occasionally I don't know that there is enough description/characterization to understand all of the feelings of each character, but overall, the story is strong. Definitely recommend this as a read and I think it'll be a great and compelling novel for anyone who likes YA, magic, ghosts, and romance.

society as a whole needs this book. children, teens, young adults, everyone. aiden thomas not only wrote the most adorable, heart-wrenching, suspense-filled coming of age story as his debut, he also made all the characters believable, loving, and relatable. this book isn’t just a common everyday romance, this book has diverse cultures and poc as the main characters. i laughed, cried, cooed, and gasped. aiden is able to flawlessly transition between different emotions. not only does the book rep the trans community, it also features a family trying to adjust to the it. many of the books i’ve read don’t show the family learning to adjust or the ignorance of the family after the character comes out. julien is my favorite by far, he said, “why isn’t it enough?” and “not good enough for them, or not good enough for you?” this is as much a fantasy story with badass characters as it is about self-acceptance. julien is by far the fiercest, most loyal, protective, loving boyfriend towards yadriel while he is struggling with his family to come to terms with himself. the romance is slow burn and has so much tension it can be cut with a knife. i love that this story doesn’t overshadow it’s overall message with too much romance. yes, romance is there, but the meaning of the book can not be forgotten. maritza is the friend you want to have. she’s always got yadriel’s back when he needs her. hell, she saves him once or twice. and yadriel is the character every trans person would ever want. he is brave, selfless, and kind, but also deals with real problems and struggles that are realistic. if you are still reading this, i need you to preorder this book. you get swag if you preorder and you’re going to want this the second it comes out. thank you aiden for doing the lgbtq community justice.

WOW WOW WOW. Where to even begin with this book. Just WOW. Where do I send my therapy bill to? Collecting my thoughts on this one has proven difficult so im sure this is not the last time you’ll hear me talk about Cemetery Boys. This GROUNDBREAKING new debut jumped to one of my favorite books of all time. This book told the story of a young trans latinx boy navigating his identity and seeking acceptance from his family while navigating a language and magical tradition that is very gendered. Aiden Thomas told a story about trans acceptance in a way I had never read before and as a cis person it helped me see into that experience in a whole new way. ALSO - the way Aiden wove magic into this book while not letting it feel confusing AND not bashing you over the head with it or over explaining was remarkable. With a ghost as a love interest I really thought we were gonna get silly explanation after explanation about why certain things were possible BUT Aiden did not give anyone that satisfaction. We had to wait for the mushy romance and FUCK... let me tell you it was so worth it. The romance in this book is the most earned romance I’ve ever experienced in a book. I genuinely didn’t know what was going to happen next in several places and even had to put the book down and take a breather because everything was so wild my little cancer heart couldn’t take it. This was a beautiful debut novel that I will be screaming about for a foreseeable future. PRE ORDER IT NOW! (Ps representing felines today - much love to Purrcaso)

This was such a fun read! The love and care taken with the characters and culture show just how important it is to have #ownvoices authors sharing their stories. Things were a little slow at the start, and the villain/plot weren't a huge surprise to me but man, it is not even worth quibbling about those things because this book was so absorbing and these characters were so great to spend time with.

This fast-paced and supremely engaging fantasy novel will absolutely delight readers. Thomas has created real and authentic characters that will speak to the experiences and sensibilities of YA readers while also infusing the story with a fascinating mythology. I highly recommend this phenomenal book!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 5 Stars

Holy. Cow. This was a book that I didn't know I needed in my life until I started it. Do you ever read a book that so completely takes you by surprise? I expected to like this book, the synopsis alone is intriguing as hell. I did not expect to ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. Seriously it blew me away in the best way possible. 

I'll start by saying that this is the first YA novel that I've read with a trans MC and I was absolutely HERE for it. I felt for Yadriel and his constant struggles with his family, the incessant correcting of pronouns and names. He was such an easy character to connect with that I immediately wanted to fight anyone who ever hurt him. Basically, he is my new favorite cinnamon roll character. Come at him, I dare you. 

Julian, the main love interest, is essentially my spirit animal. You know the dog from the movie UP, Doug? Yeah, Julian is like that dog brought to life. Well, with a more developed character and personality of course, but you get the gist. He was the most perfect comedic relief and as a secondary character he absolutely stole my heart. Speaking of secondary characters, I feel like Maritza would personally climb out of the pages of this novel and skin me alive for waiting so long to mention her. She was the perfect witty. loyal and sassy sidekick for Yadriel, and her fierce protectiveness had me falling in love with her almost instantly. 

The magic system in Cemetery Boys is unlike anything I've ever read and I was absolutely entranced by both it and the latin culture the book incorporated. The entire book was diverse and shined a bright light on issues that are prevalent in our society today. 

I don't know what else to say but READ THIS BOOK! It will absolutely be one that I reread frequently in the coming years...or months...maybe weeks...quite possibly tomorrow.

A unique story, yet at the same time tender and familiar as the main character seeks love and acceptance from his family and peers.

Yadriel is a trans boy who desperately wants his family to realize he’s a boy and allow him to become a brujo. His family serves Lady Death and help souls pass over. The men, brujos, carry sacred daggers and the women, brujas, are healers. When Yadriel’s cousin dies, his family can’t find his body to help him to the afterlife. Yadriel tries to summon his cousin’s spirit and instead summons a handsome newly dead boy named Julian. Who doesn’t know how he died. With the help of Yadriel’s cousin Maritza they try discover what happened to both boys. But the longer Julian stays with Yadriel, the more he wants him to stay.

