Review: Cemetery Boys

Title: Cemetery Boys

Author: Aiden Thomas

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

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Summary

Determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx, brujx family, Yadriel decides to perform the brujo ritual himself alongside his cousin Maritza. So, he decides to summon the ghost of his murdered cousin in order to help him pass to the other side. 

Instead, Yadriel summons the ghost of Julian Diaz, a fellow classmate and known bad boy. And Julian isn’t quite ready to pass to the other side yet. In order to speed along the process, Yadriel decides to help him figure out what happened when he died,  and ensure his friends are safe before his spirit passes on. But the more time Yadriel spends with Julian, the more he realizes that maybe he doesn’t actually want him to leave.

Review: Cemetery Boys

Thanks to NetGalley and Swoon Reads for an advanced copy of this book! Honestly, it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I’m so glad that it lived up to the hype. Like, I stayed up late finishing it on Monday night because I just couldn’t put it down. From the characters to the world building to the plot, everything works together so seamlessly in Thomas’s debut.

Due to COVID, the release date of this book moved from June to September. However, fall is pretty much the perfect time to read this book. Set in LA during Dia de Las Muertas, there are witchy vibes all over this book. Thomas’s writing does a lot to help create an atmosphere that’s easy to lose yourself in. I wouldn’t be mad if they kept writing in this world because it was that well done. Everything from the culture to the magic immerses you in this world right from the beginning of the book.

Favorite Aspects

The characters! If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that characters are the most important part for me in any given book. Yadriel and Julian were almost perfect complements of each other, and their relationship felt so effortless. Yadriel’s journey throughout the book to get his family to accept his gender felt authentic and fit in with the world building and the story itself. Personally, I felt his relationship with his dad and the way that it transforms throughout the book represented struggles for a lot of transgender youth. 

Julian’s struggles also represented struggles that a lot of teens face. He has his friends that he would protect with his life (and he literally does), and he has a complicated relationship with his brother, his caregiver since both his parents are gone. Honestly, both Yadrial and Julian are cinnamon rolls and 100% of the reason why you should read this book.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I don’t think I can come up with any complaints for Cemetery Boys. I can’t wait for my pre-ordered final copy to come so I can read it all over again. And you can bet that Aiden Thomas will be immediately going on my authors to watch list. Their writing feels so effortless, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

5/5 stars