I had heard great things about this book from other readers. I had never read a story before where the main character is trans. I decided to give it a shot and I was not disappointed. I loved the culture and folklore of the character and family.

If you're someone who might have a problem with reading a story where a character is trans then you shouldn't have a problem reading this story. The fact that he was trans came into play where his family was concerned as far as not really understanding but as for the reason the story is called Cemetery Boys that character trait helped and made him a better person.

I really loved this! Such a fun take on withces/brujx's in this book. I really liked following the main character in this story and all the challenges he has to face for his family to accept him for who really is. All of the characters in this book are vibrant and fun. I especially loved the main character's banter with his ghost love interest.
Overall, this was a really great fantasy! Definitely one I'll want to reread again during the spooky season.

I really enjoyed this book! It felt a little long at times. I think some of the sections that took place at school could have been taken out. However, the story kept me entertained. I loved learning more about Yadriel's culture and family traditions as well as his experience as a trans teen. Even though this is fiction, I feel that it educated me on a few things (and I love when that happens)! Overall, the characters were endearing and the story was exciting!

Loved this book! The writing, the characters, the plot were all exceptional. I highly 'Cemetery Boys' for a great, satisfying read!

I really wanted to like CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas. I'm not sure what or why, but it wasn't grabbing me. I set it aside to pick up later.

I can't believe I took so long to finally read this! I absolutely loved this! Yadriel, is transgender and having trouble getting his very traditional Latinx family to accept his gender. To prove to them that he is a real Brujo like the other men in his family, he takes it upon himself to perform the ceremony himself, with the help of his cousin, Maritza. Afterward when trying to summon the ghost of his cousin to set him free...he summons the wrong ghost. Julian is known as the school's "bad boy" and he doesn't know what happened to him. Can Yadriel help Julian figure out what happened to him and help his family find his cousin?

This book was so funny! The banter between the characters was so perfect! @aidenschmaiden clearly knows how to write dialogue! And I loved Yadriel & Julian together. They truly begin to understand each other, after spending so much time together! When it came time for Yadriel to release Julian's spirit, I'm not sure who was more upset...them or me!

If you haven't read this yet, read it!

Touching, exciting and magical, Cemetery Boys will pull you in and keep you reading. Thomas sensitively explores trans issues in a close Latinx family, while also constructing a believable and moving romance.

This book dealt with a lot of sensitive issues (such as transphobia and grief) really well without making the story too dense or sad. It was an interesting look into a culture that I don't know much about and despite having some heavy topics it was a fun read.

The two MCs were fun together too

I adopted this book as one of my required course texts for an Adolescent Lit course. My students and I both loved it. Not only did we appreciate the characters, we admired Aiden Thomas' style of writing-- engaging, fun, and detailed.

I really liked this book, and I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Trans main character, gay characters, Day of the Dead... a lot to love here. I felt like it was so so long, but after a couple nights reading it, I was looking forward to getting back into the story before going to sleep.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

Loved this warm, funny, exciting novel. I described it to my coworker as a The Raven Boys meets Coco. Yadriel is a trans boy from a magical family of brujos and brujas. Although they love him, his family has trouble accepting his gender and will not allow him to participate in the ceremony to become a full brujo. So Yadriel, with the support of best friend and cousin Maritza, performs the ceremony himself.
And promptly summons a ghost, a ghost he recognizes from school as tough guy, Julian Díaz. Unable to perform the magic necessary to send him into the spirit world, Yadriel finds himself stuck with Julian while he figures out what to do next. To his total surprise, Yadriel finds that he doesn’t actually mind spending time with Julian—in fact, he suddenly wants to spend all his time with Julian.

The magical world in this story is so much fun to read and it never takes itself too seriously, which is a problem I have with a lot of supernatural/ urban fantasy. I laughed out loud a lot and the characters are wonderfully realized and memorable. I wanted to spend more time with them. A great read for anyone who enjoys magical realism, as well as anyone looking for a well rounded, emotional portrayal of a trans boy’s experience.

Amazing writing with a mixture of romance and mystery. This is the kind of book that can be read in the span of a day and feel completely satisfied. The length and story is perfect for getting out of a reading slump. The world building is enough to leave me as a reader wanting more and imagining scenarios past the ending of the book while also satisfying my suspension of disbelief. I will certainly be on the look out for Aiden Thomas' next book.

This was unique and I really enjoyed it. The character, culture, and love story development were all extremely well done and the ending was fast paced, hectic, and unpredictable. I do wish the balance had been shifted towards the conclusion a bit, giving more real estate to the big events at the end, but I liked it overall. I also love the mirroring of transitioning as a brujo with yadriel’s gender transition—it was pretty seamless. I also liked the way his family still made errors and stuff, but were pretty well accepting. There was enough drama from other aspects of the plot that it was good to have his family (with a few exceptions) be pretty cool with his gender.

Cemetery Boys was a great coming of age story that involved queer Latinx teens & was slightly spooky with Brujx & largely took place in cemeteries or with ghosts. Highly recommend for Halloween, Day of the Dead, or any time!

This is a wonderful addition to the YA fantasy genre, providing characters that many teens will be able to relate to. This own voices novel keeps the reader involved in the main character's journey and interweaves Mexican culture flawlessly.

I enjoyed the book overall. I loved the character work, the story was incredible. I especially loved the LatinX & Queer representation. My biggest complaint is that if I hadn’t read the eARC, I would have had to look up the meaning of a lot of Spanish. There are Spanish conversations and sayings throughout the book, some of which are explained, but a lot of them are not.

I truly enjoyed this story. It has an interesting plot and loveable characters. The book did a wonderful job showcasing Mexican culture. Involving the supernatural and Dia De Los Muertos pulled me in and kept me there.

I loved this book. It's wonderful for all readers (YA age range and up) who are interested in ghost stories, thrillers, humor, LGBTQ+ stories, Latinx stories, or just stories that involve family. I highly recommend.

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Oh wow, did I love this book! The romance was incredibly sweet and fluffy, the magic system was very interesting, and it had all sorts of different forms of representation! I loved how Yadriel's relationship with his family changed. Aiden Thomas is now an insta-read author for me!

This book is entertaining, yet important, because it covers so many key topics about sexuality, acceptance, and finding your voice.

Firstly, the author covers SO many topics simultaneously that that there is never a dull moment. What I really loved about the story is the subject of identity. Yadriel is a gay trans Latinx boy who wants to be a Brujo, but his family is not supportive due to his orientation. Being accepted is one of the challenges many of us face, and I could really relate to Yadriel in terms of being accepted.

Moreover, I loved Yadriel’s relationship with Julian. I am not a fan of slow-burn romance, but I really enjoyed it in this story. Yadriel has low self-esteem because of the way his family and society treat him. Hence, it was so amazing to see him open up and become confident under Julian’s influence. Similarly, Julian is this fireball of energy, where he is hilarious and all over the place, and doesn’t care what people think. They complement each other and are so dynamic together. On a side note, I also loved Maritza and thought she was an amazing supporting character!

At the same time, the entire story takes place with the backdrop of a cemetery close to the Dia De Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. This makes the book atmospheric, yet lively and engrossing. There is also this mystery element as Yadriel investigates what happened to Miguel. I enjoyed the mystery element as well and could not guess the reason behind it.

Overall, I don’t think I have ever read a book that emphasizes culture, diversity, sexuality, acceptance on top of a mystery, set in a cemetery ever! This book was very entertaining and I enjoyed reading it.