The author does a beautiful job of interweaving different Hispanic cultures and Spanish phrases into the tapestry of the story. Family (both born and found) play an important role in the story and in Yadriel and Julian’s character arcs. The mystery unravels to an exciting and deadly conclusion.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

This book was just delightful. The plot was a little lacking, as the villain and their plan was pretty heavily broadcast from the very beginning, However, the characterization was top notch and the detail put into the setting and background more than made up for that. After all it,’s about the journey, not the destination. The fact that this was own voices was super important, and you can really feel the love and detail it provided. The romance was adorable and believable, and the side characters were fully actualized. I would read a book about any one of them. All in all a delight to read!

There is something to be said for reading a book about dead boys falling in love while in the midst of a global pandemic - and I mean that in the best way possible. It also reads like fanfiction, and I mean THAT in the best way possible, too.

Let's be real. When you pick a fanfic, you're there for that sweet, sweet pining. And boy howdy does CEMETERY BOYS have that in spades. It's well done, too; the relationship in this book was fantastically developed and doesn't fall into the traps that a lot of YA debuts suffer from when it comes to pacing out the romance. Yadriel by himself was a little bit timid at first, a little bit quiet and a little bit desperate to prove himself. Once you add Julian and Maritza into the mix, however, the three of them become a force to be reckoned with, and it's incredibly charming watching Julian slowly coax Yadriel out of his shell.

The relationship in this book is SO charming. Yadriel and Julian have got that sun and moon trope thing going on in full-force, and I love love love it. Every scene where the two of them were together was amazing, and then the bit at the end where <spoiler>Julian does the whole "nobody touch him, he's mine" thing when Yadriel is unconscious, even to Yadriel's father</spoiler>?? Please inject that shit directly into my veins, thank you very much. And the way Yadriel slowly, slowly falls for him was SO GREAT. <spoiler>There's a scene right before the first kiss where Julian finally, FINALLY speaks spanish to Yadriel after resisting it the whole book, and Yadriel just <i>melts</i> over his Colombian accent. That whole paragraph gave me chills.</spoiler>

God. Julian just in general. Easily my favorite character in the book. He's such an ADHD disaster and I love him so much for it. I normally don't like it when books suddenly change POV 80% of the way through, but when this book does it and we <i>finally</i> get a bit of insight into the hurricane that is Julian's mind, I was so excited. I could read 1,000,000 words of just Julian being a loveable mess. Again - fanfiction!!

My main issue with this book was the writing style. I felt like a lot of it was written in passive voice, which may only irk me and me alone because of my history working as a technical writing tutor, so I don't know if it's REALLY worth mentioning here, haha. Besides that, though, the prose itself was fairly blah; there were a few cliche metaphors and chunky bits of dialogue/action, but it was always super easy to digest. I had no problems with visualizing anything, or with imagining how a character was acting, or with voicing out dialogue in my head. The first chunk of the book before Julian shows up was also very slow going for me, but I had the same problem with CARRY ON, too, so that could just be a thing that I don't particularly enjoy.

And then the rep!!! I loved loved loved the trans and Hispanic rep in this book. Ownvoices authors just hit differently, you know? I appreciated the way struggling with unaccepting (or slightly accepting) family is addressed in this book, how people that <i>say</i> they're on your side snap and say something to hurt you when they're in a moment of weakness. There was a lot of really heavy stuff tucked away underneath the family dynamics in CEMETERY BOYS, and the fact I was able to see it as a cis guy is something I really valued.

This book was just <i>fun</i>. If you want something to read while trying to decompress from however many hellish months we're all going to be cooped up in our houses, this is your man.

-

(Special thanks to the cool cats over at Macmillan for the NetGalley ARC!!)

There is so much to love about this book that it was difficult for me to decide where to start.

However, with any book, the characters are the most important, so that is where I will begin. Yadriel and Julien were adorable together. Yadriel is serious, smart, and sweet. Julian is a bouncy goof who is somehow so tough and so soft all at once. I enjoyed watching them grow together over the course of the book. I love how strong Maritza is, and I love her dogs. I wish they were real so I could pet them and get one of their enthusiastic greetings. Even the minor characters, whether they got in the way, helped, or foreshadowed something that was coming later, were brought to life with so much detail. I got the impression that all these side characters had a backstory far more detailed than what was visible on the page.

I loved all the queer rep. As a masc-leaning trans nonbinary person, my identity had some overlap with Yadriel's, It was nice to feel seen on the page. I would've loved to have read this book when I was younger, especially because at this point in the story, Yadriel hasn't started any kind of medical transition. It's important to show that trans people are still trans even if they're not on HRT or having surgery.

I also appreciated how the author balanced showing the struggles trans people go through trying to get their families to accept them and use the right words and showing people who were not only open and accepting, but strong allies. The narrative acknowledged the struggles we face, but didn't let them swamp the story.

When I started reading, I had braced myself for a sad ending, but was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't sad at all.

I'm not sure what classes I'm teaching in the fall, but I'm hoping I'll find a way to use this in one of my courses because the writing is beautiful and both the story and rep are so important.