Cemetery Boys

Yadriel is a gay teenager in a traditional Latinx family and is trans. His family have difficulty accepting his gender and will not allow him to perform the quinces ritual to make him a true Brujo. With the help of his cousin, Maritza, they complete the ritual and Lady Death accepts him. To prove himself to his family he plans to find the ghost of his murdered uncle Miguel and set him free.Only trouble with the plan is he summons Julian’s ghost instead who is the hot, gay bad boy from school. After some negotiation Julian agrees to help Yadriel and Maritza find Miguel in exchange for finding out what happened to him and to make sure his friends are ok.When they investigate both murders and locate Julian’s friends, an unlikely bond of friendship grows between the boys. Julian is a free spirit with a thirst for fun while Yadriel is reserved and blends into the background but when they share their fears, their loneliness and Yadriel’s hurt over his family’s lack of acceptance of his true identity, they grow closer. As Día de Muertos approaches Yadriel is reluctant to release Julian because he doesn’t want to say goodbye forever to the one boy that accepts him as he is. Will Yadriel fulfil Julians last request? Can they solve what happened to him and Miguel in time or is there an evil force working against them to thwart their efforts?I love this book and it’s a full 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me. It made me laugh and cry. It was a heartfelt, emotional and crazy journey for both Yadriel and Julian and I enjoyed every minute of it. I adored both characters for their similarities and their clashing differences but also for the way they dealt with their sexuality and identities in the face of opposition with strength and dignity. At times I felt they were no longer characters and I was reading about real people. I was intrigued by the cultural and religious themes in the story and found them fascinating. It was a beautifully written story about belief in oneself and relying on others while also showing the importance of family both related and chosen.

I've been putting off reading this book. I've wanted to since before it was even released, but the amount of love and hype it has (along with following Aiden Thomas on Twitter and seeing he is an absolute joy) I was kind of scared to read this book, just in case the hype let me down...Turns out I needn't have worried, because this book is so good!I absolutely loved these characters. Yadriel is such a great main character, we see his worries and concerns, but he's also so strong and isn't afraid to take risks to ensure he is accepted and embraced as a brujo. Maritza has less page time, but exudes personality (also I love The Boys!)My favourite character by far though is Julian. He is so multi layered, misunderstood as a 'bad' kid, he's lovely and silly and wonderful and full of life (as much as a ghost can be!)The world of the Brujx is rich and engaging. I love reading books that explore different cultures and spaces I know nothing about. From the food to the beliefs to the language - I really like googling things to see what they look like, think about whether I would enjoy the taste or learning how different languages express feelings. I think the way this book is uncompromisingly Latinx is wonderful, books shouldn't need to put non English words in italics or explain sentences in English every time someone talks. Make me work for it damn it!

CEMETERY BOYS is a fun and charming adventure with an enjoyable concept featuring characters you just can’t get enough of. Not only is this a great book, but it’s exactly the kind of book that we need. We need books featuring diverse characters, on fresh and exciting new adventures. Everything from the cover to the story itself is lovingly crafted and feels special to hold and read. I can’t help but wish this was the beginning of a long series of books, but even if not it’s wonderful introduction to Thomas’ writing and story telling and a sign of more great things to come.

A brilliant, yet gentle read. The characters are lovely and fleshed out beautifully, and the writing style is warm and friendly. I love how the story focuses on hard themes like trans identity and sexuality and how complex these things can be. I thought Yadriels struggle to show who he is was wonderfully written, powerful yet gently delivered, there were so many points I wanted to cry in frustration with him. The romance was adorable, so sweet and innocent. I dont know whether one of the characgers was meant to be coded as dyslexic and adhd but if they were it was brilliantly done. I love how much spanish was in it, as it should be, and I adored the magic and spirits in the book, it all felt so real and colourful. Thoroughly enjoyed it, one of my new favourites.

Besides being beautiful visually the story itself is well written with realist characters. The book is unapologetically itself and the kind of story you don't find often enough, could not be happier having bought it